Georgia 7-day demand letter — what it must say and how to deliver it
2026-06-10 · 3 min read · Eviction
Every Georgia eviction starts with the same legally required move: a demand for possession. Skip it, botch it, or fail to prove you made it, and the magistrate court can dismiss your dispossessory case before it starts — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 [verify].
Georgia's statute is unusual: it doesn't actually prescribe a number of days. The "7-day demand letter" is the practical standard many Georgia landlords use (and the one FileMyCase generates), giving the tenant a clear, documented window to pay or leave before you file.
What the demand letter must say
A demand that holds up in court does four things:
- Identifies the parties and the property — tenant names as written on the lease, full property address.
- States the problem plainly — the rent amount past due and the months it covers, or the lease violation at issue.
- Demands possession — the magic words matter: you are demanding that the tenant deliver possession of the premises. A bare "pay your rent" note is weaker than a demand for possession.
- Gives a deadline — the date by which the tenant must pay in full or vacate, after which you will file a dispossessory affidavit.
If your lease sets its own notice or cure period, follow it. A lease can give the tenant more protection than the statute, and courts will hold you to your own contract. [verify]
How to deliver it
Georgia doesn't require certified mail for the demand, but you must be able to prove the demand was made [verify]. In practice, use at least two of these:
- Hand delivery to the tenant (note the date, time, and who delivered it)
- Posting on the door plus a photo with a visible timestamp
- Certified mail with return receipt (keep the green card)
- Email or text, if your lease designates them for notices — keep the thread
Whatever you use, keep copies. Your dispossessory affidavit will state that demand was made; the receipt, photo, or testimony is what backs that statement up at the hearing.
The mistakes that sink cases
The same handful of demand-letter errors show up in dismissed cases over and over: demanding an inflated amount (late fees the lease doesn't authorize, for example), sending the letter to only one of three tenants on the lease, giving a deadline and then filing before it passes, and having no proof at all that the demand was delivered.
One more that surprises people: accepting partial payment after the demand can undercut the demand itself, depending on how it's handled. If a tenant offers partial payment after you've demanded possession, think before you take it — and document everything.
After the deadline passes
If the deadline comes and goes without full payment or move-out, you're ready to file the dispossessory affidavit with the magistrate court. The demand letter becomes Exhibit A of a clean case file: demand → affidavit → service → hearing.
Does a text message count as a demand?
It can help prove a demand was made, but a formal written demand delivered in a provable way is far safer. Courts want to see a clear, dated demand for possession.
Do I have to wait exactly seven days?
The statute doesn't set a number — your lease and the deadline in your own letter control. Whatever deadline you give, you must let it fully pass before filing. [verify]
This article is legal information, not legal advice. Statute references are tagged [verify] pending review by a licensed Georgia attorney.
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