The most commonly used Georgia lease agreements are commercial leases, standard residential leases, month-to-month residential leases, lease to own, roommate agreement, and a sublease agreement.
How a Georgia lease agreement is written ultimately depends on the type of lease. For example, a roommate agreement is a residential lease, but it divides the rent, utilities, and use of a residential unit. A commercial lease usually has a much longer term than a residential lease. Active duty military may have the option of terminating a lease before it ends because of deployment or relocation. To write a Georgia residential lease agreement, include the following information:
There are several disclosures that must be made at the time the landlord and the tenant enter into a Georgia lease agreement. The first is a flood disclosure. If the property has flooded three or more times during the last five years, the landlord must inform the tenant. The second is the identification of any manager, individual, or agent who is allowed to be on the property on behalf of the landlord. The third disclosure is a list of prior damages to the property. The landlord must provide it when they receive the security deposit. This is often referred to as an inspection form. The fourth disclosure is specific information about previous tenants. If a former tenant was infected by a virus, died, committed murder or another felony on the property, the new tenant is legally obligated to receive that information.
Finally, if the residential unit was built prior to 1978, the landlord must provide a lead-paint disclosure under federal law.
In Georgia, there is no state law that caps security deposits. However, at the end of the lease, the landlord must return the deposit within one month. If the landlord keeps part of the deposit for damages, they must provide an itemized list and those items cannot be considered ordinary wear and tear.