Worked Example

The Lease With Five Clauses Georgia Law Doesn't Allow

A lease renewal with a Friday deadline and clauses that scared the tenant. Here is the full report IGOTCHU produced before they signed.

This is a complete IGOTCHU report produced from a real document during product testing. It is a worked example of what you receive, not a customer story.

The Situation

A 12-month Atlanta lease at $1,850 a month, sent with pressure to sign by Friday. A $250 late fee plus $25 per day. A 90-day deposit refund window. Entry without notice. The customer asked what they were agreeing to. The report found two clauses that conflict with Georgia law, compared every term against the market, and produced a request-for-changes letter that keeps the deal alive while fixing the dangerous parts.

The report, exactly as delivered

IGOTCHU provides research, document analysis, and general information only. We are not attorneys and nothing here is legal advice.

You have not signed anything yet, which means none of these clauses apply to you right now. Your instinct was right, several of these terms are not normal, and at least two conflict with Georgia law. The Friday deadline is the landlord's preference, not a legal trigger.

Strong position

You hold maximum leverage because you are unsigned, and Peachtree Summit Properties wants your $1,850 a month starting August 1, 2026.

An unsigned lease is just an offer. The deposit refund clause and the wear-and-tear deduction clause in Section 5 conflict with Georgia's security deposit statute, which gives you specific, factual grounds to request changes without it being a fight.

The Decision

Negotiate before signing

Do not sign this lease as written. Two clauses appear to violate Georgia security deposit law, and three more are far outside market norms in ways that could cost you thousands if your circumstances change.

1.Section 5 must change so the deposit is refunded within 30 days of move-out, not 90, and the phrase allowing deductions for general wear at the landlord's sole discretion must be removed. Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 44-7-34, requires return within one month and prohibits deductions for ordinary wear and tear.
2.Section 3 late fee must change from $250 plus $25 per day to a flat fee, ask for $75 to $100 maximum after a 5-day grace period. As written, being one week late costs $425 on $1,850 rent.
3.Section 9 must change to require at least 24 hours notice before entry, with an exception for genuine emergencies.
4.Section 14 renewal notice should drop from 120 days to 60 days, or the lease should convert to month-to-month at term end.
5.Section 18 should be struck or rewritten so legal costs go to the prevailing party, not automatically to the landlord. Georgia courts have held pre-suit jury trial waivers unenforceable, so this clause is asking for things the landlord likely cannot get anyway.

Pre-filled from your document: Peachtree Summit Properties LLC · 2200 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 · (404) 555-0182, billing@peachtreesummit.example

Send This First

Clarification Request Letter

[DATE]

Peachtree Summit Properties LLC
2200 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30324

RE: Proposed Lease for Apartment 3B, 2200 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, 12-month term commencing August 1, 2026

Dear Peachtree Summit Properties,

Thank you for sending over the lease for Apartment 3B. I want to move forward and I am prepared to sign this week. Before I do, I need a few terms adjusted so the agreement matches Georgia law and standard practice, and I am hoping we can handle this quickly and simply.

Specifically, I am asking for these changes:

1. Section 5: Refund the $3,700 security deposit within 30 days of move-out rather than 90, and remove the language allowing deductions for general wear at sole discretion. My understanding is that Georgia's security deposit statute, O.C.G.A. 44-7-34, requires return within one month and does not permit deductions for ordinary wear and tear, so this change simply aligns the lease with state law.

2. Section 3: Replace the $250 late fee plus $25 per day with a flat late fee of $75 after a 5-day grace period. The current structure would mean a single week's delay costs $425 on $1,850 rent, which I do not believe either of us intends.

3. Section 9: Add that entry requires 24 hours notice except in genuine emergencies. I want maintenance and inspections to go smoothly, I just need predictability in my own home.

4. Section 14: Reduce the renewal notice period from 120 days to 60 days.

5. Section 18: Either remove this section or revise it so legal costs are paid by the prevailing party in any action.

I am not an attorney, and before I sign a binding 12-month agreement I need these terms in writing as part of the lease itself, not as verbal assurances. If you can send a revised lease or a signed addendum with these changes, I am ready to sign and pay the deposit promptly.

Thank you for working with me on this. I am looking forward to being a good tenant at Piedmont Ave.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[PHONE / EMAIL]
Phone Script

Phone Call Script

WHO TO ASK FOR: The property manager or owner with authority to amend leases
NUMBER: (404) 555-0182

OPENING (word for word): "Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME]. I received the lease for Apartment 3B at 2200 Piedmont Ave and I want to sign it this week. Before I do, I have a few terms I need adjusted, and I sent a short letter listing them. Do you have two minutes to go through them, or is there someone who handles lease changes I should speak with?"

IF THEY SAY 'This is our standard lease, we don't make changes':
"I understand, and most of it is fine with me. The main issue is Section 5. Georgia's security deposit law requires the deposit back within one month and doesn't allow deductions for ordinary wear, and the lease says 90 days and general wear at sole discretion. I just need the lease to say what the law already requires. Can we at least fix that one?"

IF THEY SAY 'You need to sign by Friday or we move on':
"I hear you, and I'm ready to sign by Friday. If you can email me a revised lease or a one-page addendum with the changes today or tomorrow, I'll sign the same day and bring the deposit. I'm not trying to slow this down, I'm trying to close it."

IF THEY OFFER A PARTIAL SOLUTION:
Accept immediately if they fix Section 5 (30-day refund, no general wear deductions) and cap the late fee at a flat amount under $100. Those are the two that cost you real money. If they only offer one, say: "That helps a lot, thank you. Can we also address the late fee? A flat $75 after a 5-day grace period is what I see in most Atlanta leases." Take the deal on entry notice and renewal notice if offered, but do not walk away over those two alone.

CLOSING: "Thank you, [NAME], I appreciate you working with me. So to confirm, you're agreeing to [repeat each change]. Could you email me that as a revised lease or signed addendum so I can sign right away?" After hanging up, write down the date, time, the name of the person, and exactly what was agreed.
Follow-Up Letter

14-Day Follow-Up Letter

[DATE, 14 DAYS AFTER FIRST LETTER]

Peachtree Summit Properties LLC
2200 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30324

RE: Proposed Lease for Apartment 3B, 2200 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

Dear Peachtree Summit Properties,

I am following up on my letter dated [DATE OF FIRST LETTER] regarding the lease for Apartment 3B. I asked for five specific adjustments before signing, most importantly bringing Section 5 in line with Georgia's security deposit statute, O.C.G.A. 44-7-34, which requires the $3,700 deposit returned within one month and does not allow deductions for ordinary wear and tear.

I remain interested in the apartment and ready to sign promptly once I have a revised lease or signed addendum. So I can plan my housing, I would appreciate a response by [DATE, 7 DAYS OUT]. If I have not heard back by then, I will assume the terms are not negotiable and will need to pursue other housing, which I would genuinely prefer not to do.

Thank you for your time, and please call or email me at [PHONE / EMAIL].

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
Escalation Letter

Escalation Letter

[DATE]

Owner / Senior Management
Peachtree Summit Properties LLC
2200 Piedmont Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30324

CC: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division

RE: Proposed Lease for Apartment 3B, 2200 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

Dear Owner or Senior Manager,

I am writing to you directly because I have been unable to resolve a straightforward issue with your office. The timeline:

1. On [DATE], I received a proposed 12-month lease for Apartment 3B at $1,850 per month with a $3,700 security deposit.
2. On [DATE OF FIRST LETTER], I sent a written request for five specific changes before signing, including bringing Section 5 into compliance with O.C.G.A. 44-7-34, which requires security deposit return within one month and prohibits deductions for ordinary wear and tear. The proposed lease states a 90-day refund window and permits deductions for general wear at the landlord's sole discretion.
3. On [DATE OF FOLLOW-UP], I sent a follow-up letter requesting a response by [DATE]. I have received no substantive reply.

My ask is unchanged and simple. Provide a revised lease or signed addendum with the five changes listed in my first letter, and I will sign and pay the deposit promptly.

Because the deposit provisions as written appear inconsistent with Georgia's security deposit statute, I am required to provide a copy of this correspondence to the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division for their records. This is a routine step on my end, and it does not change my preference, which is to resolve this directly with you and become your tenant.

I can be reached at [PHONE / EMAIL] and I am available to sign any business day this week.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
Security depositOut of line
Yours
$3,700 (2 months)
Standard
$1,850 (1 month)

Georgia sets no deposit cap, but one month is the Atlanta norm and two months ties up $1,850 you do not need to surrender.

Late fee (one week late)Out of line
Yours
$425 ($250 + $25/day)
Standard
$93 flat (about 5% of rent)

The daily accrual makes this roughly 4 to 5 times the market norm for even a short delay.

Deposit refund timelineOut of line
Yours
90 days
Standard
30 days (Georgia legal requirement)

O.C.G.A. 44-7-34 requires return within one month, so 90 days is not just unusual, it conflicts with the statute.

Auto-renewal noticeOut of line
Yours
120 days
Standard
30 to 60 days

Double the typical window, and missing it commits you to another full year.

Entry noticeOut of line

YOURS

None, any time

STANDARD

24 hours except emergencies

Georgia leaves this to the lease, and this lease gives you zero protection.

Early terminationOut of line

YOURS

All remaining rent, no sublet

STANDARD

2-month buyout fee or sublet with approval

Worst-case exposure is the full $22,200 term if you must leave in month one.

Legal costsOut of line

YOURS

Tenant pays landlord's costs in any action

STANDARD

Prevailing party pays, or silent

One-way fee shifting discourages you from ever asserting a right.

Monthly rentStandard

YOURS

$1,850/month

STANDARD

Market dependent

$1,850 is within normal range for the Piedmont Ave corridor, so do not spend negotiating capital here, spend it on the clauses.

Lease termStandard

YOURS

12 months

STANDARD

12 months

A standard term, nothing to fix.

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