Sandy Springs, GA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 105-101, part of the city's property maintenance and housing standards, prohibits overcrowding in any dwelling unit. A bedroom occupied by a single person must have at least 70 square feet of floor area, and a bedroom shared by more than one occupant must provide at least 50 square feet for each occupant. Kitchens and other nonhabitable spaces can never be counted as, or used for, sleeping purposes. Table 1 in the section sets minimum square footage for living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens based on how many people occupy the unit: a living room needs no minimum area for one or two occupants but must be at least 120 square feet for three to five occupants and 150 square feet for six or more, a dining room scales from no minimum up to 80 and then 100 square feet, and a kitchen must be at least 50 square feet for up to five occupants and 60 square feet for six or more.

A combined living room and dining room satisfies the table if its total area equals what separate rooms would need and the space functions as a true combination room. The section carves out an exception for efficiency units: one meeting the standards can house up to two occupants with a clear floor area of at least 220 square feet, or three occupants with at least 320 square feet, provided the unit also has a kitchen sink, cooking appliance, and refrigeration facilities with at least 30 inches of clear working space in front, plus a separate bathroom with a water closet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower. No efficiency unit may house more than three occupants under any circumstance.