St. Marys GA rent increase 2026 Georgia’s O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 preempts all local rent regulation statewide: “No county or municipality shall regulate in any way the amount of rent to be charged for any dwelling unit.” St. Marys City Council and the Camden County Board of Commissioners are legally incapable of enacting any form of rent control. COURTHOUSE TRAP: St. Marys is NOT the Camden County seat — Woodbine GA is — eviction filings go to Camden County Magistrate Court, 200 E. Fourth St., Woodbine GA 31569 (~15–18 miles northwest via US-17). NSB Kings Bay is IMMEDIATELY NORTH of St. Marys city limits: SCRA (50 U.S.C. §3955) applies to active-duty tenants on PCS orders. SGHS Camden Campus is IN St. Marys city limits (~150–300 employees). Historic antebellum downtown (National Register) and Cumberland Island NPS ferry origin add a +$100–$200/month premium for qualifying properties.

O.C.G.A. §44-7-19 — Georgia’s absolute rent preemption in St. Marys and all of Camden County

“No county or municipality shall regulate in any way the amount of rent to be charged for any dwelling unit.”

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

St. Marys City Council, the Camden County Board of Commissioners, and every Georgia local government entity are legally incapable of enacting rent caps or stabilization formulas without first repealing §44-7-19. The preemption has no emergency exception, no sunset clause, and no carve-out for any class of housing — including military housing adjacent to NSB Kings Bay or historic properties in St. Marys’ antebellum downtown. In 2026 there is no pending legislation to repeal or modify §44-7-19. St. Marys landlords set rent at any amount with no approval, registration, or formula required.

The absence of rent control does not eliminate the SCRA framework. While landlords may raise rents freely at lease expiration, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. §3955) imposes federal-law lease termination rights on active-duty military tenants that override state contract law. These are two distinct legal frameworks operating in parallel: Georgia’s §44-7-19 governs rent amounts; SCRA governs military lease terminations. Both apply simultaneously to St. Marys landlords with military tenants.

COURTHOUSE TRAP: Camden County Magistrate Court is in Woodbine, NOT St. Marys

This is the single most common and costly administrative error St. Marys landlords make. St. Marys is the largest city in Camden County by population — but it is not the county seat. Woodbine, Georgia — a town of approximately 1,100 residents located ~15–18 miles northwest of St. Marys via US-17 — is the Camden County seat. The Camden County Magistrate Court, where all dispossessory (eviction) filings must be made, is located at 200 E. Fourth St., Woodbine GA 31569.

There is no Camden County court in St. Marys. Landlords who attempt to file at any St. Marys municipal address, at any St. Marys Police Department location, or at any facility within St. Marys city limits will be directed to Woodbine. The correct filing address is:

• Camden County Magistrate Court
• 200 E. Fourth St., Woodbine GA 31569
• ~15–18 miles northwest of St. Marys via US-17
• Filing fee ~$75–$95
• Tenant has 7 days to answer after service (§44-7-51)
• Uncontested dispossessory: ~3–5 weeks

The confusion arises because St. Marys has a city government, a city police department, and city addresses that feel administratively significant. But county-level judicial functions — including the Magistrate Court where landlords file dispossessory actions — are located in Woodbine. Many St. Marys landlords discover this only when they arrive at a location in St. Marys expecting to file and are redirected north on US-17. Build the Woodbine courthouse drive into your eviction timeline from the outset.

NSB Kings Bay and the SCRA framework: what St. Marys landlords must know

Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay (NSB Kings Bay) sits immediately north of St. Marys city limits. The base is the home port for the US Navy’s Atlantic fleet of Ohio-class submarines — Trident ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and guided missile submarines (SSGNs). With approximately 8,000–10,000 military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors on and around the base at any given time, NSB Kings Bay is far and away the dominant economic force in the St. Marys / Kingsland rental market.

Geography note: The base spans from St. Marys in the south to Kingsland in the north. Both cities border the base perimeter. When a Navy sailor tells you they are “stationed at Kings Bay,” they may be assigned to facilities on either the St. Marys or Kingsland side of the base, or to a submarine whose home port is Kings Bay but which deploys for months at a time. The Blue-Gold crew rotation system — two crews alternate submarine patrols — means that the base’s operational personnel are present year-round even when specific submarines are at sea. Do not assume a Kings Bay tenant is "gone" when a submarine deploys; the Blue crew or Gold crew not on patrol remains on base and in housing.

SCRA 50 U.S.C. §3955: the military lease termination right

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S.C. §3955, gives active-duty military tenants the right to terminate a lease upon receipt of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. For St. Marys landlords, the mechanics are:

• Trigger: Service member receives written PCS orders.
• Notice requirement: Tenant delivers written notice to landlord (copy of orders recommended but not legally required under §3955).
• 30-day notice period: Termination is effective 30 days after the first date on which the next rental payment is due after notice is delivered. Example: notice delivered October 15; next rent due November 1; termination effective November 30.
• Landlord obligations: Cannot deny the right. Cannot charge an early termination fee. Cannot retain deposit solely for early departure. Cannot include lease clauses that waive SCRA rights (50 U.S.C. §3912 voids any such waiver).
• Who qualifies: Active-duty uniformed military only. DoD civilians, GS employees, and defense contractors do NOT have SCRA §3955 rights regardless of how closely their work is tied to NSB Kings Bay.

BAH context: The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for the Brunswick/Kings Bay MSA sets the effective ceiling for most military households’ rental budgets. E-5 with dependents: approximately $1,400–$1,700/month. O-2 with dependents: approximately $1,600–$1,950/month. Military tenants typically seek to keep housing costs at or below their BAH, making the BAH table the practical rent-setting reference for military-market units. St. Marys’ 3BR SFR range of $1,450–$1,950 aligns closely with E-5 through O-3 BAH ceilings.

Strategic recommendation: Screen military applicants for their expected PCS timeline. A sailor with 18–24 months remaining on their current orders presents substantially lower mid-term termination risk than one with 6 months remaining. Structuring lease expiration 30–60 days before likely PCS orders allows natural re-signing or transition without triggering the SCRA termination process. Always include an SCRA addendum acknowledging §3955 rights in any lease to a uniformed service member.

St. Marys’ historic downtown and Cumberland Island premium

St. Marys possesses a downtown historic district that is genuinely rare in southeast Georgia: an antebellum-era commercial and residential streetscape on the National Register of Historic Places, with brick streets, a waterfront park on the St. Marys River, and several antebellum-era structures that survived intact because Union forces occupied the town in 1862 rather than burning it. This downtown core, combined with the waterfront park and river access, creates a walkable historic-character neighborhood that commands a meaningful premium over comparable non-historic St. Marys units.

Cumberland Island National Seashore ferry: The ONLY public access to Cumberland Island National Seashore is via the NPS ferry departing from St. Marys downtown waterfront. Two NPS ferries per day operate from St. Marys’ historic waterfront. The NPS visitor center is in downtown St. Marys. This gives St. Marys downtown a unique draw for NPS employees (~20–50 federal employees + seasonal rangers) who need to access Cumberland Island daily and who strongly prefer housing within walking or short-driving distance of the St. Marys ferry dock. Federal-wage NPS employees ($35K–$85K) represent recession-proof, low-turnover tenants for downtown and waterfront-adjacent properties.

Historic district premium structure: Properties within or immediately adjacent to the historic downtown / waterfront area command approximately +$100–$200/month above comparable non-historic St. Marys units. This premium reflects walkability to the waterfront park, proximity to the NPS ferry terminal, the aesthetic character of brick streets and historic architecture, and access to St. Marys’ riverfront dining and boutique retail. Not all St. Marys properties qualify for this premium. Properties in the city’s suburban neighborhoods away from the downtown core do not command the historic/waterfront premium. Verify property location against the National Register district boundaries before advertising any historic or waterfront premium to prospective tenants.

St. Marys’ geographic context: southeast Georgia and Florida border market comparison

Major employers and rental demand in St. Marys GA

2026 rental market: rent ranges in St. Marys GA

10 costliest mistakes St. Marys GA landlords make in 2026

1. Filing eviction at St. Marys City Hall or any St. Marys address — the courthouse is in Woodbine. The Camden County Magistrate Court is at 200 E. Fourth St., Woodbine GA 31569 — approximately 15–18 miles northwest of St. Marys via US-17. There is no Camden County magistrate court in St. Marys. A “St. Marys, GA” address does not mean St. Marys is the court venue. Landlords who arrive in St. Marys expecting to file will be redirected north. Build the Woodbine drive into your eviction timeline every time.
2. Not understanding SCRA: ignoring PCS-order lease terminations or charging a penalty. 50 U.S.C. §3955 gives active-duty military tenants an absolute right to terminate upon PCS orders with 30 days written notice. Effective date is 30 days after the next rent due date following notice. Landlords who deny this right, attempt to enforce an early termination clause, or retain the security deposit solely because a military tenant terminated pursuant to SCRA are in violation of federal law. SCRA claims can result in civil liability well beyond the deposit amount.
3. Including SCRA waiver clauses in the lease. 50 U.S.C. §3912 voids any contractual provision that waives SCRA rights. A lease clause purporting to waive §3955 termination rights is null and void. It provides no protection to the landlord and creates legal liability. Do not include such clauses. Include an SCRA addendum that acknowledges the tenant’s rights rather than attempting to waive them.
4. Confusing Kings Bay geography: assuming a “Kings Bay” sailor is in Kingsland only. NSB Kings Bay spans both St. Marys (south) and Kingsland (north). A service member who says they are “at Kings Bay” may be stationed on the southern (St. Marys) side of the base, on the northern (Kingsland) side, or on a submarine whose home port is Kings Bay. Do not assume the Kings Bay distinction separates St. Marys military tenants from Kingsland military tenants — both cities draw from the same base population. Both are subject to the same SCRA framework for all active-duty tenants.
5. Skipping the move-in inventory checklist (§44-7-33) with military tenants. Military households may rotate through multiple PCS moves per year and are experienced at move-in/move-out inspections. A landlord who skips the signed move-in inventory checklist loses the ability to make any deposit deduction for damage regardless of the damage’s severity or the documentation available. The statutory presumption under §44-7-33 is conclusive: no checklist = no deductions. Execute a full signed checklist at every move-in, every time.
6. Missing the 30-day deposit return deadline (§44-7-34). 30 days from lease termination AND receipt of the tenant’s forwarding address, with an itemized statement of deductions. Late or unitemized returns risk 3× treble damages (§44-7-35(d)) plus attorney fees. Military households relocating on PCS orders may provide forwarding addresses promptly and watch deposit return timelines closely. Calendar each deposit return individually and never miss the deadline.
7. Confusing Florida jurisdiction: using Nassau County FL law or courts for St. Marys rentals. St. Marys is in Georgia. Fernandina Beach is in Florida. Despite physical proximity (~10 miles) and a visible bridge connection, these are different states with completely different landlord-tenant law frameworks. Georgia’s RLTA (O.C.G.A. §44-7-2 et seq.) governs St. Marys rentals. Nassau County Florida courts have no jurisdiction over St. Marys properties. Do not confuse the states, courts, statutes, or notice requirements.
8. Pricing St. Marys units against Fernandina Beach FL comparables. Fernandina Beach / Amelia Island is a Florida resort market with premium beach-destination pricing. Physical proximity does not make Fernandina Beach a valid comparable for St. Marys SFR rents. St. Marys rents are $200–$400/month below Fernandina Beach for comparable unit types. Landlords who price St. Marys units at Fernandina Beach rates will experience extended vacancy. Set rents against Camden County Georgia fundamentals and the Kings Bay BAH table — not against a different state’s resort market.
9. Advertising historic district premium for properties outside the National Register boundaries. The St. Marys historic district carries a real +$100–$200/month premium for properties genuinely within or immediately adjacent to the downtown waterfront historic core. This premium does not apply to all St. Marys properties. Properties in the city’s inland suburban neighborhoods, subdivisions near the Kings Bay gate on GA-40, or commercial-corridor areas outside the historic core do not command the historic/waterfront premium. Advertising a premium without verifying the property’s National Register district status risks attracting tenants with premium expectations that the location will not meet, resulting in early dissatisfaction and tenant turnover.
10. Accepting DoD contractor applications assuming SCRA applies — it does not. NSB Kings Bay employs a large contractor workforce alongside uniformed military. Many contractors hold DoD security clearances, work on-base, and self-identify as “Kings Bay workers.” DoD contractors, GS civilian federal employees, and dependent family members do NOT have SCRA §3955 lease termination rights. Only uniformed active-duty military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force) have SCRA rights. Verify applicant’s status before including an SCRA addendum: if the tenant is a uniformed service member, include the addendum acknowledging their rights; if the tenant is a civilian or contractor, standard Georgia lease provisions apply.

St. Marys GA landlord compliance checklist: 12 steps

1. Verify Camden County parcel jurisdiction (camden.qpublic.net). Confirm the property is in Georgia/Camden County — not Florida/Nassau County FL. The St. Marys River forms the Georgia–Florida state line; properties with Georgia addresses can be near the state boundary. A St. Marys, GA mailing address confirms Georgia, but rural parcels near the river warrant double-checking. Use camden.qpublic.net to confirm Camden County parcel status.
2. Confirm Camden County Schools school zone. Single consolidated district — Camden County Schools covers all of St. Marys and all of Camden County. No separate “St. Marys City Schools.” All city and county properties in Georgia/Camden County feed Camden County Schools. Verify at Camden County Schools district office.
3. Execute a written Georgia-compliant lease. O.C.G.A. §44-7-2 et seq. Georgia-specific form reviewed by a licensed Georgia attorney. Include landlord identity and mailing address (§44-7-3). Do NOT use Florida lease forms or national templates that omit Georgia RLTA provisions.
4. Collect security deposit per §44-7-30. No statutory cap; St. Marys market practice 1–2 months’ rent. Document with a dated receipt at collection. Store in a manner compliant with §44-7-30.
5. Complete and execute move-in inventory checklist. §44-7-33: both parties sign; keep original; give copy to tenant. Document all rooms, fixtures, appliances, exterior, and any historic-district features. Failure = conclusive presumption of landlord liability for all damage; no deposit deductions permitted regardless of subsequent evidence.
6. Document with date-stamped photos at move-in. All rooms, exterior, appliances, fixtures. Historic properties: photograph architectural details, original hardware, and period features. Store securely alongside signed checklist.
7. Verify applicant’s military/civilian status and add SCRA addendum if active duty. If applicant is uniformed active-duty military, add an SCRA addendum to the lease acknowledging 50 U.S.C. §3955 rights. Do NOT include waiver clauses (void under §3912). If applicant is DoD civilian or contractor, standard Georgia lease provisions apply; no SCRA addendum needed.
8. Screen military tenant for expected PCS window. Ask about orders expiration date. Lease expiration 30–60 days before likely PCS orders minimizes mid-term SCRA terminations. A service member with 20+ months remaining on current orders presents the lowest PCS-termination risk.
9. Serve written notice for month-to-month rent increases: 30 days (§44-7-7). No cap on increase amount under §44-7-19. Written notice 30 days before the effective date. For military tenants, factor the BAH table into pricing decisions: increases above the BAH ceiling for the applicable pay grade will push military households toward on-base housing options.
10. Return deposit within 30 days of lease termination AND forwarding address receipt, with itemized statement (§44-7-34). Late or unitemized return risks 3× treble damages (§44-7-35(d)) plus attorney fees. Military households on PCS orders may provide forwarding addresses quickly and monitor deposit timelines closely. Do not miss this deadline.
11. Set rents with reference to BAH table (E-5 through O-3) and historic district premium where applicable. E-5 with dependents: ~$1,400–$1,700/month (effective SFR ceiling for mid-grade enlisted). Verify historic district boundary before advertising +$100–$200/month premium. Non-historic suburban St. Marys: set against general Kings Bay market comparables, not against Fernandina Beach FL prices.
12. File dispossessory at Camden County Magistrate Court, 200 E. Fourth St., Woodbine GA 31569. ~15–18 miles northwest of St. Marys via US-17. Filing fee ~$75–$95. Tenant has 7 days to answer (§44-7-51). Uncontested dispossessory: ~3–5 weeks. No self-help eviction (§44-7-14.1): lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removal of tenant belongings are criminal offenses under Georgia law.

Related Georgia landlord resources

• Kingsland GA rent increase 2026 — Camden County; same Woodbine courthouse (~18 mi); NSB Kings Bay adjacent (north side); I-95 Exits 1–3; Kings Bay same demand pool as St. Marys; ~8 mi northwest via GA-40
• Brunswick GA rent increase 2026 — Glynn County seat; in-city courthouse; CCGA; Golden Isles tourism; SGHS Brunswick Campus (full acute care); ~32 mi north via I-95
• Folkston GA rent increase 2026 — Charlton County seat; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge; CSX Folkston Funnel railfan park; ~30 mi west of St. Marys via GA-40/US-1
• RentCeiling blog — Georgia landlord guides by county cluster