Short answer: in Georgia, managing rental property for someone else for pay requires a real estate license from the Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC). To run your own management firm, you need a broker license. Salespersons and associate brokers can manage property while affiliated with a broker. Since 1 July 2025, two common exemptions for owner affiliated managers are gone. Nonresident owners of single family homes and duplexes must now use a licensed broker.
Georgia's rules are clear once you know which box you fall into. The trouble is that the 2025 changes moved several firms from one box to another. This guide covers who needs which license, what HB 399 changed, the nonresident landlord rule, trust account duties and continuing education.
Who needs which license
| Your situation | License needed |
|---|---|
| You run a firm that manages rentals for other owners | Broker license; the firm needs a qualifying broker |
| You manage rentals for owners inside someone else's firm | Salesperson or associate broker license, affiliated with that broker |
| You manage your own property, or your spouse's or a family member's | No license |
| You are a regular employee of the owner, managing the owner's property | No license, under the owner exemption |
| You work for a broker doing set leasing tasks under a written agreement | No license, within the listed tasks |
| Your management company shares owners with the property but is a separate business | License now required; the old affiliate exemption was removed in 2025 |
| You live outside Georgia and own single family or duplex rentals there | You must employ a Georgia licensed broker |
| You manage a homeowners or condo association | Community association manager license, unless an exemption applies |
What counts as licensed property management
Georgia's license law, Title 43, Chapter 40, treats property management for others as brokerage. Collecting rent, negotiating or signing leases, screening applicants and handling deposits for an owner, for pay, all count. Under section 43-40-30, a single act of this kind by an unlicensed person who needs a license breaks the law.
Two things trigger the rule together: acting for another person, and expecting pay. Remove either and the license rule may not apply. Physical maintenance work alone does not need a license.
What HB 399 changed on 1 July 2025
HB 399 amended the exemption list in section 43-40-29 and added a new nonresident landlord rule. The signed bill is on the Governor's 2025 signed legislation page.
Exemptions narrowed
- Owner through a manager or affiliate. The old exemption covered an owner acting through a full time person they engaged, or through a management company whose principals held a controlling stake in the property. Both parts were deleted. The exemption now covers a person acting as owner of their own property.
- Full time employee of the owner. The separate exemption for a person employed full time by the owner to manage the owner's property was deleted.
- Owner exemption widened slightly. The basic owner exemption now names family members of an owner, as GREC defines them, and officers of an LLC that owns the property. Regular employees of the owner remain covered.
In practice, a management company formed by the same investors as the property owner can no longer rely on common ownership alone. If it is a separate business managing for pay, plan on a licensed structure.
The nonresident landlord rule
New section 44-7-25 applies to landlords who do not live in Georgia and own or operate single family or duplex rentals there. They must employ a broker licensed in Georgia. The broker can live in another state. If so, the broker must employ at least one person located in Georgia. That person receives, coordinates and answers tenant communications about maintenance and other issues.
The section also says the exemptions in paragraphs (7) and (8) of section 43-40-29 do not apply to these landlords. Larger apartment buildings are not covered by this section, but the general license rules still apply to anyone managing them for others.
Code enforcement requests
HB 399 also changed section 36-74-30. A code officer may have probable cause about a property managed by a licensee. On request, the tenant must then give the officer the manager's name, license number and contact details. Make sure tenants have that information in writing.
The license types
Broker
A broker can sign management agreements with owners, collect management fees, hold trust funds and supervise affiliated licensees. Every licensed firm needs a qualifying broker. That person is responsible for the conduct of each licensee in the firm. If the qualifying broker dies, resigns or is discharged unexpectedly, the firm has 60 days to name a new one or must stop brokerage work.
Associate broker
An associate broker holds broker level qualifications but works under another broker's firm.
Salesperson
A salesperson works only through the broker they are affiliated with. A salesperson cannot sign management agreements in their own name or collect fees for their own account.
Community association manager
This license covers management services for homeowners and condo associations. It does not authorize managing ordinary rental property for owners.
Unlicensed staff a broker can use
Section 43-40-29 lets a broker use unlicensed employees for set tasks on property the broker manages under a written management agreement. The broker must authorize the tasks in a written agreement with the employee. Permitted tasks are:
- Delivering and receiving applications, leases and amendments
- Receiving deposits and rent payable to the broker or the owner
- Showing units on the broker's direct instructions, and executing leases
- Giving information the broker has approved about a unit, application or lease
- Telling a tenant the status of their deposit or rent, or an owner about their account
- Other ministerial acts the broker authorizes in writing
The broker is responsible for everything the employee does. Discretionary decisions stay with licensees.
How to get licensed
| Step | Salesperson | Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 | 21 |
| Prelicense course | 75 hours | 60 hours |
| Experience | None | Active license for at least 3 of the last 5 years |
| Exam | Salesperson exam | Broker exam |
| After licensing | 25 hour post license course within the first year | Name or serve as a qualifying broker to run a firm |
Applicants also submit a criminal history report. A salesperson who misses the post license course loses the license until it is reinstated.
Trust account duties
Under section 43-40-20, a broker who accepts rents, security deposits or other trust funds must keep a separate, federally insured trust account at a financial institution in Georgia. The broker registers the account with GREC and authorizes GREC to examine it. A broker without a trust account who receives trust funds must open one within one business day.
GREC Rule 520-1-.08 adds the detail. The main points for property managers are:
- A separate rental trust account is allowed for managed property
- Bills paid for an owner need enough money credited to that owner's account
- Security deposits must be identified by tenant, and the account must always hold at least their total
- Each deposit is recorded with the parties, amount, date, property and every check drawn against it
- The account is reconciled in writing at least monthly, and the statements kept for three years
The full text is in GREC rules chapter 520-1. Using one owner's money to pay another owner's bill is a violation even if it is repaid. Our guide to trust account rules by state compares Georgia with other states.
Continuing education
Licensees renew every four years and need 36 hours of approved continuing education per renewal period. At least 3 hours must cover license law. Since 1 July 2025, brokers and associate brokers must include at least 18 hours of broker education in those 36 hours. A license that lapses for missing education leaves the holder unable to practice until it is reinstated.
Penalties for getting it wrong
- Unlicensed work. GREC can issue a cease and desist order. Breaking that order can bring a fine of up to $1,000 per transaction, with each day counted as a separate violation.
- Unpaid fees. Georgia courts have long refused to let an unlicensed person recover pay for brokerage work, including management fees.
- Licensee discipline. Trust account failures, a missing qualifying broker or practice outside your license type can lead to sanctions against the license.
A quick review for Georgia operators
- List every Georgia property and who owns it.
- Mark any property managed by an affiliate that relied on the old common ownership exemption.
- Flag nonresident owners of single family homes and duplexes, and confirm each has a Georgia licensed broker.
- If the broker lives outside Georgia, confirm a Georgia based staff member handles tenant maintenance contact.
- Check every unlicensed employee's written task agreement.
- Confirm trust accounts are registered and reconciled each month.
- Track renewal and education dates for every licensee.
For the leasing rules that apply once you are licensed, see our Georgia landlord tenant law guide. For deposit handling, see our guide to Georgia security deposit law.
Where RIOO fits
RIOO is property management software built natively on Oracle NetSuite, with property accounting in the same system. Each property, entity or owner can use its own bank account in NetSuite. Bank reconciliation runs by account, so operating, deposit and trust accounts stay separate. Owner statements show income, expenses, management fees and distributions per owner and property. Trust accounting rules vary by state, so confirm the scope you need with the RIOO team. See property accounting on NetSuite with RIOO.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to be a property manager in Georgia?
Yes, if you manage property for others for pay. You need a GREC license, and a broker license to run your own firm. Owners managing their own property are exempt.
What changed in Georgia property management licensing in 2025?
From 1 July 2025, HB 399 removed the exemptions for managers engaged by an owner and for affiliated management companies. It also added the family member and LLC officer wording to the owner exemption and created the nonresident landlord rule.
Do out of state landlords in Georgia need a property manager?
Nonresident owners of single family homes or duplexes must employ a Georgia licensed broker. A broker based outside Georgia must have a staff member in the state to handle tenant communications.
Can a salesperson run a property management company in Georgia?
No. A salesperson works through an affiliated broker and cannot sign management agreements or collect fees in their own name.
Can an LLC be a licensed real estate firm in Georgia?
Yes. GREC licenses corporations, partnerships and LLCs as firms, each with a qualifying broker.
Can a community association manager license be used for rentals?
No. It covers association management services, not managing rental property for owners.
How often must a Georgia trust account be reconciled?
At least monthly, in writing, with the statements kept for three years.
This guide is general information as of October 2026 and is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the Georgia Real Estate Commission or a Georgia attorney before acting.
