Proposed Georgia Bill Caps Institutional Housing Ownership
March 25, 2025
The Georgians First Residential Property Protection Act (HB 555), a bill in the Georgia state legislature, would limit business enterprises from owning more than 2,000 single-family homes or 10 multifamily properties in the state.
Why it matters: The measure, sponsored by four Republicans and one Democrat, demonstrates increasingly bipartisan political concern over single-family rentals (SFR), but the limitation on multifamily property ownership signals a new pushback on institutional ownership of housing.
Go deeper: An updated version of the bill discussed in committee removed the multifamily language and provided transition language to allow businesses to reduce their exposure through 2029.
- In a committee hearing on March 3, the bill sponsor testified in support of a revised bill expressing concern about increased corporate ownership of SFRs in Georgia. The sponsor cited data that indicated no institution owned more than 1,000 single-family homes prior to 2011.
- Enforcement would be through a private right of action rather than state enforcement against businesses that own more than 2,000 homes.
- The bill was reported favorably out of the Georgia House Judiciary Committee with only one legislator voting in opposition. The full state House has not yet acted on the bill.
The big picture: Georgia legislative observers indicate the bill likely will not advance further this session.
- However, the near-unanimous committee approval with 12 Republicans and five Democrats on the committee indicates the growing local concern on the issue.
- On the federal level, legislation targeting institutional ownership has been limited to Democrats, but moderates have been joining with progressives in supporting the legislation.
Contact David McCarthy (dmccarthy@crefc.org) with any questions.