The Georgia timeline, with dates
Here is the order of events when rent due on the 1st goes unpaid, using Georgia's numbers and an example notice served on the 5th.
- The 1stRent is due (the example due date used throughout this page).
- Late feeNo statewide statute caps late fees or requires a grace period; a late fee should be written into the lease and reasonable.
- The 5th (example)You serve the notice: 3-business-day written notice to pay all amounts owed or vacate, posted in a sealed envelope on the door and sent by any other method agreed in the lease (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)-(d) (Safe at Home Act, HB 404 of 2024)).
- Not before the 8thThe 3 business days run out — later than the 8th whenever a weekend or holiday falls inside the period, so count on a calendar.
- Earliest filingIf rent is still unpaid once the notice period has fully run, you can file an eviction case.
The dates are the earliest the numbers allow, not a promise: how days are counted, weekends, and the way the notice is delivered can all push them later. Read O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)-(d) (Safe at Home Act, HB 404 of 2024) before you serve anything.
The notice for unpaid rent
3-business-day written notice to pay all amounts owed or vacate, posted in a sealed envelope on the door and sent by any other method agreed in the lease. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)-(d) (Safe at Home Act, HB 404 of 2024)
Among the 31 states we have verified, 3 require no notice at all, 9 others use the same 3 days as Georgia, and 17 require a longer one. Among states that require a notice, the median is 7 days.
Late fees and the grace period
No statewide statute caps late fees or requires a grace period; a late fee should be written into the lease and reasonable.
Georgia has no statutory dollar or percentage cap. 12 of the 31 verified states cap late fees by statute, and 10 set a grace period before one can be charged.
What else to know in Georgia
Notes from our review: Applies to leases entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2024; if the tenant pays in full within the 3 business days the landlord may not file. Verified via the 2025 magistrate bench card quoting the statute; FindLaw's copy of § 44-7-50 was stale (pre-2024, no notice period), and Nolo still says 3 days without 'business'.
Cities and counties can add their own rules on top of the state’s. At “covered properties” under the federal CARES Act — generally those with a federally backed mortgage or federal subsidies — a 30-day notice to vacate for nonpayment is required in every state.
Georgia and its neighbors
| State | Notice | Grace period | Late-fee cap | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 3 business days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Verified |
| Alabama | 7 business days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Unverified |
| Florida | 3 days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Verified |
| North Carolina | 10 days | 5 days | Greater of $15 or 5% | Verified |
| South Carolina | 5 days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Verified |
| Tennessee | 14 days | 5 days | 10% of rent | Under review |
Notice periods across the 31 verified states
| Notice before filing | States |
|---|---|
| No pre-filing notice | 3 |
| 3 days | 10 |
| 5 days | 3 |
| 7 days | 3 |
| 10 days | 5 |
| 14 days | 6 |
| No fixed number | 1 |
Sources
- Notice for unpaid rent: O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)-(d) (Safe at Home Act, HB 404 of 2024)
- Late fees and grace period: no statute found that sets a cap or grace period
- Status: verified — the notice rule was read in statute text (or a verbatim copy of it) for our September 14, 2026 review.