Georgia Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Georgia rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13(a), (b) (as amended by HB 404, 2024)
The rules in Georgia
| Mold | No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises in repair and, since July 1, 2024, the implied term in every residential lease that the premises are fit for human habitation. Section 44-7-13(b) (fit for human habitation) was added by the 2024 Safe at Home Act (HB 404), effective July 1, 2024. Local housing or property-maintenance codes may also apply. Georgia's separate flooding disclosure rule (§ 44-7-20) is not a mold rule. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | No statute — Georgia law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general repair duty and the fit-for-habitation requirement; the state handbook advises that leases spell out pest control, including how often it occurs. Infestations caused by the tenant may be the tenant's responsibility under the lease. Local codes may set extermination duties. |
| Heat | No statewide statute sets a heat requirement, minimum temperature, or heating season. Under the general repair duty, the state handbook says landlords must keep electric, heating, cooling, and plumbing in working order. Local housing codes (e.g., in larger cities and counties) may set minimum temperatures. During an eviction case it is illegal for a landlord to knowingly and willfully cut off utilities such as heat (handbook, p. 13). |
| Air conditioning | No statute requires landlords to provide air conditioning or sets a maximum indoor temperature. Where cooling equipment is provided, the state handbook says the landlord must keep it in working order as part of the repair duty. Unless the lease says otherwise, a landlord who did not provide an appliance is generally not required to supply one, but must repair items it did provide (handbook, p. 11). |
| Smoke and CO detectors | Homes and apartment units built before July 1, 1987 must have an approved battery-operated smoke detector installed and kept in good working order; homes built on or after that date must have an approved, listed smoke detector installed. Detectors go in the corridor or area outside sleeping rooms and on each story. An occupant who fails to keep a detector working faces a fine of up to $25, with a warning for a first violation. Read on codes.findlaw.com (a public copy of the official code); check against the official code. The copy is marked current as of March 28, 2024. The statute does not say whether the landlord or the tenant must install detectors in existing homes. No carbon monoxide detector rule for rentals was verified. |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Georgia vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises in repair and, since July 1, 2024, the implied term in every residential lease that the premises are fit for human habitation. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13(a), (b) (as amended by HB 404, 2024) | No statute — Georgia law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general repair duty and the fit-for-habitation requirement; the state handbook advises that leases spell out pest control, including how often it occurs. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 10 | No statewide statute sets a heat requirement, minimum temperature, or heating season. Under the general repair duty, the state handbook says landlords must keep electric, heating, cooling, and plumbing in working order. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 11 |
| Alabama | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alabama has no mold disclosure or mold remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and must make all repairs needed to keep the premises habitable. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(2) | No statute specifically on pests or bed bugs. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises habitable and common areas clean and safe. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit and dispose of garbage in a clean and safe manner. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-204(a)(2)-(3), 35-9A-301(2)-(3) | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control and supplied by a direct utility connection. The landlord must also keep any heating system it supplies in good and safe working order. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4), (6) |
| Florida | No statute — Florida has no mold-specific landlord-tenant statute. Mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes (or, where none apply, to keep structural components and plumbing in good repair). Fla. Stat. § 83.51(1) | For units other than a single-family home or duplex, unless otherwise agreed in writing, the landlord must make reasonable provisions for extermination of rats, mice, roaches, ants, wood-destroying organisms, and bedbugs. If the tenant must temporarily vacate for extermination, the landlord must give 7 days' written notice (in person, by mail, or by e-mail under s. 83.505), must abate rent, and the tenant cannot be required to vacate more than 4 days; the landlord is not liable for other damages. For single-family homes and duplexes, pest duties depend on the lease and local codes. Fla. Stat. § 83.51(2)(a)1. | Yes, for units other than single-family homes and duplexes (unless otherwise agreed in writing): the landlord must make reasonable provisions for functioning facilities for heat during winter, plus running water and hot water. No minimum temperature or heating season is set by state statute. Fla. Stat. § 83.51(2)(a)5. |
| North Carolina | No mold-specific statute, but excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contributes to mold is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must repair within a reasonable time after actual knowledge or notice. The general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable also applies. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(l) | No bed-bug statute. Rat infestation resulting from structural defects that leave the premises not impervious to rodents is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must remedy within a reasonable time; drainage problems contributing to mosquito infestation are also listed. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, avoid unsanitary conditions in common areas, and dispose of garbage properly. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(k)-(l); 42-43(a)(1)-(2) | Yes. The landlord must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order (after written notice of needed repairs, except emergencies), and lack of operable heating facilities capable of heating living areas to 65°F when it is 20°F outside, from November 1 through March 31, is an imminently dangerous condition requiring prompt repair. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(4), (a)(8)(h) |
| South Carolina | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. South Carolina has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and 'make all repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' S.C. Code § 27-40-440(a)(1)-(2) | No statute — no bed-bug or pest-specific law. The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable applies; the tenant must keep the unit and the part of the premises the tenant uses reasonably safe and clean and dispose of garbage in a reasonably clean and safe manner. If the written lease conspicuously says so, the landlord may enter without consent between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., after announcing intent, for regularly scheduled termite, insect or pest treatment. S.C. Code §§ 27-40-440(a)(2), 27-40-510(2)-(3), 27-40-530(b)(2) | Yes. The landlord must make available reasonable heat (and running and reasonable hot water) except where the building is not required by law to be equipped for heat or the heat is generated by an installation in the tenant's exclusive control on a direct utility connection, and must keep landlord-supplied heating facilities in reasonably good and safe working order. Heat is an 'essential service.' No statewide minimum temperature or heating season. S.C. Code §§ 27-40-440(a)(4)-(5), 27-40-210(17) |
| Tennessee | No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as when the tenant took possession. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401 | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant law. In URLTA counties, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties; the tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with tenant obligations under housing codes. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401(1)-(3) | No minimum temperature or heating season in state law. In URLTA counties, heat is an 'essential service': if the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant, after written notice, may procure heat and deduct the actual reasonable cost from rent, recover damages for reduced rental value, or obtain substitute housing (rent excused) and recover its reasonable value plus attorney's fees. The remedy is unavailable if the tenant, family or guests caused the condition. T.C.A. § 66-28-502(a), (c); § 66-28-304(a)(1)-(2) |
City rules that may add to state law
More Georgia rental law
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- Georgia Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Georgia Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Georgia
- Squatters' Rights in Georgia
- Georgia Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Georgia Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Georgia Landlord Selling the House
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- Georgia Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Georgia landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Georgia
Compare mold, pests, heat & ac in all 50 states and DC →
Georgia Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Georgia?
No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises in repair and, since July 1, 2024, the implied term in every residential lease that the premises are fit for human habitation. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13(a), (b) (as amended by HB 404, 2024))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Georgia?
No statute — Georgia law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general repair duty and the fit-for-habitation requirement; the state handbook advises that leases spell out pest control, including how often it occurs. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 10)
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Georgia?
No statewide statute sets a heat requirement, minimum temperature, or heating season. Under the general repair duty, the state handbook says landlords must keep electric, heating, cooling, and plumbing in working order. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 11)
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Georgia?
No statute requires landlords to provide air conditioning or sets a maximum indoor temperature. Where cooling equipment is provided, the state handbook says the landlord must keep it in working order as part of the repair duty. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 11)
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Georgia?
Homes and apartment units built before July 1, 1987 must have an approved battery-operated smoke detector installed and kept in good working order; homes built on or after that date must have an approved, listed smoke detector installed. Detectors go in the corridor or area outside sleeping rooms and on each story. An occupant who fails to keep a detector working faces a fine of up to $25, with a warning for a first violation. (O.C.G.A. § 25-2-40(a)(1)-(2), (b), (f)(2))
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.