Georgia Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Georgia's security deposit statutes (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34 and § 44-7-35), the 30-day return deadline, and the treble-damages penalty for bad-faith withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
up to 3×
for bad-faith withholding under § 44-7-35(c)
Statute
§ 44-7-35
Official Code of Georgia Annotated
Under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34, your landlord has 30 days from the date you move out to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized list of deductions.
If the landlord withholds your deposit in bad faith — for example, refusing to return it, providing no itemization, or making clearly improper deductions — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-35 allows you to recover:
So a $1,500 deposit withheld in bad faith can support a court judgment of up to $4,500. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Deposit cap (HB 404): As of July 1, 2024, Georgia caps security deposits at two months’ rent (for leases entered or renewed on or after that date). If you were charged more, your letter can raise it. Georgia had no cap before this.
Small-landlord exemption from the treble penalty: Under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-36, a landlord who owns ten or fewer rental units and manages them personally (without a management agent) is not subject to the 3× penalty. The 30-day return duty and the forfeiture rule still apply — your letter reflects whichever applies to your landlord.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Georgia's deadlines under § 44-7-34.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 44-7-34, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Georgia law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
30 days after you move out.
A landlord who withholds the deposit in bad faith can be liable for three times the sum improperly withheld under § 44-7-35(c). The treble penalty is not automatic: a landlord who proves the withholding was unintentional and the result of a bona fide error despite reasonable procedures is liable only for the amount withheld, and landlords who own ten or fewer rental units and manage them personally are exempt from the treble penalty under § 44-7-36.
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34 and O.C.G.A. § 44-7-35. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Georgia rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Georgia statutes that apply to your situation.
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34, § 44-7-35, and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Georgia landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39