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Tenant Abandoned Property Laws in Georgia

In Georgia, when a writ of possession is executed the tenant's property may be removed and placed on the landlord's property or another approved spot, the landlord is not a bailee of it, and after execution of the writ it is regarded as abandoned.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Georgia at a glance

Written notice required
No separate notice step
The statute treats the property as abandoned once the writ is executed.
Holding period
No holding period after the writ
After the holding period
Regarded as abandoned; no duty to store
The landlord is not a bailee and owes the tenant no duty for the property.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Georgia

Does a landlord in Georgia have to notify the tenant before disposing of left-behind property?

No separate notice step. Written notice required in Georgia: no separate notice step. The statute treats the property as abandoned once the writ is executed.

How long must a landlord in Georgia keep a tenant's abandoned property?

Holding period in Georgia: No holding period after the writ.

What can a landlord in Georgia do with abandoned property after the waiting period?

After the holding period in Georgia: Regarded as abandoned; no duty to store. The landlord is not a bailee and owes the tenant no duty for the property.

Where do the Georgia tenant abandoned property laws come from?

The rules above come from Ga. Code 44-7-55. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

This rule covers property removed when a writ of possession is executed after a dispossessory case.

What this means in practice

Before treating anything as abandoned, confirm that the tenancy has actually ended. Some statutes define when a unit counts as abandoned, and removing property while a tenant still has a right to possession can expose a landlord to claims for wrongful eviction or conversion.

Keep a written record. Photos or a video of the items, a dated inventory, a copy of any notice sent and proof of how it was delivered make it much easier to show that the required steps were followed if the former tenant later asks for the property or its value.

Store items safely and in a reasonable way during any holding period. Where a statute allows the landlord to charge reasonable moving and storage costs, or to keep sale proceeds to cover those costs, the rules on what may be charged and what happens to any surplus vary, so check the exact text for your state.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.