Newton County, GA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Article III of chapter 10, the county housing code, applies to owner-occupied and rented dwellings alike in unincorporated Newton County and is enforced by the county's housing official. Newton County Code § 10-86 sets the basic equipment a dwelling unit must have: a water closet plus other required fixtures phased in by date, an adequate potable water supply, and heating facilities capable of safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms and bathrooms to a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit at a distance of three feet above floor level, under ordinary minimum winter conditions.

Every dwelling unit must also have an approved listed smoke detector installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and listing, tested to UL 217, plus safe cooking equipment and adequate garbage disposal facilities. Section 10-87 adds light and ventilation minimums, including a minimum window area of eight percent of a habitable room's floor area, and § 10-88 requires electrical systems to meet the county's electrical code. Section 10-89 governs the physical condition of the structure itself: the foundation must safely carry normal loads, and every exterior wall shall be free of holes, breaks, loose or rotting boards or timbers, and any other conditions which might admit rain or dampness, with the same soundness standard extended to roofs, doors, windows, stairs, railings and interior floors.

Section 10-90 sets minimum floor space per occupant, and § 10-93 lets the housing official condemn a dwelling found unfit for habitation through a legal procedure for that purpose.