Rats chewing through the floor, sewage collecting in the backyard and no working heat during a recent winter storm are what pass for home right now for Decatur single mother Kendrea Bills. After months of unanswered repair requests and a burst pipe that she says left water running for weeks, Bills and her four children have been moved into a hotel while code enforcement and the courts sort through a stack of complaints. Her case has quickly become a local example of what tenants and advocates call a dangerous legal blind spot.
Bills, who moved into the unit in fall 2025 after leaving a domestic-violence shelter, told reporters that an exterminator confirmed rodent damage and that maintenance only provided a space heater once officials stepped in. Reporting by Atlanta News First found multiple vacant units and visible water damage across the 149-unit complex, and noted that an attorney with DeKalb legal aid sent a demand letter for repairs on Jan. 30, 2026. According to Atlanta News First, code enforcement told Bills that its investigation could take about a month.
State Law Leaves 'Habitable' Undefined
On paper, Georgia tightened tenant protections with the 2024 Safe at Home Act, which requires landlords to keep basic utilities like heat, cooling, lights and water functioning. What the law does not do is spell out what, exactly, counts as "fit for human habitation." That omission was not an accident. "In order to get the bill passed, it was intentional to leave that out," State Rep. Terry Cummings said, as reported by Atlanta News First.
That vagueness leaves judges to decide, case by case, where problems such as mold, infestations or raw sewage fall on the legal spectrum. It is a slow, technical process that many low-income tenants say they cannot realistically navigate, especially while still living in problem units.
Mableton's Ordinance Fills Some Gaps
One nearby city has tried to close some of those gaps on its own. In September 2025, Mableton adopted a Safe and Healthy Housing Ordinance that explicitly lists mold and pest infestations among conditions that make a rental uninhabitable and gives the city new enforcement tools, including emergency remediation and liens. The city has posted details of the ordinance on its website, including how it defines habitability and the steps it can take to force repairs.
The move followed years of regional reporting on substandard apartments, most prominently The Atlanta Journal-Constitution series "Dangerous Dwellings," which documented widespread neglect and weak enforcement at troubled complexes across metro Atlanta.
Lawmakers Push for Statewide Standards
At the Capitol, legislators have introduced measures aimed at creating clearer, statewide rules about what landlords owe tenants. One recent proposal, HB1171, would establish minimum habitability standards and spell out tenant remedies, according to legislative trackers. Advocates say HB404, the 2024 Safe at Home Act that capped security deposits and protected access to basic utilities, was a crucial first step but left key terms undefined.
Housing groups argue that detailed, enforceable standards could reduce the number of families forced into lengthy court fights over basic living conditions. For more on the proposal, see the legislative summary at LegiScan and a policy overview from NLIHC.
What Renters Can Do
For tenants dealing with leaks, pests or no heat, lawyers and housing advocates stress the importance of a paper trail. That means documenting problems with photos, sending dated messages or letters to property managers, filing complaints with local code-enforcement offices and, when possible, reaching out to a legal-aid organization for advice.
Georgia law does not give renters a simple, across-the-board right to withhold rent. Courts sometimes allow tenants to use "repair and deduct" in narrow situations, but attorneys note that it is a risky, fact-specific strategy that can backfire if not handled carefully. For a plain-English primer on landlord and tenant responsibilities in Georgia, see Nolo's overview.
Bills says she plans to keep pressing for repairs while local officials and lawmakers debate what comes next. In the meantime, many renters across metro Atlanta say a patchwork of local rules and uneven enforcement is leaving families to fight for basic safety one household at a time.
