What must landlords in Georgia do to comply with their obligations?

In Georgia, landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rental properties are maintained in habitable conditions. This encompasses various responsibilities, including keeping the structure safe, ensuring essential services such as heating, plumbing, and electrical systems function properly, and addressing any infestations or significant hazards. By adhering to these obligations, landlords help protect their tenants' health and safety, which is fundamental to landlord-tenant relationships.

While paying for utilities, providing free repairs, or returning security deposits immediately may seem beneficial, these actions are not universally required under Georgia law. Landlords are not required to pay for a tenant's utilities unless specifically stipulated in the lease agreement. Similarly, while landlords are required to perform repairs, they are not mandated to do so free of charge. The return of security deposits has specific timelines defined by Georgia law, but it does not have to be immediate; landlords are usually given time to conduct an accounting. Hence, maintaining habitable conditions is the primary obligation that landlords must fulfill to comply with their responsibilities in Georgia.