Storage lien laws · State guide
Georgia storage lien laws
Georgia Self-service Storage Facility Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 10-4-210 through 10-4-218 →Verified 2026-06-10
Georgia's Self-service Storage Facility Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 10-4-210 to 10-4-218) gives a storage facility owner a lien on all stored property from the day it arrives. After 30 consecutive days of default, the owner may enforce the lien without going to court. The process requires written notice with a 14-day payment demand, followed by two consecutive weeks of advertising in the county's legal organ, and a public auction held no sooner than 15 days after the first ad. The statute expressly covers motor vehicles, trailers, watercraft, and RVs. For those titled vehicles, a separate tow-out option opens at 60 days past the maturity date of the unpaid obligation, letting the owner transfer the vehicle to a tow company instead of running a lien sale. Late fees are capped at the greater of $20 or 20 percent of monthly rent per month (§ 10-4-217, applicable to agreements entered into, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2019).
At a glance
GA · verified 2026-06-10- Statute
- Georgia Self-service Storage Facility Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 10-4-210 through 10-4-218
- Notice delivery
- Hand delivery (in person) — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213 · Verified mail (certified mail, registered mail, statutory overnight delivery, or any method where the carrier furnishes proof of sending) — O.C.G.A. §§ 10-4-211(8), 10-4-213 · Email — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213. If email is sent to the occupant's last known email address and the owner does not receive a non-automated response or delivery receipt, the owner must also send notice by verified mail to the last known postal address (or to the occupant's designated agent) before proceeding with the sale. · Notice is presumed sent when deposited with USPS or statutory overnight delivery service, properly addressed with postage prepaid, or when sent by email — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- Sale method
- Public auction to the highest bidder. The sale is presumed commercially reasonable when at least three independent bidders attend at the advertised time and place. Online auctions on any publicly accessible website that regularly conducts personal property auctions are expressly authorized and treated as a public sale; no auctioneer license is required. The sale must be held at the facility or at the nearest suitable location. Before the sale the occupant may redeem by paying all amounts owed plus reasonable enforcement expenses. A good-faith purchaser takes free of competing claims even where the owner did not achieve strict compliance.
- Late fees
- The statute caps late fees at the greater of $20.00 per month or 20 percent of the monthly rent for each month there is a late payment of rent, whichever is greater. This cap applies to rental agreements entered into, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2019, and only to late payments occurring on or after that date. The rental agreement must include a provision for the fee. The lien itself covers "fees for the late payment of rent" as a recoverable charge under § 10-4-212. There is no separate statutory provision for a returned-check fee; those are governed by O.C.G.A. § 13-6-15 (dishonored checks) and must be specified in the rental agreement.
- Vehicles & boats
- Once a tow company takes possession under the § 10-4-213 tow-out provision, the storage owner's liability ends. The statute is silent on what the tow company must do next; the tower's obligations are governed by O.C.G.A. § 44-1-13 (abandoned motor vehicles) and Georgia Department of Revenue / Motor Vehicle Division rules — confirm with the tow company before initiating a tow-out. For lien sales of titled property conducted under the standard auction path, the buyer receives a bill of sale and must apply separately to the Georgia DOR for a new title. Confirm the title-clearing step with the buyer before sale.
The lien clock
Each station below is a statutory checkpoint. Miss one and the sale can be challenged — this is the timeline LotWarden tracks automatically.
- 01
Day 0 — the date personal property arrives at the facility
Lien attaches
The owner's lien attaches by operation of law the moment the occupant's personal property is brought onto the facility. No filing or registration is required. The lien covers rent, late-payment fees, labor, and other charges related to the property, including reasonable sale or preservation expenses. The lien is superior to security interests perfected after the rental agreement date, subject to exceptions for certificate-of-title property and pre-existing recorded security interests.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-212
- 02
Day 7 — rent unpaid by the 7th calendar day of the month due, or dishonored check
Default period begins
Under the statutory form rental agreement in § 10-4-213, an occupant is in default if any monthly installment is not paid by the 7th calendar day of the month it is due, or if a check given in payment is dishonored. Upon default, the owner may immediately deny the occupant access to the stored property without prior notice.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- 03
Day 30 — after 30 continuous days of default
30-day continuous default threshold
Once the occupant has been in default continuously for 30 days, the owner is entitled to enforce the lien. The owner must still follow the prescribed notice and sale procedure; the 30-day period is the earliest point enforcement may begin, not the point where sale can occur immediately.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- 04
On or after Day 30 of continuous default
Lien enforcement notice sent
The owner delivers written notice of intent to enforce the lien by hand delivery, verified mail, or email. The owner must also notify any other parties with superior liens or security interests as defined in the rental agreement. If email notice does not produce a non-automated response or delivery receipt, the owner must follow up with verified mail before proceeding.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- 05
Days 1–14 (minimum) after notice delivery
14-day payment demand period
The notice must demand payment within a period of not less than 14 days after delivery. The occupant may redeem the property at any time before the sale by paying the full amount due plus reasonable enforcement expenses. If the occupant pays, the owner's liability with respect to the property ends.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- 06
After the 14-day cure period expires unpaid — two consecutive weekly publications required
Advertisement of public sale
The owner publishes an advertisement of the public auction once a week for two consecutive weeks in the legal organ for the county where the facility is located. The ad must include: a brief general description of the personal property sufficient to identify it; the facility address and unit number; the occupant's name; and the time, place, and manner of sale. A single advertisement may cover property from multiple occupants. Online auction on a publicly accessible website that regularly conducts personal property auctions also satisfies the advertising requirement; no license is required for such a sale.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- 07
Not sooner than 15 days after the first publication of the advertisement
Public auction conducted
The auction is a public sale to the highest bidder. The sale is deemed commercially reasonable if at least three independent bidders are present at the advertised time and place. An "independent bidder" is one who has no family relationship, controlling interest, or shared financial interest with the owner or any other bidder. A good-faith purchaser takes the property free of all rights of persons against whom the lien was valid, even if the owner did not strictly comply with every procedural requirement. Any sale or disposition must be held at the facility or at the nearest suitable place to where the property is stored.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- 08
Immediately after sale
Surplus proceeds held or remitted
After satisfying the owner's lien (rent, fees, charges, and reasonable sale expenses), any remaining proceeds are held for the occupant or any notified secured interest holder. If not claimed within two years of the sale date, the surplus must be disposed of under Article 5 of Chapter 12 of Title 44 (Georgia's Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act). The owner's liability never exceeds the proceeds of the sale.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
Notice requirements
Permitted delivery
- Hand delivery (in person) — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- Verified mail (certified mail, registered mail, statutory overnight delivery, or any method where the carrier furnishes proof of sending) — O.C.G.A. §§ 10-4-211(8), 10-4-213
- Email — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213. If email is sent to the occupant's last known email address and the owner does not receive a non-automated response or delivery receipt, the owner must also send notice by verified mail to the last known postal address (or to the occupant's designated agent) before proceeding with the sale.
- Notice is presumed sent when deposited with USPS or statutory overnight delivery service, properly addressed with postage prepaid, or when sent by email — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
The notice must include
- Itemized statement of the owner's claim showing the sum due and the date it became due — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- Notification that the occupant is denied access to the stored personal property — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- Name, street address, email address, and telephone number of the owner or its designated agent whom the occupant may contact — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- Demand for payment within a specified time, not less than 14 days after delivery of the notice — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
- Statement that unless the claim is paid within the stated time, the personal property will be advertised for public sale to the highest bidder, and sold at a public auction at a specified time and place — O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
The part most guides skip
Vehicles, boats & RVs
Motor vehicles, trailers, and watercraft — including boats and RVs registered as motor vehicles or trailers — are expressly included in the definition of "personal property" under the Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-4-211(5)) and are subject to the standard lien-enforcement process. The statute covers "motor vehicles, trailers, or watercraft" without exclusion by vehicle class. The statute adds a separate tow-out option specifically for these titled vehicles: if rent and other charges related to the property remain unpaid or unsatisfied for 60 days following the maturity of the obligation to pay rent, the owner may have the vehicle towed in lieu of foreclosing on the lien. Once the tow company takes possession, the storage facility owner is released from all liability for the vehicle and any damage to it. The 30-day continuous default threshold applies before the lien is enforceable at all, and the 60-day tow-out clock runs from the maturity date of the unpaid obligation (typically the date rent first became due and unpaid). Confirm with Georgia counsel for Class A/B/C motorhomes or unusually titled recreational vehicles.
Titled property path
Once a tow company takes possession under the § 10-4-213 tow-out provision, the storage owner's liability ends. The statute is silent on what the tow company must do next; the tower's obligations are governed by O.C.G.A. § 44-1-13 (abandoned motor vehicles) and Georgia Department of Revenue / Motor Vehicle Division rules — confirm with the tow company before initiating a tow-out. For lien sales of titled property conducted under the standard auction path, the buyer receives a bill of sale and must apply separately to the Georgia DOR for a new title. Confirm the title-clearing step with the buyer before sale.
O.C.G.A. §§ 10-4-211(5), 10-4-213
Sale rules
- Method
- Public auction to the highest bidder. The sale is presumed commercially reasonable when at least three independent bidders attend at the advertised time and place. Online auctions on any publicly accessible website that regularly conducts personal property auctions are expressly authorized and treated as a public sale; no auctioneer license is required. The sale must be held at the facility or at the nearest suitable location. Before the sale the occupant may redeem by paying all amounts owed plus reasonable enforcement expenses. A good-faith purchaser takes free of competing claims even where the owner did not achieve strict compliance.
- Advertising
- The owner must publish notice of the sale once a week for two consecutive weeks in the legal organ (official county newspaper) for the county where the facility is located. Each advertisement must include: a brief general description of the property sufficient for identification; the facility address and unit number; the occupant's name; and the time, place, and manner of sale. A single ad may cover property from multiple occupants. Online listing on a publicly accessible personal-property auction website satisfies the advertising requirement as an alternative to newspaper publication.
- Proceeds & surplus
- Proceeds satisfy the owner's lien first (rent, late fees, and reasonable enforcement expenses). Any surplus is held for the occupant or any notified lienholder with a superior security interest. If unclaimed within two years of the sale date, surplus is turned over under the Georgia Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act (O.C.G.A. § 44-12 Article 5). The owner's maximum liability is limited to the proceeds of the sale.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213
Late fees
The statute caps late fees at the greater of $20.00 per month or 20 percent of the monthly rent for each month there is a late payment of rent, whichever is greater. This cap applies to rental agreements entered into, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2019, and only to late payments occurring on or after that date. The rental agreement must include a provision for the fee. The lien itself covers "fees for the late payment of rent" as a recoverable charge under § 10-4-212. There is no separate statutory provision for a returned-check fee; those are governed by O.C.G.A. § 13-6-15 (dishonored checks) and must be specified in the rental agreement.
O.C.G.A. § 10-4-217
Operator questions
My facility stores boats and RVs on an outdoor lot. Does the Georgia Self-service Storage Facility Act cover me?
The Act defines a self-service storage facility as real property designed and used for renting individual storage space to occupants for storing and removing personal property. "Personal property" expressly includes motor vehicles, trailers, and watercraft (§ 10-4-211(5)). An outdoor lot renting individual spaces to vehicle and vessel owners fits that definition. The vehicle tow-out provision in § 10-4-213 applies to property stored at the facility regardless of whether it is inside an enclosed unit or parked outdoors. Confirm with Georgia counsel that your lot is structured as individual rented spaces rather than a general parking arrangement, since the Act requires the occupant to have the use of a defined space "to the exclusion of others" (§ 10-4-211(3)).
When can I tow a boat or RV that has not been paid on, and what happens to my liability once it leaves?
The tow-out option opens at 60 days after the maturity of the unpaid obligation — typically 60 days from the date rent first came due and went unpaid. The statute (§ 10-4-213) states that once the tow company takes possession, the storage facility owner is not liable for the vehicle or any damage to it. You do not need to run the full notice-and-auction process to use this path, but the 60-day wait is a firm statutory threshold; towing before that point would expose the owner to liability.
Can I send the lien enforcement notice by email, and what happens if I do not get a read receipt?
Yes. Section 10-4-213 permits notice by hand delivery, verified mail, or email. However, if you send by email and do not receive a non-automated response or a delivery receipt to that address, the statute requires you to also send notice by verified mail (certified mail, registered mail, or overnight delivery with proof of sending) to the occupant's last known postal address or to the occupant's designated agent before you may proceed with the sale. In practice, send email first, then immediately follow up with verified mail whenever you cannot confirm delivery.
What makes the auction "commercially reasonable" under Georgia law?
Section 10-4-213 provides a specific statutory test: the sale is deemed commercially reasonable if at least three independent bidders are present at the time and place advertised. An independent bidder is someone who has no family relationship, no controlling interest, and no shared financial interest with the facility owner or any other bidder at that sale. Online auctions on publicly accessible personal-property auction websites satisfy the public-sale requirement; the same three-independent-bidder standard is expected to apply, though the statute is silent on how to count online bidders. Confirm with Georgia counsel before relying solely on an online-only sale.
What is the maximum late fee I can charge under Georgia law?
Section 10-4-217 caps the late fee at the greater of $20.00 per month or 20 percent of the monthly rent per month with a late payment. The cap applies to rental agreements entered into, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2019, and only to late payments occurring on or after that date. For a tenant paying $100 per month, the cap is $20 (20% = $20, which equals the $20 floor). For a tenant paying $200 per month, the cap is $40 (20% of $200). The fee must be specified in the rental agreement.
If nobody bids at the auction, can I just dispose of the property?
Yes. Section 10-4-213 provides that if no one purchases the property at the public sale and the owner has complied with all required procedures, the owner may otherwise dispose of the property and must notify the occupant of the action taken. The statute does not prescribe a specific disposal method when there are no bidders, so reasonable options such as donation or trash-out are available. Document the no-bid outcome and your disposal method carefully in case of a later dispute.
Why we wrote this
LotWarden tracks the Georgia lien clock for you
Billing software built for storage lots: month-based autopay, vehicle records, and lien-notice reminders that follow your state’s deadlines instead of living in your head. $79/month flat — first 25 lots get a free beta, then $39/month locked for life.
Join the founding waitlist