ATLANTA — We are more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about a housing crisis and an eviction moratorium.
Many apartment and house leases are up, leaving many with questions about their rent and next steps.
The 11Alive Verify team set out to bring you answers.
THE QUESTION
Is it OK for leasing offices to raise rent by 20 percent or higher? Does Georgia law prevent that?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Landlords can raise your rent by as much as they want in Georgia if your lease is up. They cannot raise your rent if you are still under contract.
WHAT WE KNOW
Every state has different laws when it comes to controlling or overseeing your rent. Georgia is one of 25 states that prevents rent control, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council.
11Alive legal analyst Page Pate said there is no law in Georgia that can keep landlords from raising your rent.
"There is no restriction," Pate said. "Georgia has a state law that prevents cities like Atlanta, Savannah, and Augusta from instituting any sort of rent control."
Landlords can only bump your monthly payments after your lease is expired, Pate said. If you are under contract, he said they cannot increase your rent.
Can the eviction moratorium impact this?
Pate said if your lease expires during the moratorium, landlords can still increase your rent.
"The landlord has a lot of flexibility as far as setting the rent for any new lease on the property even while the moratorium is in place," he said.
Brian Carberry with Rent.com said if your landlord wants to raise your rent, you can try to negotiate with them before the moratorium expires on Oct. 3rd.
If you offer to sign a longer lease, Carberry said, they might be more willing to work with you.