Chatham County is Georgia’s coastal urban anchor, home to Savannah — one of the most distinctive cities in the American South. With a population approaching 300,000, Chatham County is one of Georgia’s most populous counties and its rental market reflects the full complexity of a major coastal metro: historic district properties commanding premium rents from professionals and tourists, a large student and arts community centered on the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a massive logistics and port workforce tied to the Port of Savannah, military presence at Hunter Army Airfield, and the working-class residential neighborhoods that support all of it. Savannah’s tourism economy, film and television production activity, and reputation as a destination city add layers of short-term rental competition that landlords with traditional long-term residential portfolios need to navigate.
Georgia state law governs all residential tenancies in Chatham County. There is no local rent control and no just-cause eviction requirement. The Magistrate Court of Chatham County handles dispossessory proceedings at a volume commensurate with the county’s size — it sees a meaningfully larger docket than smaller counties, and landlords who file organized, well-documented cases move through the system more efficiently than those who arrive without complete records.
📊 Quick Stats
County Seat
Savannah
Population
~300,000
Key Communities
Savannah, Pooler, Garden City, Tybee Island, Port Wentworth
Court System
Magistrate Court of Chatham County
Rent Control
None (state preemption)
Just-Cause Eviction
Not required statewide
⚡ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
Demand for Rent (no statutory waiting period)
Lease Violation
Notice per lease terms
Filing Fee
~$60–$100
Court Type
Magistrate Court of Chatham County
Avg. Timeline
3–6 weeks (higher volume court)
Writ Enforcement
Chatham County Sheriff
Chatham County Ordinances & Local Rules
Topic
Rule / Notes
Rent Control
None. Georgia state law preempts any local rent control ordinance statewide. The City of Savannah has no rent stabilization ordinance.
Security Deposit
No statutory cap. Must be returned within 30 days of move-out with itemized written deductions (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34). Must be held in a separate escrow account or backed by a surety bond.
Short-Term Rental (STR)
The City of Savannah regulates short-term rentals through a licensing and zoning framework. Owner-occupied STRs and investment STRs are treated differently. Confirm current STR regulations with the City of Savannah’s Metropolitan Planning Commission before operating or purchasing a property with STR intent.
Historic District Rules
Properties in Savannah’s Historic District or Landmark Historic District are subject to the Metropolitan Planning Commission’s design review process for exterior alterations. Interior changes are generally unrestricted. Confirm review requirements before any exterior renovation on historic properties.
Habitability Standard
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13 requires landlords to maintain premises in good repair. No repair-and-deduct right for tenants under Georgia law.
Self-Help Eviction
Prohibited. Dispossessory through Magistrate Court is the only lawful removal process.
Retaliatory Eviction
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-24 prohibits retaliatory eviction following a tenant habitability complaint.
Late Fees
No statutory cap. Must be disclosed in the lease. Magistrate judges retain discretion over excessive fee claims.
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As of July 1, 2024 (HB 404 "Safe at Home Act"), landlords must provide a 3-business-day written notice to vacate or pay before filing a dispossessory for nonpayment. Tenant can tender all rent owed within 7 days of service of the dispossessory summons to avoid eviction (once per 12-month period per O.C.G.A. §44-7-52(a)). Filing fees vary by county ($60-$78 typical).
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the Magistrate Court. Pay the filing fee (~$75).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Georgia eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Georgia attorney or local legal aid organization.
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Georgia landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
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tenant screening in Georgia —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Georgia's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.
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AI-generated, state-specific eviction notices, pay-or-quit letters, lease termination documents, and more — pre-filled with your tenant's information and built to Georgia requirements.
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⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
SCAD students: Require parent/guardian guarantors for undergrads. SCAD operates year-round quarters — leasing windows differ from semester-calendar universities. Confirm housing arrangements align with student enrollment status.
Port/logistics workers (Pooler, Garden City): Strong, verifiable incomes from Georgia Ports Authority and logistics employers. Shift-based scheduling — confirm income across multiple months, not a single paycheck. Very low default risk in this segment.
Chatham County Landlord Guide: Savannah’s Multi-Layered Rental Market, From the Historic District to Pooler’s Logistics Corridor
Savannah is one of a handful of American cities with a rental market that genuinely requires landlords to understand which sub-market they’re operating in before setting strategy. The Historic District functions like a small, high-demand urban neighborhood with premium rents, tight inventory, and a mix of long-term professional tenants and short-term rental pressure. Midtown and the Thomas Square Streetcar Historic District are up-and-coming areas where renovation activity and gentrification dynamics are reshaping rent expectations. The Southside is a working-class and middle-class residential zone with steadier, less volatile demand. Pooler — a separate city in western Chatham County — is a logistics and distribution hub with an almost entirely different tenant profile than anything in the City of Savannah. Operating successfully in Chatham County means knowing which of these realities your properties sit in.
SCAD and the Student Rental Market
The Savannah College of Art and Design enrolls over 14,000 students and has transformed Savannah’s urban core over the past four decades by acquiring and rehabilitating historic buildings throughout the downtown and midtown neighborhoods. SCAD students generate substantial off-campus housing demand — the school’s housing capacity doesn’t absorb the full enrollment — and they skew toward artistic, creative individuals who often decorate aggressively and may cause cosmetic wear that other tenant categories don’t. This isn’t a reason to avoid SCAD tenants; it’s a reason to price your deposit accordingly, document the move-in condition photographically with genuine care, and be specific in your lease about what cosmetic alterations require prior written approval.
SCAD operates on a quarter system rather than a standard semester calendar, which means the housing turnover cycle is different from most university markets. Students may lease for a quarter, for an academic year, or for a rolling basis depending on their enrollment intensity. Confirm when reviewing a SCAD applicant whether they’re enrolled full-time year-round or have a more intermittent schedule — the latter creates mid-lease vacancy risk that a semester-calendar student wouldn’t generate.
The Port of Savannah and the Logistics Workforce
The Port of Savannah is consistently ranked as one of the busiest container ports in the United States, and the employment base it generates — Georgia Ports Authority workers, logistics and warehousing staff in the Garden City terminal area, truck drivers, and the distribution center workforce concentrated along I-16 and I-95 in the Pooler corridor — represents one of the most financially reliable tenant segments in Georgia’s coastal region. Port and logistics workers have strong institutional employers, verifiable wages, and consistent employment that doesn’t fluctuate with academic calendars or tourism seasons. The Pooler area in particular has seen significant residential development driven by this workforce, and landlords there operate in a market that feels more like an Atlanta logistics suburb than the historic coastal city a few miles east.
Historic District Ownership: Special Considerations
Landlords who own property in Savannah’s Historic District or Landmark Historic District operate under the City’s design review framework for exterior alterations — painting, signage, structural modifications, window replacements, and similar work require Metropolitan Planning Commission review before proceeding. This doesn’t affect the landlord-tenant relationship directly, but it affects renovation timelines and compliance obligations that anyone acquiring or renovating historic district rental property needs to understand before purchase. For the lease itself, the historic designation creates no special tenant rights or landlord obligations beyond the standard Georgia framework. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50’s dispossessory process applies to a Victorian row house in the Historic District exactly the same as it does to a split-level ranch in Ringgold.
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Georgia attorney or contact the Magistrate Court of Chatham County for guidance on specific matters. Last updated: March 2026.
