There is a number every Atlanta renter should understand: 144,000.
That is how many eviction cases landlords filed across the five-county Atlanta metro in 2025, according to Eviction Lab. It works out to roughly one filing for every four renter households.
But that does not mean one in four households was taken to court.
Eviction Lab’s filing rate counts every case, including multiple cases filed against the same household. Its current Atlanta dashboard separates those measurements: a 24 percent filing rate, but a 14 percent rate for unique households receiving at least one filing. It also reports that 36 percent of households facing a case had been filed against repeatedly at the same address.
That distinction matters because the filing itself can follow a renter, even when nobody is physically removed.
One missed month can become a public record
At a Sept. 10 briefing at the Atlanta History Center, Eviction Lab researcher Peter Hepburn said 95 percent of the Atlanta-area cases were filed over unpaid rent and that the typical tenant was one month behind.
He also said about 65 percent of filings were eventually dismissed by the landlord, often after the balance was paid, while roughly one-quarter ended in default judgments against tenants who did not appear in court.
A dismissal may sound like the problem went away. The court record does not necessarily disappear with it.
Eviction Lab warns that public eviction records are collected by tenant-screening companies and can affect future housing applications. A renter can pay the balance, remain in the apartment and still have to explain the case to the next leasing office.
That makes the filing a consequence of its own, separate from whether the landlord wins or the tenant moves.
Georgia changed the notice rules in 2024
A landlord in Georgia generally pays between $54 and $75 to file an eviction case, depending on the county.
The process changed when Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 404, the Safe at Home Act, in April 2024. For residential leases entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2024, landlords must provide written notice and give tenants three business days to pay what is owed before filing.
The law also created an express warranty of habitability and capped security deposits at two months’ rent. Georgia Appleseed’s guide explains the protections and the lease dates they cover.
That cure period gives a tenant time that did not previously exist under state law. It does not prevent a case once those three business days expire, and it does not automatically seal a case after it is dismissed.
Questions about filing costs, notice periods and access to eviction records largely belong to the state.
What Atlanta can do
Atlanta has used city money for rental assistance, legal support and affordable housing production.
The city launched a $2 million eviction diversion partnership with Star-C Corporation in December 2023 and approved another $2 million in July 2024. City Council said the program had prevented more than 220 families from being displaced by the time the second award was approved.
That specific Star-C program has now concluded, according to the City of Atlanta Housing Help Center. General rental assistance and housing navigation remain available through the center.
The city has also partnered with the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation on an Access to Counsel pilot. That program provides representation in selected areas, but it is not a guaranteed attorney for every Atlanta tenant facing eviction.
Affordable housing production is another part of the city’s response. Mayor Andre Dickens set a goal of delivering or preserving 20,000 affordable homes by 2030. The city said in September 2026 that more than 13,700 had been completed or were under construction.
Those efforts can help residents stay housed. They do not determine what it costs to file a dispossessory case or whether a dismissed filing remains visible.
Where the regional housing plan fits
This is where the eviction numbers connect to the regional housing strategy AVV recently covered.
The Atlanta Regional Commission’s proposed Housing Forward 2035 plan calls for 367,000 additional homes by 2035. ARC estimates the region will need 117,000 new homes affordable to households earning below $55,000, but current development trends are expected to produce only 28,000.
That leaves a projected gap of 89,000 homes at that income level.
Housing Forward 2035 would establish local production and preservation targets and create a public dashboard showing how individual jurisdictions are performing. ARC cannot approve developments or force a city or county to meet its target. Those decisions remain with local governments.
Still, increasing the supply of homes priced for what renters actually earn is one potential way to reduce the pressure that turns one missed month into a court case.
It is a long-term prevention strategy, not immediate eviction relief. It cannot help someone who was served this morning, remove a dismissed filing or replace legal representation. That still requires rental assistance, access to counsel and changes to how eviction records are handled.
If an eviction case has already been filed
Georgia Courts says a tenant generally has seven days after being served to answer an eviction case. The response can be submitted in writing or given orally to the court clerk. A landlord cannot legally remove a tenant without going through the court process.
Atlanta tenants can also visit the Housing Court Assistance Center, a free walk-in legal clinic inside the Fulton County Courthouse at 185 Central Avenue SW.
Eviction prevention has two timelines. A renter served today needs legal help, rental assistance and a clear way to protect their record. Over time, the region also needs enough housing priced for the people working here.
Housing Forward 2035 identifies that supply gap. These eviction numbers show what can happen while it remains open. Neither approach replaces the other.
