How to Fire Your Property Manager in Georgia

A step-by-step guide for Georgia landlords switching property managers, covering the 30-day handover rule, trust accounts, tenant deposits and what to collect before you cut ties.

Last updated September 21, 2026

Missed repairs, slow replies, a statement that never adds up. Most landlords wait too long to make the call. Georgia law gives you real leverage when you do, starting with a hard deadline on your old manager to hand back your money and your records.

Here's how to make the switch without losing a deposit, a tenant or a month of rent.

Step 1. Read your management agreement

Your contract decides how you exit. Look for four things.

Notice period. Many agreements need 30 days' written notice.
Termination fee. Some charge one, some don't.
Leasing fee clawbacks. Check whether you owe anything for tenants the manager placed.
Who "owns" the tenant relationship. Some agreements try to charge a fee if you keep a tenant they found.

If the manager broke the agreement, for example by ignoring repairs or mishandling money, you may be able to end it sooner. That's a question for a Georgia attorney.

Step 2. Send written notice

Put it in writing, by email and by a method your agreement names. State the end date, ask for a full handover by that date, and list what you expect back (see Step 4).

Keep the tone flat and factual. You want your records, not an argument.

Step 3. Know the 30-day rule

Under Georgia law, when an owner ends a management agreement, the broker has 30 days to deliver every record they got from you or for you, and every dollar they hold on your behalf. Missing that deadline counts as an unfair practice under the license law (O.C.G.A. § 43-40-25(b)(34)).

If the deadline passes and you're still waiting, you can file a complaint with the Georgia Real Estate Commission.

Step 4. Collect everything

Ask for all of this before the end date.

Security deposits for every tenant, with the amount held for each one
The trust account ledger showing rents collected, fees taken and what's still owed to you
Signed leases, renewals and any addenda
Move-in damage lists each tenant signed
Tenant contact details and payment history
Open maintenance requests and vendor contacts, invoices and warranties
Keys, fobs, garage remotes and codes
Year-to-date income and expense reports for your taxes

Step 5. Move the security deposits

A licensed Georgia manager has to keep tenant deposits in a separate trust or escrow account and report it to the Commission (§ 43-40-20). When you take the deposits back, they need a new home.

Georgia requires deposits to sit in an account used only for deposits at a regulated bank, with the tenant told in writing where it is (§ 44-7-31). A new account deserves a new written notice to each tenant.

One more wrinkle. Individual owners of 10 or fewer units are exempt from some deposit rules, but the exemption doesn't apply during any stretch when a third party manages the unit for pay (§ 44-7-36). Once you're self-managing again, read that section for your situation.

Step 6. Tell your tenants

Tenants care about three things. Where to pay rent, who to call for repairs, and whether their deposit is safe. Send one clear message covering all three, dated, with the day the change takes effect.

Step 7. Take over the day-to-day

Line up your vendors, set up rent collection, and get a maintenance line that picks up at 2am. This is where most landlords end up back where they started, holding a phone that never stops ringing.

Who can manage for you in Georgia

Managing rentals for someone else, meaning leasing, collecting rent or providing management services for pay, requires a Georgia real estate broker license, or working under one (§ 43-40-1). Owners managing their own property don't need a license (§ 43-40-29). If you hire a new manager, check the license on the Georgia Real Estate Commission's site first.

Your switching checklist

Read the agreement for notice, fees and clawbacks
Send written notice with an end date
Hold the manager to the 30-day handover
Collect deposits, ledgers, leases, move-in lists and keys
Move deposits to a proper escrow account and notify tenants
Tell tenants where to pay and who to call

Switch to Taz

Taz is an AI property manager built for landlords who've been let down before. It answers tenants day and night, routes repairs to vendors, sends rent reminders and keeps every record in one place, for a flat monthly price per door instead of a cut of your rent. See how Taz works.

Where this guide says a state has no rule on something, that means we found no statute setting one, which is not the same as none existing. Local ordinances and court practice can add requirements. Confirm anything you plan to rely on.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your management agreement and your specific facts matter. Talk to a Georgia attorney before ending a contract. Last checked September 2026.