Savannah GA rent increase 2026 Savannah GA has no rent control — Georgia O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 (enacted 1984) explicitly bars all Georgia counties and municipalities from enacting any ordinance or resolution regulating the amount of rent charged for private residential or commercial property. The Savannah City Council and Chatham County Commission have no authority to cap rents. PORT OF SAVANNAH (Georgia Ports Authority, Garden City Terminal): THE 2ND-BUSIEST US CONTAINER PORT BY TEU VOLUME — 5.7M TEUs FY2024; LARGEST SINGLE-TERMINAL CONTAINER PORT IN THE US (~1,200 acres); 47-ft deepened channel (SHEP completed 2022, $973M project) enabling Neo-Panamax vessels; Mason Mega Rail Terminal (largest on-dock intermodal rail in US Southeast); $56B+ annual economic impact; 436,000+ Georgia jobs dependent on port commerce. GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION (wholly-owned General Dynamics subsidiary; WORLD HEADQUARTERS + PRIMARY PRODUCTION FACILITY at 500 Gulfstream Rd, Savannah GA 31408; G700 [7,750nm, 10 Oval Signature windows/side, $75M+, EIS 2023] + G800 [8,000nm = LONGEST RANGE OF ANY PURPOSE-BUILT BUSINESS JET, $72M+, EIS 2023]; 8,000–10,000 Savannah area employees; CHATHAM COUNTY’S LARGEST PRIVATE EMPLOYER; $18–23B backlog). HYUNDAI METAPLANT AMERICA (HMGMA; LARGEST FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN GEORGIA HISTORY: $5.54B; Ellabell, Bryan County; IONIQ 5 + IONIQ 6; 8,500+ direct jobs; SK On battery JV $1.35B; production 2024–2025). SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design; WORLD’S LARGEST ART AND DESIGN UNIVERSITY by enrollment; 14,000+ students; Savannah flagship ~10,000+; August enrollment surge 15–20pt vacancy swing; 45+ majors). MEMORIAL HEALTH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (Level I Trauma; ONLY LEVEL I SERVING COASTAL GEORGIA AND SC LOW COUNTRY; HCA; 4,000+ employees; 610+ beds). 2026 rents: Historic District 2BR $1,600–$3,000+; Ardsley Park 2BR $1,500–$2,400; Pooler 2BR $1,300–$2,000; Bryan County 2BR $1,200–$1,900.

Georgia O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 — the statewide rent control preemption

Georgia Code §44-7-19 is the statute that prevents Savannah, Chatham County, and every other Georgia jurisdiction from enacting a local rent control ordinance. The statute reads:

“No county or municipal corporation shall enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which would regulate or control the amount of rent charged for private residential property.”

O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 (enacted 1984, Georgia General Assembly)

The statute was enacted in 1984 as part of the national wave of state-level preemptions that produced similar laws in North Carolina (1987), South Carolina (1984), Texas (1981), Arizona (1981), and elsewhere. Georgia’s preemption has been in effect for over 40 years without successful challenge or legislative modification. As of 2026, there is no pending Georgia General Assembly legislation to repeal or limit the preemption.

What Georgia’s preemption covers

The preemption applies to “private residential property” — covering apartments, single-family rentals, condominiums rented by private landlords, duplexes, triplexes, and furnished or unfurnished units of all types. In Savannah, this includes: Victorian rowhouses in the historic district rented long-term or short-term (to the extent long-term tenancies are created); student apartments near SCAD; Gulfstream employee apartments in Pooler; logistics worker units near the Garden City Terminal; and HMGMA manufacturing worker units in Bryan County.

Note: the Georgia General Assembly has also interpreted O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 as prohibiting rent regulation on commercial property as well as residential — making Georgia’s preemption unusually broad in national context.

Comparison to neighboring states

State	Preemption statute	Enacted	Type	Scope
Georgia	O.C.G.A. §44-7-19	1984	Statutory	Residential + commercial; all counties and municipalities
South Carolina	S.C. Code §27-40-30(a)	1984	Statutory	All political subdivisions; residential
North Carolina	N.C.G.S. §42-14.1	1987	Statutory	Counties and cities; residential + commercial
Tennessee	Tenn. Code Ann. §66-35-102	2014/2022	Statutory	All local governments; residential
Florida	Art. X §19, FL Constitution (Amendment 1)	2023	Constitutional	All local governments; residential; hardest to repeal
Texas	Tex. Loc. Gov. Code §214.902	1981	Statutory	Municipalities and counties
Arizona	A.R.S. §33-1329	1981	Statutory	All political subdivisions

Georgia Landlord-Tenant Act — key rules for Savannah landlords

While no rent cap exists, the Georgia Landlord-Tenant Act (O.C.G.A. Title 44, Chapter 7) contains several provisions with serious financial penalties for non-compliance. The highest-stakes rules for Savannah landlords in 2026:

Security deposit rules (O.C.G.A. §§44-7-30 through 44-7-35)

Georgia places no statutory maximum on the security deposit amount — unlike North Carolina (2-month cap), Virginia (2-month cap), California (2-month cap for unfurnished), or New York (1-month cap under HSTPA 2019). Savannah market practice is typically 1–2 months’ rent, but no law limits the amount.

What Georgia does impose is a strict procedural framework with severe penalties:

1. Written move-out condition notice required: When the tenancy ends, the landlord must provide the tenant with a written statement describing the condition of the premises and any deductions from the deposit simultaneously with the return of the deposit or itemized statement. Failure to provide this written notice forfeits the landlord’s right to make any deductions.
2. 30-day return deadline (§44-7-31 / §44-7-33): The landlord must return the deposit (or provide an itemized statement of deductions) within 30 days of the lease termination AND the tenant’s delivery of possession plus a forwarding address. If the landlord needs additional time (waiting for contractor bids on damage repairs), Georgia allows up to 60 days total if written notice is sent within the initial 30-day window.
3. 3× bad-faith penalty + attorney fees (§44-7-35): If the landlord wrongfully fails to return the deposit or provide the required itemized statement within the required period, the tenant may sue in Chatham County Magistrate Court and recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs. A Savannah landlord who wrongfully retains a $2,400 deposit from an Ardsley Park tenant faces a potential $7,200 judgment plus attorney fees. This penalty is the central financial compliance risk for every Savannah landlord.

Anti-retaliation (§44-7-24)

Georgia law creates a 1-year rebuttable presumption of retaliation if a landlord raises rent or takes adverse action within 12 months of a tenant exercising a legal right (such as complaining to the City of Savannah’s Inspections division or contacting an advocacy organization). Savannah landlords should document the independent business basis for any rent increase separately and contemporaneously with any tenant complaints.

Notice for month-to-month tenancies

For month-to-month tenancies, Georgia best practice (and standard lease provision) is 30 days’ written notice before a rent increase takes effect or before terminating the tenancy. The Georgia RLTA does not specify a longer period for rent change notices in month-to-month tenancies; the 30-day period is the baseline. Lease agreements may specify longer notice periods, and those provisions control.

Savannah 2026 rent control status — quick reference

Question	Answer
Rent control in Savannah?	None. O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 prohibits local rent control statewide.
Annual rent increase cap?	No cap. Landlords may raise rent any amount at lease renewal or with 30 days’ notice (month-to-month).
Security deposit cap?	No amount cap under Georgia law. Return within 30 days. 3× bad-faith penalty.
Written move-out notice required?	Yes. Must accompany any deposit withholding. Failure forfeits right to deductions.
Triple-damages risk?	Yes. Wrongful deposit withholding = 3× deposit + attorney fees (§44-7-35).
Anti-retaliation protection?	Yes. 1-year rebuttable presumption of retaliation (§44-7-24).
Notice for month-to-month rent increase?	30 days written notice minimum; lease may specify longer.
Non-payment eviction procedure?	Written demand; then immediate Dispossessory Affidavit at Chatham County Magistrate Court.
Eviction timeline?	3–4 weeks (uncontested) at Chatham County Magistrate Court, 133 Montgomery St, (912) 652-7252.
Just-cause eviction required?	No. Georgia has no statewide just-cause eviction protection.
Self-help eviction permitted?	No. Prohibited. Landlords may not change locks, remove belongings, or cut utilities without a court writ.
SCRA considerations?	Fort Stewart (~40 miles SW, Hinesville GA) proximity; verify SCRA.DMDC.OSD.MIL at lease signing.
Controlling law	O.C.G.A. §44-7-1 to §44-7-81 (Georgia Landlord-Tenant Act); O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 (preemption)

Port of Savannah — national scale, local rental demand

The Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City Terminal is the physical and economic center of Savannah’s industrial identity. Its scale is difficult to fully appreciate:

• Largest single-terminal container port in the US by acreage under one management (~1,200 contiguous acres at Garden City Terminal).
• 2nd-busiest US container port by TEU volume, processing approximately 5.7 million TEUs in FY2024 — surpassing the Port of New York/New Jersey to become the dominant East Coast container port.
• 47-foot deepened channel completed 2022 (Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, $973M federal-state investment) — enabling fully laden Neo-Panamax container vessels, the largest that can transit the expanded Panama Canal.
• Mason Mega Rail Terminal (opened 2020): the largest on-dock intermodal rail facility in the US Southeast; direct container transfer to Norfolk Southern and CSX without trucking.
• Ocean Terminal: Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) for automobiles — Hyundai/Kia vehicles manufactured at HMGMA in Bryan County leave the US through Savannah’s Ocean Terminal.
• $56B+ annual economic impact; approximately 436,000 Georgia jobs dependent on port commerce.

The port’s operational demands — 24/7, 365 days, processing millions of container moves per year — generate continuous year-round rental demand in western Chatham County (Garden City, Port Wentworth) and the Pooler logistics corridor. This demand is largely non-seasonal and non-discretionary: port workers must live near the terminal, creating one of the most stable occupancy environments in the Savannah market.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation — world’s premier business aviation HQ in Savannah

Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD), maintains its WORLD HEADQUARTERS and PRIMARY PRODUCTION FACILITY at 500 Gulfstream Road, Savannah GA 31408, adjacent to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Founded in 1958 by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Gulfstream has delivered 3,000+ aircraft since inception and has established Savannah as the global capital of large-cabin business aviation.

The 2023 product lineup represents the current state of the art in business aviation:

• G800: 8,000 nautical mile range — the LONGEST RANGE OF ANY PURPOSE-BUILT BUSINESS JET in the world; nonstop New York to Singapore (8,285 nm); nonstop Los Angeles to Sydney (7,488 nm via the Coral Sea route); list price ~$72M+. Entered service 2023.
• G700: The LARGEST-CABIN PURPOSE-BUILT BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ever manufactured; 10 Oval Signature windows per side (most of any business jet); 7,750 nm range; seats up to 19 passengers in the full-configuration cabin; list price ~$75M+. Entered service 2023.
• G600: 6,500 nm range; mid-size in the GVII family; in production at Savannah.
• G550: Legacy ultra-long-range model still in production; 6,750 nm; the workhorse of the Gulfstream fleet for government, VIP, and charter operators globally.

Gulfstream’s approximately 8,000–10,000 Savannah area employees are Chatham County’s largest private employer. The workforce spans multiple pay grades and rental price points:

• Aerospace engineers, avionics engineers, flight test engineers ($90,000–$200,000+): rent in Ardsley Park, Savannah Quarters, Isle of Hope, and Thunderbolt.
• Senior flight test pilots, program managers, customer service directors ($120,000–$250,000+): primarily rent briefly and then purchase homes; contribute to demand for luxury Savannah Quarters golf community rentals.
• Production technicians, interior completion craftspeople, sheet metal workers, composite technicians ($60,000–$95,000): the dominant Pooler/Georgetown rental segment. 2BR rents: $1,300–$1,800. Primary beneficiaries of Pooler’s new construction boom.
• Administrative and support staff ($45,000–$75,000): rent across Pooler, mid-Chatham, and south Savannah. 1BR rents: $1,000–$1,400.

Gulfstream’s typical order backlog of $18–23 billion provides extraordinary employment stability — new hires face very low near-term layoff risk compared to cyclical manufacturing industries. JCB North America’s headquarters and manufacturing facility in Pooler (2000 Bamford Blvd; ~1,200–1,500 Savannah/Pooler area employees; manufactures backhoe loaders, telescopic handlers, and compact track loaders for the North American market) reinforces Pooler’s industrial employment density further.

Hyundai METAPLANT America — the largest FDI in Georgia history

Announced April 2022, Hyundai METAPLANT America (HMGMA) represents a $5.54 billion investment — the LARGEST FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN GEORGIA HISTORY — in a 5.5+ million square foot manufacturing complex in Ellabell, Bryan County, approximately 30 miles west of downtown Savannah. First EV production commenced 2024–2025.

Products: Hyundai IONIQ 5 (2022 World Car of the Year; midsize crossover EV); Hyundai IONIQ 6 (sedan EV; EPA range up to 361 miles); and future Hyundai/Kia EV models. The proximity to the Port of Savannah (22 miles) was a primary site selection driver: HMGMA-produced vehicles will export through the GPA’s Ocean Terminal on the Savannah River.

Battery joint venture: Hyundai Motor Group + SK On (South Korean battery technology leader) established a JV cell and module production facility in Bryan County with a separate $1.35 billion investment. The battery JV adds several thousand additional direct manufacturing employees to the Bryan County cluster — creating a complete EV supply chain from battery cells to finished vehicles within a 30-mile radius of Savannah.

HMGMA’s projected direct employment of 8,500+ workers (plus 15,000–20,000 indirect/supplier jobs) has already materially elevated rental demand in Bryan County, Effingham County, and the western Savannah suburbs.

Memorial Health University Medical Center and the healthcare employment base

Memorial Health University Medical Center (4700 Waters Ave, Savannah GA 31404) is the ONLY LEVEL I TRAUMA CENTER serving coastal Georgia and the South Carolina Low Country — a 35-county primary service area extending from coastal Georgia through Beaufort and Hilton Head, SC. With approximately 610+ beds, 4,000+ employees, and designation as an HCA Healthcare subsidiary (HCA Healthcare is a Fortune 50 Nashville-based hospital system), Memorial Health is one of Savannah’s largest and most stable employment anchors.

The co-location of Mercer University School of Medicine’s Savannah campus at Memorial Health generates additional healthcare professional demand — approximately 80 MD students on clinical rotations at any given time, with residents, fellows, and attending physicians adding to the healthcare worker rental pool. Medical professionals typically rent in Midtown, Ardsley Park, and Southside Savannah near the Waters Avenue medical corridor.

Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus (11935 Abercorn St; approximately 6,000 students focused on health professions including nursing, respiratory therapy, and dental hygiene) contributes additional student demand to the Southside Savannah / Abercorn Street corridor, where 1BR rents range from $700–$1,100.

Savannah neighborhood rent map 2026

Neighborhood / submarket	County	2BR range (2026)	Primary demand driver
Historic District (Reynolds/Columbia/Greene/Jones Sts)	Chatham	$1,600–$3,000+	STR investor premium; Oglethorpe square system; 15M+ annual tourists; furnished commands significant premium; SCAD overflow
Ardsley Park / Chatham Crescent	Chatham	$1,500–$2,400	Most desirable walkable non-historic residential; Forsyth Park proximity; Gulfstream senior engineers; healthcare professionals
Midtown / Thomas Square / Starland District	Chatham	$1,300–$2,000	SCAD students + faculty; young professionals; Bull St revitalization; Starland Yard arts complex; fastest-appreciating submarket 2022–2026
Victorian District (Boundary St / Anderson St)	Chatham	$800–$1,400 (often furnished)	SCAD dominant; furnished units command premium; August enrollment surge; high seasonal turnover at May graduation
Pooler / Savannah Quarters / Georgetown	Chatham	$1,300–$2,000	Gulfstream technician/engineer primary market; JCB North America; logistics workers; I-16/I-95 access; fastest-growing submarket; new construction dominates
Richmond Hill (GA-17 south)	Bryan	$1,400–$2,200	Planned communities; Fort Stewart military families; HMGMA employee move-up; good schools; Bryan County growth
West Chatham / Port Wentworth / Garden City	Chatham	$1,000–$1,600	Port of Savannah logistics workers; near Garden City Terminal; working-class/affordable; strong occupancy driven by 24/7 port operations
Bryan County / Ellabell (near HMGMA)	Bryan	$1,200–$1,900	Hyundai METAPLANT America; SK On battery JV; new construction surging; construction worker demand transitioning to production worker demand
Near Georgia Southern Armstrong / Southside (Abercorn corridor)	Chatham	$700–$1,100 (1BR); $1,000–$1,500 (2BR)	Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus (~6,000 students; nursing, health professions); Memorial Health workforce; most affordable Chatham County submarket
Isle of Hope / Thunderbolt	Chatham	$1,400–$2,200	Established waterfront neighborhoods; bluff-and-marsh setting; Gulfstream senior employees; boating and waterfront lifestyle premium
Effingham County (Rincon / Springfield)	Effingham	$1,100–$1,700	Suburban alternative to Chatham; HMGMA and Pooler commuters; new single-family construction; lower property costs than Chatham

Ranges reflect typical asking rent for unfurnished units in 2026. Historic District furnished units and new luxury construction at the top of or above ranges. Victorian District furnished units typically at mid-to-upper portion of stated range.

Savannah major employer summary (2026)

1. Georgia Ports Authority / Port of Savannah — Garden City Terminal, Savannah GA — The GPA directly employs approximately 3,200 people. The port’s 5.7 million annual TEU throughput requires an ecosystem of approximately 436,000 Georgia workers across maritime, logistics, warehousing, trucking, and distribution. Garden City/Port Wentworth demand anchor: 2BR $1,000–$1,600.
2. Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (General Dynamics; NYSE: GD) — 500 Gulfstream Rd, Savannah GA 31408 — 8,000–10,000 Savannah area employees; Chatham County’s largest private employer; G700 + G800; world headquarters; $18–23B backlog. Primary markets: Pooler (technicians) and Ardsley Park/Isle of Hope (engineers).
3. Hyundai METAPLANT America (HMGMA) — Ellabell, Bryan County GA — $5.54B investment; 8,500+ direct jobs + 15,000–20,000 indirect; IONIQ 5/6; SK On battery JV ($1.35B). Primary markets: Bryan County/Ellabell, Richmond Hill, Pooler, and Georgetown.
4. Memorial Health University Medical Center — 4700 Waters Ave, Savannah GA 31404 — HCA Healthcare; Level I Trauma (only one serving coastal GA/SC Low Country); 610+ beds; 4,000+ employees. Primary market: Midtown, Ardsley Park, Southside.
5. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) — Savannah historic district + distributed campus — World’s largest art and design university; 14,000+ students total; Savannah flagship ~10,000+; 1,500–2,000 faculty/staff. Primary markets: Victorian District, Thomas Square, Starland District, Midtown.
6. JCB North America — 2000 Bamford Blvd, Pooler GA (Savannah metro) — North American HQ + manufacturing; backhoe loaders and telehandlers; ~1,200–1,500 Savannah/Pooler area employees. Primary market: Pooler.
7. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) — ~6 million annual passengers (2024); American Airlines, Delta, United, Southwest, Spirit; Southwest Airlines maintenance base; ~2,500 direct airport employees. Primary market: Pooler and west Chatham.
8. Fort Stewart (Hinesville GA, ~40 miles SW) — 3rd Infantry Division HQ; ~25,000 military/civilian; primarily Hinesville/Liberty County rental market, but some personnel choose Savannah for lifestyle. SCRA verification is relevant for Savannah landlords. BAH at Savannah/Ft. Stewart rate: varies by rank.
9. Amazon, Wayfair, Best Buy Distribution — Pooler / I-16/I-95 logistics corridor — Multiple large fulfillment and distribution centers employing thousands of logistics workers in the $15–$22/hour range; sustains Pooler/West Chatham affordable rental demand at $1,100–$1,600 (2BR).
10. Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus — 11935 Abercorn St, Savannah GA — ~6,000 students; health professions focus; part of Georgia Southern University (statewide system). Southside Savannah demand at $700–$1,100 (1BR).

Savannah tourism and the short-term rental market (2026)

Savannah’s approximately 15 million+ annual visitors and its status as one of America’s great historic cities create a short-term rental market that profoundly shapes supply available to long-term renters in the historic district:

• 22-square historic district: America’s largest National Historic Landmark District (2.5 sq miles), laid out by General James Oglethorpe’s 1733 plan with the distinctive ward/square urban grid. Twenty-two of the original 24 squares survive. The physical environment — antebellum rowhouses, live oaks draped in Spanish moss, cobblestone lanes — generates STR premiums that well-managed units convert to $80,000–$150,000+ annually.
• St. Patrick’s Day parade: one of the LARGEST ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, with approximately 500,000+ attendees in a downtown normally populated by thousands; STR rates reach $400–$800/night during St. Patrick’s weekend.
• SCAD Savannah Film Festival (October): a nationally recognized student and independent film festival that fills downtown accommodations.
• Forsyth Park (1858; 30-acre park; cast-iron fountain; the center of Savannah’s social life); Bonaventure Cemetery (200,000+ annual visitors; immortalized in John Berendt’s “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” which spent a then-record 216 weeks on the NYT bestseller list); River Street cobblestone commercial district.
• City STR licensing: the City of Savannah requires STR operators to obtain a permit (~$75/year for primary residences). STR is permitted in the historic district with licensing. Owner-investors of historic rowhouses regularly earn multiples of long-term rental yields through STR operation.

For long-term landlords, the STR market functions as a de facto rent floor in the historic district: any long-term rent substantially below the economic equivalent of STR income creates an incentive to switch, explaining the Historic District’s 2BR price range of $1,600–$3,000+ — materially above comparable-aged housing stock in non-STR-competitive Georgia markets.

Savannah in national rent control context

City / jurisdiction	Rent control status	2026 cap (typical)	Vacancy control?	Just-cause eviction?
Savannah, GA	None — state preemption (O.C.G.A. §44-7-19)	No cap	N/A	No
Atlanta, GA	None — state preemption	No cap	N/A	No
Nashville, TN	None — state preemption	No cap	N/A	No
Miami, FL	None — constitutional ban (Amendment 1, 2023)	No cap	N/A	No
Washington, DC	Rental Housing Act 1985 (D.C. Code §42-3501 et seq.)	4.1% (regular); 2.1% (elderly/disability)	Partial	Yes (10 grounds)
New York City	RSL — RGB Order 2026	2.75% (1-yr) / 5.25% (2-yr)	No (HSTPA 2019)	Yes
Los Angeles	RSO (Municipal Code §151) + AB 1482 statewide	3–8% RSO; 8.8% AB 1482	Yes (RSO)	Yes (RSO units)
Minneapolis, MN	Chapter 244 (hard vacancy control)	3% (follows unit)	Yes (hard)	Yes
Oregon (statewide)	ORS §90.323 (SB 611)	9.5% (2026; min(10%, 7%+CPI))	No	Yes (ORS §90.427)

Georgia landlord compliance checklist for Savannah 2026

Georgia has no rent cap to comply with, but the Georgia Landlord-Tenant Act’s security deposit and notice provisions carry serious financial penalties for non-compliance. Savannah landlords raising rent or processing a tenancy turnover in 2026 should verify all of the following:

1. Confirm no local ordinance applies: No Savannah City Council ordinance, Chatham County Commission resolution, or any other Georgia local government measure may cap rent. No filing or registration is required to raise rent in Savannah. If you manage units in multiple states with different compliance systems, confirm that your Georgia workflow does not inadvertently import compliance steps from rent-controlled jurisdictions.
2. Month-to-month rent increase notice: Serve written notice at least 30 days before the new rent amount takes effect. Serve via certified mail AND email simultaneously. Retain delivery confirmation. The lease may specify a longer notice period, and that controls.
3. Fixed-term lease renewal: Review the lease for its renewal notice requirement (typically 30–60 days before lease expiration). Serve notice of renewal terms or non-renewal at least as many days in advance as required by the lease. Document delivery.
4. Security deposit compliance at move-in: The deposit amount is uncapped by Georgia law. Document the deposit amount in the lease. Note: for SCAD student leases, be aware that some students may lack a US credit history; Georgia has no prohibition on requiring a higher deposit for creditworthiness reasons (short of discriminatory application).
5. Move-out inspection and deposit return (§44-7-31 / §44-7-35): Conduct a move-out inspection; provide the tenant with a written statement of the condition of the premises and any deductions; return the deposit (or itemized statement of deductions and remaining balance) within 30 days of lease termination AND delivery of possession AND receipt of tenant’s forwarding address. Wrongful withholding exposes you to 3× the withheld amount plus attorney fees.
6. Anti-retaliation documentation (§44-7-24): If a tenant has recently filed a code complaint with the City of Savannah’s Inspection Services, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, or any other government authority, document the independent business basis for any rent increase (market comparable data, cost increases, capital improvements) contemporaneously with the increase notice.
7. Non-payment eviction procedure: Issue a written demand for payment per the lease (or a reasonable cure period if the lease is silent). If not cured, file a Dispossessory Affidavit at Chatham County Magistrate Court, 133 Montgomery Street, Savannah GA 31401, (912) 652-7252. Do not change locks, remove belongings, or cut utilities — self-help eviction is prohibited and exposes you to significant liability.
8. SCRA verification (Fort Stewart proximity): Before filing any dispossessory and at lease signing, run SCRA.DMDC.OSD.MIL verification for all tenants. Fort Stewart (3rd Infantry Division HQ; ~25,000 military/civilian; Hinesville GA, approximately 40 miles SW of Savannah) means some Savannah tenants are active-duty servicemembers or their dependents. The SCRA provides federal lease termination rights (50 U.S.C. §3955) and eviction protections (50 U.S.C. §3951) that override Georgia state law. Evicting a protected servicemember or dependent without a court order is a federal crime.
9. SCAD seasonal market management: For units in the Victorian District, Thomas Square, and Starland District, align lease terms with SCAD’s academic calendar (August start, May or July end). Plan for the August vacancy surge and the May graduation vacancy surge. Consider furnished-unit strategy for units near SCAD buildings to command the furnished premium.
10. Historic district STR compliance: If you operate an STR in the Savannah historic district, ensure your City of Savannah STR permit is current. If you manage long-term rental units in the historic district, be aware that STR competition creates upward pressure on long-term rents in adjacent blocks.

Frequently asked questions — Savannah GA rent increase 2026

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