What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Georgia?
In Georgia, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 5 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Demand possession — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50; (2) File a dispossessory affidavit — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50; (3) Seven days to answer — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-51; (4) The tenant’s right to pay and stay — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-52; (5) Writ of possession, seven days after judgment — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-55. Georgia has no waiting period after the demand for possession: the affidavit may be filed as soon as the demand is refused. A tenant may pay all rent and costs within seven days of the answer to stop the eviction, once every twelve months. The procedure as a whole is set by O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-50, 44-7-51, 44-7-52, 44-7-55.
| What | Georgia |
|---|---|
| Court | Magistrate Court, or State or Superior Court, for the county where the property is. |
| Steps with a citation | 5 |
Notes
Georgia has no waiting period after the demand for possession: the affidavit may be filed as soon as the demand is refused. A tenant may pay all rent and costs within seven days of the answer to stop the eviction, once every twelve months.
Source
O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-50, 44-7-51, 44-7-52, 44-7-55 — last checked 2026-09-16.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
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