Eviction and Renting in Georgia During the Coronavirus Pandemic
What Rights
do
Renters Have?
Law Champs Lawyers
Over three million people rent apartments and other housing units in Georgia, making it the sixth-highest state with a renting population.
So if you are a renter in Georgia, your concerns and confusions are more than justified.
Can my landlord evict me if I don’t pay my rent if I’ve lost my job because of COVID-19?
Regardless of where you live in the United States, the federal CARES Act prevents landlords from filing eviction notices for failure to pay rent until July 25th.
However, this is not catch-all protection. You may still be evicted before July 25th:
- If you were already being evicted. The CARES Act does not inhibit your landlord from continuing the process of evicting you.
- If you are being evicted for reasons other than being delinquent on unpaid charges. The CARES Act only protects against evictions due to your failure to pay rent or other fees.
-
If you live in a property that is not covered by the CARES Act, including those without a federally backed mortgage or which do not participate in a federal program. Some qualifying programs include Section 42 tax credits and Section 8 vouchers.
In other words, Georgia tenants living in properties unprotected by the CARES Act can still be evicted - even if you lost your job due to COVID-19.
What happens if I was already being evicted, or my landlord is threatening to evict me for reasons unrelated to my unpaid charges?
Unlike other states, Georgia has not passed any statewide protections against any and all evictions in response to COVID-19. So if you were already being evicted, the following may still continue to happen during this time:
If you are concerned about being evicted, it is always best to talk to your landlord directly, and explain your situation.
What happens at the end of the 120-day federal moratorium on evictions on July 25th?
While some states have extended the moratorium on evictions, Georgia has not implemented any legislation to prevent evictions during and after shelter-in-place.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta did issue a 60-day moratorium on evictions and filings beginning on March 16th. But as of May 16th, it has officially expired.
This means that now, the CARES Act is the last line of defense against the eviction of Georgia residents. It, too, will expire soon.
I rent a low-income housing unit in Atlanta. Are there any additional protections or relief programs available to me?
If you are one of the approximately 50,000 residents of an Atlanta Housing (AH) owned property, you may have heard about a 60-day rent reduction available to people who have suffered a loss of income due to COVID-19.
While this program is set to finish when shelter-in-place does, “extended hardships” are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
See here for more information on Atlanta-specific rental relief.
