Property; landlord and tenant; repeal Code Section 44-7-19, relating to restrictions on rent regulation by local governments
Summary
House Bill 299 would amend Georgia’s landlord-tenant laws by repealing Code Section 44-7-19, the statute that limits local governments from regulating rent. In practical terms, the bill removes the state-law provision that currently blocks cities and counties from adopting rent control or similar rent regulation measures. The bill is brief and does not create a new regulatory framework; it simply deletes the existing restriction and leaves the affected code section reserved.
Because the bill only repeals the preemption language, it would change the balance of authority between the state and local governments on housing policy. If enacted, local governments could potentially have more room to consider rent regulation measures, subject to any other applicable state or federal laws. The bill also repeals conflicting laws, but it does not specify any additional implementation requirements, enforcement mechanisms, or definitions.
Impact
HB 299 would directly affect Georgia Code Section 44-7-19 in Title 44, Chapter 7, Article 1, by removing the statutory prohibition on local rent regulation. This would alter state preemption in the area of rent control and could open the door for municipal or county-level rent stabilization or rent regulation ordinances, depending on local policy choices and any remaining legal constraints. The bill does not itself impose rent control; it simply removes the state-level barrier that currently prevents local governments from doing so.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the materials supplied. Based on the bill’s subject matter, the measure appears to be a housing-policy and local-control proposal, which typically draws interest from tenant advocates, local governments, landlords, and property-rights groups. The available record does not show whether the bill was advanced, opposed, or amended.
Contention
The central point of contention is likely whether local governments should be allowed to regulate rent at all. Supporters would generally favor restoring local authority to address housing affordability and tenant protections, while opponents would likely argue that rent regulation can discourage housing investment, reduce supply, or interfere with private property rights and statewide uniformity. Because the bill repeals a preemption statute rather than creating a detailed rent-control system, the debate would likely focus on the policy consequences of allowing local experimentation versus maintaining a statewide ban.
Property; provide residential tenants with the right to complete repairs required by landlord and offset rental installments by the reasonable cost of such repairs under certain circumstances