Georgia House Bill HB779

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/18/25

Caption

Property; require landlords and managers of apartment buildings or complexes to provide local police and fire departments certain information

Summary

HB 779 would amend Georgia’s landlord-tenant laws to require landlords and managers of apartment buildings or complexes to provide local police and fire departments with current after-hours maintenance and management contact numbers. The bill creates a new Code section in Title 44 and applies only to apartment buildings or complexes, not all rental housing. It also requires landlords or managers to respond within one hour to communications from local police and fire departments. The bill establishes financial penalties for noncompliance. A landlord or manager who fails to provide the required information would be fined $2,000 per violation, with additional fines every five days a violation continues. A failure to respond within one hour to a communication from police or fire would trigger a $5,000 fine. Any fines collected under the bill would be directed to the Clayton County Public Schools Homeless Education Department, and the act would take effect July 1, 2025, applying prospectively to violations occurring on or after that date.

Impact

HB 779 would add a new landlord compliance requirement to Georgia law by mandating that apartment building and complex operators maintain and share emergency contact information with local public safety agencies. It would create enforceable duties for landlords and managers, authorize civil fines for noncompliance, and establish a specific revenue destination for collected penalties. The bill would affect apartment owners, property managers, and local police and fire departments, while leaving broader landlord-tenant rules otherwise unchanged.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no documented debate or recorded legislative sentiment in the materials provided. Based on the text alone, the bill appears aimed at improving emergency responsiveness and coordination between apartment management and first responders, which suggests a public-safety rationale. However, the absence of discussion and voting history means support or opposition cannot be reliably characterized from the available record.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are the scope and severity of the penalties, the one-hour response requirement, and the administrative burden placed on landlords and managers to keep contact information current and respond quickly to public safety communications. Property owners may view the fines as excessive or difficult to comply with in practice, while supporters would likely emphasize the need for reliable emergency access in apartment communities. The bill’s earmarking of fine revenue to Clayton County Public Schools Homeless Education Department may also draw attention because it directs penalties to a specific local program rather than general state or local funds.