Georgia Landlord Selling the House
Georgia rules on landlord selling the house for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: According to Georgia's official Landlord-Tenant Handbook, when a rental property is sold the former owner must either transfer the security deposit to the new owner, who then becomes responsible for it, or refund the deposit to the tenant. Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (Dept. of Community Affairs, rev. 8-29-24), pp. 13-14
The rules in Georgia
| If the landlord sells the property | According to Georgia's official Landlord-Tenant Handbook, when a rental property is sold the former owner must either transfer the security deposit to the new owner, who then becomes responsible for it, or refund the deposit to the tenant. If the old owner does neither, the tenant can sue to recover the deposit. The handbook also says new owners of an apartment complex are generally bound by existing leases and cannot raise rents or change rules during them. The handbook does not cite a statute for the deposit-transfer rule. It suggests that before suing, the tenant write to both the old and new owners asking about the deposit. |
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Related questions
Georgia vs. neighboring states
| State | If the landlord sells the property | Tenants in foreclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | According to Georgia's official Landlord-Tenant Handbook, when a rental property is sold the former owner must either transfer the security deposit to the new owner, who then becomes responsible for it, or refund the deposit to the tenant. If the old owner does neither, the tenant can sue to recover the deposit. The handbook also says new owners of an apartment complex are generally bound by existing leases and cannot raise rents or change rules during them. Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (Dept. of Community Affairs, rev. 8-29-24), pp. 13-14 | Not verified yet |
| Alabama | When a landlord sells a rental in a good-faith sale, the seller is relieved of liability under the lease and the landlord-tenant act for events that happen after the tenant gets written notice of the sale, unless the parties agreed otherwise. The seller stays liable to the tenant for the security deposit the tenant could recover and for all prepaid rent. Separately, whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the deposit-return rules. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-205(a), 35-9A-201(h) | No statute protecting tenants in foreclosure was found in the landlord-tenant Act. The disclosure duty in § 35-9A-202 binds any successor landlord or owner. Tenants rely on the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (90-day notice). Ala. Code Title 35, Ch. 9A (checked); § 35-9A-202(b) |
| Florida | When a rental property is sold, the security deposit and any advance rent the landlord is holding, plus any interest earned, must be transferred to the new owner (or new rental agent) with an accounting of what is owed to each tenant. Once the old owner hands over the money and records and gets a written receipt, the old owner is released from the duty to hold the deposit. The law presumes the new owner received the deposit, but that presumption is limited to 1 month's rent. Fla. Stat. § 83.49(7) | Florida's own Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (§ 83.5615) copies the federal PTFA: a 90-day notice to vacate, and bona fide leases are honored to the end of the term unless the buyer will live in the unit. But it takes effect only if the federal PTFA is repealed. Since the federal law is in force, the federal PTFA is what currently applies. No other Florida tenant foreclosure protection was found in ch. 83. Fla. Stat. § 83.5615 (ch. 2020-99) |
| North Carolina | When the landlord's interest ends by sale (or assignment, death, receivership, or otherwise), the landlord or agent must, within 30 days, either transfer the remaining security deposit to the successor and then notify the tenant by mail of the transfer and the new holder's name and address, or return the remaining deposit to the tenant. Either step relieves the former landlord of further liability for the deposit. A buyer of the property (grantee of the reversion) has the same remedies against the tenants under the lease as the seller had, and tenants have the same remedies against the buyer. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-54, 42-8 | For residential property with fewer than 15 rental units, the foreclosure notice of sale must be mailed to each tenant (by name, or to 'occupant') at least 20 days before the sale. It must tell tenants they may end their lease by written notice effective 10 to 90 days after the sale date, if the default is not cured. A tenant who ends the lease this way owes only prorated rent. After the sale, the purchaser can get a clerk's order for possession only after 10 days' notice to those in possession, or 30 days for properties with 15 or more rental units. When the landlord's interest ends, the deposit must be transferred to the successor (with notice to the tenant) or returned within 30 days. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 45-21.17(4), 45-21.16A(b), 42-45.2, 45-21.29(k)(5), 42-54 |
| South Carolina | A landlord who sells to a good-faith buyer is released from liability for events after the tenant receives written notice of the sale. The seller stays liable for the tenant's security deposit unless the deposit is transferred to the buyer and the tenant is notified in writing within a reasonable time, in which case the buyer becomes liable for it. Whoever holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the deposit-return rules, and the owner/manager contact disclosure must be kept current by any successor landlord or owner. S.C. Code §§ 27-40-450(a), 27-40-410(e), 27-40-420(b) | No statute — South Carolina's landlord-tenant and ejectment chapters add no tenant protections in foreclosure beyond the federal PTFA. If a landlord sells the property in good faith to a buyer who takes over the lease, the selling landlord is relieved of later liability. S.C. Code § 27-40-450; chs. 27-37, 27-40 checked |
| Tennessee | When a landlord sells a rental in good faith to an unrelated buyer, the seller stays responsible under the lease and the landlord-tenant law until the tenant gets written notice of the sale and the security deposit is transferred to the buyer. After both happen, the seller is released for later events, unless the parties agreed otherwise. The statute does not say the sale ends the lease. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-305 | Not verified yet |
City rules that may add to state law
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- Free legal help in Georgia
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Georgia Landlord Selling the House FAQ
What happens to my lease if my landlord sells the house in Georgia?
According to Georgia's official Landlord-Tenant Handbook, when a rental property is sold the former owner must either transfer the security deposit to the new owner, who then becomes responsible for it, or refund the deposit to the tenant. If the old owner does neither, the tenant can sue to recover the deposit. The handbook also says new owners of an apartment complex are generally bound by existing leases and cannot raise rents or change rules during them. (Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (Dept. of Community Affairs, rev. 8-29-24), pp. 13-14)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.