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Free Georgia Cash for
Keys Agreement Template

Last reviewed July 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Georgia Cash for Keys Agreement

This Cash for Keys Agreement is built with Georgia as the governing state. These are the Georgia landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

Georgia rules at a glance

Georgia rules for a Cash for Keys Agreement
Security deposit limit2 months’ rent (combining damage, advance-rent, and pet deposits)OCGA §44-7-30.1 (2024)
Deposit return30 days, with an itemized statement of any deductionsOCGA §44-7-34
Escrow & move-in listRequired — but self-managing owners of ≤10 units are exemptOCGA §§44-7-31, 44-7-33, 44-7-36
EscrowDeposits generally must be held in a separate escrow account (or secured by a surety bond), with written notice to the tenant of where it’s held (§§44-7-31, 44-7-32).
Month-to-month terminationLandlord 60 days · Tenant 30 daysOCGA §44-7-7
Non-waivable early terminationThe military and family-violence termination rights can’t be waived (§§44-7-22, 44-7-23).

Security deposits in Georgia

Since July 1, 2024, a Georgia landlord may not collect more than two months’ rent as a security deposit — counting any damage deposit, advance rent, and pet deposit together (§44-7-30.1). The deposit must be returned within 30 days of the landlord regaining possession, with an itemized statement of any deductions; ordinary wear and tear can’t be charged (§44-7-34).

  • Escrow — Deposits generally must be held in a separate escrow account (or secured by a surety bond), with written notice to the tenant of where it’s held (§§44-7-31, 44-7-32).
  • Move-in damage list — Before collecting a deposit, the landlord gives the tenant a list of existing damage to inspect and sign (§44-7-33).
  • Small-landlord exemption — A self-managing owner who (with spouse and minor children) owns 10 or fewer units and uses no third-party manager is exempt from the escrow, move-in-list, and bad-faith-penalty rules — but still must meet the 30-day return and itemization duty (§44-7-36).
  • Bad-faith penalty — Where it applies, wrongfully withholding a deposit can cost the landlord up to three times the amount plus attorney’s fees (§44-7-35).

Ending a Georgia tenancy

A tenancy at will (a month-to-month with no fixed end) ends on 60 days’ notice from the landlord or 30 days’ from the tenant (§44-7-7). A fixed-term lease simply expires at the end of its term.

  • Nonpayment — Since July 1, 2024, the landlord must give a written notice to pay or vacate with a 3-business-day cure period before filing a dispossessory (eviction) action for unpaid rent — a brand-new requirement (§44-7-50).
  • Family violence — A survivor with a qualifying protective or stalking order may end the lease 30 days after written notice, owing only prorated rent (§44-7-23).
  • Military — An active-duty servicemember with qualifying orders may terminate on 30 days’ notice with a copy of the orders (§44-7-22).

Tenant protections you can’t waive

  • Non-waivable duties — A lease can’t disclaim the landlord’s repair or habitability duties, even with “as-is” language (§44-7-2).
  • Two-way attorney fees — A clause making the tenant pay the landlord’s attorney fees is void unless it also makes the landlord pay the tenant’s (§44-7-2).
  • No self-help eviction — Lockouts, removing belongings, and utility shutoffs are illegal — Georgia requires the court dispossessory process.
  • Non-waivable early termination — The military and family-violence termination rights can’t be waived (§§44-7-22, 44-7-23).

Georgia Cash for Keys Agreement FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Georgia?

No more than two months’ rent, combining any damage, advance-rent, and pet deposit (§44-7-30.1). This cap took effect July 1, 2024 under the Safe at Home Act and applies to every landlord, regardless of how many units they own.

How long does a landlord have to return a deposit in Georgia?

30 days after regaining possession, with a written itemized statement of any deductions (§44-7-34). Missing the deadline generally forfeits the right to keep any of it — unless the landlord qualifies for the small-owner exemption, though the 30-day duty still applies (§§44-7-35, 44-7-36).

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month lease in Georgia?

A tenancy at will takes 60 days’ notice from the landlord and 30 days from the tenant (§44-7-7). That notice ends the tenancy but doesn’t itself authorize eviction — the landlord still needs the court process if the tenant stays.

More Georgia landlord documents

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