Nobody gets into rental property ownership hoping to evict someone. But if you own rentals long enough, eventually you'll face a tenant who stops paying, violates the lease, or simply refuses to leave. When that happens, you need to know exactly what to do — and what not to do — under Georgia law.
I've been through this process more times than I'd like to count, managing properties in Savannah and across the region. The landlords who handle evictions well are the ones who know the steps before they need them. The ones who make costly mistakes are the ones improvising under stress.
Here's the real-world guide to evicting a tenant in Georgia.
First: What You Absolutely Cannot Do
Before we get into the legal process, let me be crystal clear about what Georgia law forbids — because these mistakes can cost you far more than a bad tenant.
You cannot change the locks. You cannot remove the tenant's belongings. You cannot shut off utilities. You cannot physically remove or threaten a tenant. All of these constitute "self-help eviction" and are illegal in Georgia. A tenant who experiences self-help eviction can sue you for damages. I've seen landlords end up owing their problem tenants thousands of dollars because they tried to shortcut the process. Don't do it.
There is only one legal way to remove a tenant in Georgia: through the courts. It's called a dispossessory proceeding, and here's how it works.
Step 1: Establish the Legal Basis for Eviction
Georgia law allows you to evict a tenant for a limited set of reasons:
- Non-payment of rent
- Holding over after the lease expires without your consent
- Violation of lease terms
- Property damage beyond normal wear and tear
- Illegal activity on the property
Document everything. Every missed payment, every lease violation, every written notice. Your documentation is your case. If you don't have it in writing, it's your word against theirs in front of a magistrate court judge.
Step 2: Issue a Demand for Possession
Georgia does not technically require a formal written notice before filing a dispossessory — but you should absolutely send one anyway. A written demand letter gives the tenant official notice, creates a paper trail, and sometimes resolves the situation without court involvement.
For non-payment, your demand letter should state the amount owed, the due date it was owed, and a deadline to pay or vacate. Keep a copy. Send it in a way you can document — email with read receipt, certified mail, or hand delivery with a witness.
Step 3: File a Dispossessory Affidavit
If the tenant doesn't pay or vacate, you file a dispossessory affidavit with the Magistrate Court in the county where the property is located. In Savannah, that's the Chatham County Magistrate Court.
The filing fee is typically $60–$80. You'll complete an affidavit stating the grounds for eviction and your relationship to the property. The court will then issue a summons to the tenant.
Step 4: Tenant Is Served and Has 7 Days to Answer
Once the dispossessory is filed, the sheriff's office or a process server will serve the tenant with the summons. The tenant has 7 days from service to file a written answer with the court. If they don't answer, you can request a default judgment — which usually results in a writ of possession being issued without a hearing.
If the tenant does answer, the court schedules a hearing — typically within 2–3 weeks of filing.
Step 5: The Court Hearing
Bring everything: your lease, your rent payment records, your written notices, photos of any property damage, and documentation of any communication with the tenant. Present your case factually and professionally.
If you win — and with proper documentation you almost certainly will in a non-payment case — the judge issues a judgment for possession. The tenant then has 7 days to appeal before you can request a writ of possession.
Step 6: Writ of Possession and Lockout
Once the judgment is final and not appealed, you request a writ of possession from the court. The sheriff's office then schedules a lockout — they physically accompany you to the property, the tenant is formally removed, and you regain possession.
The total timeline from filing to lockout in Georgia is typically 3–6 weeks under normal circumstances — faster than many states, but still a process that requires patience and precision.
How Professional Management Changes This Equation
Here's what most landlords don't realize until they've been through an eviction themselves: the process is manageable, but the documentation and timeline management are grueling when you're doing it yourself while also working a job, raising a family, and managing other properties.
At Mia Madison Properties, we've handled eviction coordination many times. We maintain the documentation from day one, issue notices correctly and on time, coordinate with the court, and manage the process start to finish — so you don't have to show up to Magistrate Court at 8am on a Tuesday and try to remember every rent payment going back 14 months.
More importantly, rigorous tenant screening on the front end dramatically reduces the chances you'll ever need this guide. The tenants who stop paying and require eviction are almost always tenants who showed warning signs in their application that weren't caught.
If you're dealing with a problem tenant right now in Savannah, call us directly at (912) 495-7454. We can talk through your situation and help you figure out the right next step.
H. George Meyers is the owner of Mia Madison Properties in Savannah, GA. This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed Georgia attorney.