Guides

Deadlines and paperwork for Georgia property owners

Plain-English guides for homeowners, landlords and self-managed HOA boards, written by Tanika Hall. Every deadline is checked against the official source.

Property taxes and homestead

• Georgia Homestead Exemption: The Deadline, Who Qualifies and How to File

  Georgia's homestead exemption deadline is no longer just April 1. Who qualifies, how to file in Cobb and other counties and why you only file once.

• How to Appeal Your Property Tax Assessment in Georgia

  You have 45 days from your Georgia assessment notice to appeal. The three appeal routes, what happens to your bill meanwhile and how to build your case.

• When Are Property Taxes Due in Georgia?

  Georgia property tax due dates vary by county. Cobb bills are due October 15. How escrow works, what happens if you're late and when you can deduct the tax.

• Escrow Shortage: Why Your Mortgage Payment Just Went Up

  Your annual escrow analysis says you have a shortage. What it means, the rules your servicer must follow, your options to pay it and how to check their math.

Owning a home

• A Month by Month Home Maintenance Checklist

  A realistic home maintenance checklist by month, with the safety basics official sources recommend and the tax and insurance dates Georgia homeowners forget.

• How Long to Keep Home Documents (and Which Ones Never to Toss)

  Which home documents to keep forever, which to keep for 3 years and why your renovation receipts matter when you sell. Based on IRS and CFPB guidance.

• Homeowners Insurance Renewal Checklist

  Before your homeowners policy renews, check these items: replacement cost vs actual cash value, your deductible, your inventory and flood coverage.

• The 30-Day Flood Insurance Waiting Period, Explained

  Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, and homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood. The exceptions to the waiting period and when to buy.

• The Documents You Get at Closing, and What to Do With Them

  The four key documents from your home closing, what each one does, which to keep forever and why you'll start getting official-looking mail right after.

Landlords

• Georgia Security Deposit Law: What Every Landlord Needs to Know

  Georgia caps security deposits at two months' rent, requires a return within 30 days and can triple the penalty. The rules, the small landlord exemption and what to do.

• The Move-In and Move-Out Inspection: How to Do It Right in Georgia

  Georgia's move-in damage list, the 3 business day move-out inspection, the tenant's right to dissent and a room by room routine that protects both sides.

• Rental Property Tax Deductions: A Line by Line Guide to Schedule E

  What landlords can deduct on Schedule E, line by line, the repairs vs improvements rule and the 2026 mileage rate. Written by a landlord for small landlords.

• Rental Property Depreciation, in Plain English

  How rental depreciation works: 27.5 years, the mid-month convention, why land doesn't count, when it starts and what recapture means when you sell.

• Georgia Lease Notice Rules: 60 Days, 30 Days and the 3-Day Notice

  Georgia notice rules for landlords: 60 days to end a tenancy at will, 30 days for tenants, the 3-business-day notice before filing for nonpayment and habitability.

• Landlord Record Keeping: What to Keep and How Long

  What rental records the IRS expects landlords to keep, how long to keep them and a simple system that makes tax time easier.

• Estimated Taxes for Landlords: 2026 Due Dates and How Much to Pay

  If rental income means you'll owe $1,000 or more, you may need quarterly estimated taxes. The 2026 due dates, the safe harbor rules and the January shortcut.

HOA boards

• The Georgia HOA Board Calendar: Every Filing and Deadline in One Place

  Annual registration by April 1, the new 2027 HOA registration, the annual meeting and 21 days' notice, Form 1120-H and the budget. A year at a glance for Georgia boards.

• How to Set HOA Dues and Build a Budget Neighbors Will Accept

  A step by step way to build an HOA budget and set dues, how reserves fit in, what Georgia law requires you to show owners and what changes in 2027.

• HOA Reserve Studies, Explained for Volunteer Boards

  What a reserve study is, its two parts, the three levels, whether Georgia requires one and a simple way to start a reserve plan if you can't afford a study yet.

• HOA Violation Letters, Fines and Liens in Georgia

  When a Georgia HOA can fine, what it can suspend, how liens and foreclosure work and the 2026 and 2027 changes to attorney fees, notice and owner complaints.