Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Georgia?
In Georgia, a tenant protected, or whose minor child is protected, by a civil or criminal family violence order or a civil or criminal stalking order may end the residential lease effective 30 days after giving the landlord written notice of termination, accompanied by a copy of the order. If the order is an ex parte temporary protective order, the notice must also include a copy of the police report. The tenant may stay until the termination takes effect and owes rent prorated to the effective date, payable when it would otherwise be due, plus any delinquent rent or other sums owed before termination, but no other fees, rent or damages for the early termination. A termination given 14 or more days before occupancy carries no damages or penalties of any kind. The right also protects a joint tenant who had no obligation to pay rent, and it cannot be waived or modified by agreement. This is O.C.G.A. § 44-7-23.
| What | Georgia |
|---|---|
| Ending the lease early | 30 days’ written notice with a protective or stalking order |
What the statute says
“A tenant may terminate his or her residential rental or lease agreement for real estate effective 30 days after providing the landlord with a written notice of termination when a civil family violence order, civil stalking order, criminal family violence order, or criminal stalking order …”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-23
Read the statute in the Official Code of Georgia (Georgia General Assembly): legis.ga.gov.
The linked sections open Justia’s free copy of the code, because the state’s own site has no stable address for each section.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.
Guides on this rule
- Breaking a Lease for Domestic Violence: Laws by State — How a domestic violence victim can end a lease early, with the notice, documents and rent rule in each of the 39 jurisdictions with a statute.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana