Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Georgia

I am currently leasing an apartment in Georgia; I have never paid my rent late. My lease does not end until July 27th, but the living conditions are very poor (roaches, leaks, general lack of cleanliness, and presently a dead animal in the ceiling), so I submitted a notice to vacate last month. I've been trying to schedule a move-out inspection since the aforementioned submission. However, an employee in the management office told me that I cannot have said inspection until my lease ends. From my understanding of the landlord-tenant laws in the state, I am due an inspection three days after termination of my occupancy. I already arranged to pay the office the money for the two months I will not be here. Can they charge me for any damages or utilities if I no longer live here and they do not give me an inspection after move-out?


Asked on 5/07/12, 3:42 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Scott Riddle Law Office of Scott B. Riddle, LLC

Your post is not clear. You mention a "notice to vacate," but later mention that you were paying rent through the end of the lease. If you are not terminating early and leasing through the end of your term, yes you might be liable for some damages that happen until the end of the term. It makes sense that the landlord does not want to do an inspection until the end of your lease term. Leasing an apartment and actually living there are two separate things. Your lease likely does not have any requirement that you ever actually live there (though it might prohibit others from living there), but you are still responsible for your obligations until the end of the term.

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Answered on 5/08/12, 9:31 am


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