How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Georgia?

In Georgia, the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction case is governed by O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-50 (as amended by the Safe at Home Act, 2024), 44-7-51, 44-7-52, 44-7-55. Seven days from service. If the seventh day is a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day.

WhatGeorgia
CourtMagistrate Court, or State or Superior Court, for the county where the property is.

Notes

For a residential lease entered into or renewed on or after 1 July 2024, a landlord must give a notice to vacate or pay all past-due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges within three business days before filing for nonpayment (the Safe at Home Act). A tenant may pay all rent and costs within seven days of the answer to stop the eviction, once every twelve months. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 is amended again from 1 January 2027.

Source

O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-50 (as amended by the Safe at Home Act, 2024), 44-7-51, 44-7-52, 44-7-55

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 September 16, 2026.

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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