Cobb County, GA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- Intl. Property Maintenance Code
- Covers
- Non-owner-occupied rental dwellings
- Inspection trigger
- Complaint-based only
Summary
Cobb County enforces the International Property Maintenance Code as its housing code, and expressly extends it to dwellings that aren't owner-occupied and are rented or available for rent.
(1)Inspections. The building official and other authorized representatives of the county will make such inspections only upon receiving a properly presented complaint alleging that a particular building may be in violation of this code.(2)Section 101.2 of the code shall be amended to add: "which are not occupied by the owner and which are rented or hired or available for rental or hire."
(3)Section 111 shall be deleted, and substituted in lieu thereof shall be the following: The appeal process shall be performed by the existing board of adjustments and appeals as outlined in sections 18-36 through 18-50.
(4)Code official. Whenever the term "code official" appears in the code, it shall be construed to mean the director of community development or his designee.(5)Section 202 of the code shall be amended as follows:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 18-186 adopts the International Property Maintenance Code as the county's housing code. Sec. 18-187 amends it to add rental-specific coverage: Section 101.2 is amended so the code applies to units 'not occupied by the owner and which are rented or hired or available for rental or hire,' and the definitions of dwelling and dwelling unit are rewritten the same way. Inspections happen only after a complaint is filed.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain a rental dwelling to IPMC standards is enforced complaint-driven under Sec. 18-187(1); appeals of code-official findings go to the board of adjustments and appeals under Sec. 18-187(3).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cobb County have a rental housing code?
Does the county inspect rentals proactively?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
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