Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Georgia?
No. A Georgia landlord may not lock out, remove property or cut utilities; only a writ of possession executed by the sheriff or marshal may put a tenant out. In Georgia a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set 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.
| What | Georgia |
|---|---|
| Changing the locks, cutting a utility or removing belongings | Unlawful |
| Who may remove a tenant | Only a court officer acting on a court order |
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.
Guides on this rule
- Can a Landlord Shut Off Utilities or Change the Locks? — Self-help eviction rules: utility shutoffs and lock changes in California, Florida, New York and Texas, the one narrow Texas exception, and the penalties.
Compare this rule in every state
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- Every Georgia rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Arizona
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- District of Columbia
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