A tenant stops paying, ignores your messages, and suddenly you are managing a problem from another time zone. In Georgia (the country), that usually means one hard truth: the faster you shift from informal back-and-forth to documented, court-ready action, the more rent and time you save.
This is a practical, operator-focused walkthrough of how to evict a tenant in Georgia country – what typically triggers it, what you need to document, what the court process looks like, and where landlords lose weeks by trying to “handle it amicably” without a clean paper trail.
Before you start: check what you actually signed
Evictions in Georgia often go sideways for one simple reason: the lease is vague, incomplete, or inconsistent with what the parties are actually doing. Before you send any notice, pull the full lease package and verify the basics match reality.
Look at the tenant’s legal name and ID details, the exact address and unit number, the lease term and renewal language, the rent amount and due date, and any clauses on termination, notice, late fees, and utilities. If the tenant has been paying in cash, if the rent amount changed “informally,” or if a relative is living there instead of the named tenant, you want that clarified immediately in your evidence file.
If you are a remote owner, this is where local execution matters. Your leverage comes from documentation and follow-through, not from arguing over WhatsApp.
The only two eviction scenarios that matter
Most landlord-tenant conflicts fall into one of two tracks, and the steps are different depending on which one you are in.
Nonpayment of rent
This is the cleanest case when documented properly. The tenant owes a specific amount, on a specific date, under a written contract. Your job is to prove the debt and show you gave the tenant a clear chance to cure or vacate.
Other breach: damage, illegal use, or repeated violations
These cases can be valid, but they require better evidence. Photos, neighbor statements, written warnings, repair reports, and police reports (when applicable) matter more here. If your case is “the tenant is difficult,” that is not an eviction reason by itself. You need a contractual breach you can prove.
Step 1: stop negotiating in the dark and start documenting
If you take nothing else from this guide, take this: your eviction starts the moment you create a record.
Send written communication that states the breach, the amount due (if any), the deadline to cure, and what happens if they do not comply. Keep it professional and factual. Avoid threats, insults, and improvising new penalties. You are building a file that a judge can understand in five minutes.
If you have been accepting partial payments without clarifying what they apply to, fix that. Each payment should be receipted and allocated (for example, “applied to May rent, balance remaining X”). Vague accounting is how tenants argue there is no real arrears.
Step 2: serve a formal notice that matches the lease
In Georgia, the lease contract drives much of the termination logic. Your notice should follow the termination and notice provisions you agreed to. If the lease says 30 days written notice for termination, do not invent a 7-day demand because you are frustrated.
For nonpayment, landlords typically issue a written demand for payment with a clear deadline and a statement that the lease will be terminated and court action will be filed if the tenant does not pay and/or vacate. For other breaches, send a written notice describing the breach and the remedy required, and reference the clause in the contract.
Delivery method matters. Use a method you can prove: signed delivery, courier confirmation, or another verifiable service method. Screenshots of a chat can support your story, but they are weak as your primary proof of notice.
Step 3: build your evidence pack before you file
Owners lose time when they file first and scramble later. Prepare the file as if you are handing it to someone who has never seen the apartment.
At minimum, you want the signed lease, proof of ownership/authority to lease, the rent ledger, proof of unpaid rent (or breach evidence), copies of notices, proof of delivery, and any relevant correspondence. If utilities are part of the dispute, include meter readings, utility bills, and the lease clause that assigns responsibility.
If the unit is furnished, your move-in inventory matters. If you did not do a move-in condition report, do not overplay damage claims during eviction. Focus on possession first. You can pursue damages separately if needed, but mixing a weak damage argument into an otherwise strong nonpayment case can slow you down.
Step 4: file the claim and stay disciplined during the timeline
Eviction is not a single event. It is a sequence: termination, filing, hearing, judgment, and enforcement.
Once you file, do not undermine your own case with inconsistent behavior. The most common self-inflicted problems are accepting rent “as normal” after termination without documenting what it means, allowing the tenant to “stay another week” without a written agreement, or changing the demanded amount midstream because someone recalculated utilities.
If you agree to accept payment to stop the process, put it in writing and define the conditions clearly. If you plan to proceed unless the full amount is paid by a specific time, say so. Ambiguity creates delays.
Step 5: court decision and enforcement are different things
Landlords sometimes assume that winning in court automatically removes the tenant. In practice, enforcement is its own step, and the logistics matter.
Plan for access, keys, and turnover the moment you expect a judgment. If the tenant is likely to damage the unit, arrange a post-possession inspection immediately. If furnishings belong to you, have an inventory ready and document the condition when you regain access.
If you are overseas, you will need a local representative who can coordinate the on-the-ground execution: being present for inspections, communicating with building management/security, and arranging locksmith and cleaning. The legal win is only half the battle. The asset has to be stabilized quickly so the unit can be re-leased.
What landlords do that backfires (and costs months)
There are a few patterns we see repeatedly in Tbilisi rentals that turn a straightforward eviction into an expensive stall.
First is informal leasing. If the lease is not signed properly, or the tenant paying is not the tenant named, you can still pursue possession, but you have made the proof harder. Second is cash handling with no receipts. Third is self-help tactics like cutting utilities, changing locks, or blocking entry. Even when owners feel justified, these moves can create legal exposure and give the tenant a narrative advantage.
Fourth is trying to “be nice” without boundaries. Extensions are fine when they are written, dated, and tied to payment. Extensions are not fine when they are emotional, open-ended, and undocumented.
Finally, remote owners often wait too long because they want to avoid conflict. The trade-off is real: you might save a relationship in the short term, but you often lose 2-4 months of rent and come back to a unit that needs repairs. Decisiveness protects returns.
Timelines: what to expect in the real world
No honest operator will promise you a universal timeline because it depends on the lease, the tenant’s behavior, court scheduling, and whether the tenant contests the claim.
If you have a clean lease, clear nonpayment, and strong proof of notice, the process can move relatively quickly. If the tenant disputes the facts, claims improper notice, or you need to prove a non-monetary breach, expect more back-and-forth.
The biggest controllable variable is your file quality. When notices are inconsistent, amounts are unclear, or documents are missing, the process slows down. When the record is tight, the case is simpler to decide.
How to reduce eviction risk next time (without leaving money on the table)
Eviction prevention is not about being overly strict. It is about being systematic.
Start with screening that matches the rent level you want. Verify identity, income, and prior rental history when possible. Collect a security deposit that is meaningful enough to change behavior. Keep the lease bilingual if that helps avoid misunderstandings, but make sure one version is clearly controlling. Document the handover with photos and an inventory.
Then run the unit like a business: rent ledger updated monthly, receipts for every payment, maintenance requests logged, and written warnings when behavior crosses the line. When a breach happens, you are not “starting from zero.” You are pressing play on a prepared process.
When it makes sense to hire a local team
If you live in Georgia and you have time, you can run the process yourself. If you are a remote investor trying to protect cash flow, the real question is opportunity cost.
A local team earns its fee when it prevents the problem from drifting. That means serving notices correctly, maintaining a clean ledger, coordinating counsel when needed, showing up in person, securing the unit after possession, and re-leasing quickly with better tenant selection. It is the difference between “eventually resolved” and “asset stabilized.”
If you want hands-off execution in Tbilisi – from tenant management through difficult conversations and, when required, eviction follow-through – Property Management Georgia is built for that operating role: on-the-ground control focused on protecting the unit and restoring predictable income. You can learn how the team handles tenant issues at https://propertymanagement.ge/.
A final thought: the goal is not to win an argument with a tenant. The goal is to regain control of the asset and get back to stable occupancy – calmly, legally, and with a paper trail strong enough that the process does not depend on anyone’s mood.
