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, 44-7-51, 44-7-52, 44-7-55.

WhatGeorgia
Changing the locks, cutting a utility or removing belongingsUnlawful
Who may remove a tenantOnly a court officer acting on a court order

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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