Georgia House bill by Rep. Oliver on property management and code enforcement passes House and Senate

Newly passed bill authored by State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver seeks to update property management and code enforcement rules, requiring certain information from property managers and revising landlord staffing requirements, following approval in both chambers, according to the Georgia State House.

It passed both chambers as of Friday, April 4, clearing the House by a vote of 159-5 and the Senate by a vote of 41-9.

The bill, introduced as HB399 on Tuesday, Feb. 11 during the 2025 regular session of the 158th General Assembly, was formally described as: ’Property; require certain residential landlords to have in-state staff to manage tenant communications’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends various articles of the Official Code of Georgia to implement new requirements for property management and code enforcement. It mandates that certain information about property managers must be provided to code enforcement officers when there is probable cause to believe a code violation exists, without allowing local government registration of residential rental properties. Additionally, the bill requires nonresident landlords owning single-family or duplex rental properties in Georgia to employ in-state staff for handling tenant communications if their broker does not reside in the state. The bill also revises exemptions within the real estate brokerage regulations for property managers, aligning with the new landlord requirements. Conflicting laws are repealed as part of the legislative updates.

In the House, 71 Democrats and 88 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while five Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 18 Democrats and 23 Republicans voted in favor, while nine Republicans voted against it.

The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Shaw Blackmon (Republican-146th), Rep. Rhonda Burnough (Democrat-77th), and Rep. Spencer Frye (Democrat-122nd), along with three other co-sponsors.

Oliver graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1969 with a BA and again in 1972 from Emory University School of Law with a JD.

Oliver, a Democrat, was elected to the Georgia State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 84th House District, replacing previous state representative Omari Crawford.

The bill was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday, May 14.

In Georgia, the legislative process begins when a lawmaker, often at a constituent’s request, works with the Office of Legislative Counsel to draft a bill. After filing with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, the bill receives its first reading and is sent to a committee, where most of the debate and fact-finding takes place. If approved, it advances to the floor for a third reading, debate, and a vote. To become law, the bill must pass both chambers, sometimes through a conference committee if versions differ, before being sent to the governor. The governor then has six days during session—or 40 days after adjournment (Sine Die)—to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without a signature. The Georgia General Assembly meets annually for a 40-day session beginning the second Monday in January.

Information in this article was obtained from the Georgia State House. The source data can be found here.