Renting out an apartment in Georgia as a non-resident

Letting a Georgian apartment from abroad, on one screen

A foreign owner can let an apartment in Georgia on exactly the same legal terms as a Georgian owner. The Civil Code governs the tenancy, the Tax Code governs the rent, the apartment owners association governs the building, and for short stays the platform and the season govern the income. None of it requires residence in Georgia or a Georgian passport. What it does require is a written contract that uses the law to your advantage, a tenant you have checked, a way to receive the rent and pay the bills, someone on the ground when a pipe bursts, and a tax routine that runs without reminders. This guide takes each of those in order, with the article of the Civil Code or the Tax Code behind every rule, so that you can let the apartment yourself, hand it to a manager with clear instructions, or check that a manager is doing what you pay for.

The investment side of letting, meaning which city, which model and what return, is covered in the guide to investing in Georgian real estate. The full tax picture is in the guide to money and taxes. This page is about running the letting itself.

How to let your apartment from abroad, step by step

The order matters. Most problems in a first letting come from doing a later step before an earlier one: signing a tenant before the building's rules were read, or handing over keys before the inventory was signed.

1. Choose the model

   Decide between a long let to residents and short stays for visitors, or a seasonal mix. The model decides the furniture, the contract, the workload and the tax treatment.

2. Check the building

   Ask the apartment owners association or the management company for the house rules, the monthly contribution and any restriction on short stays, pets or works.

3. Prepare the apartment

   Put utility accounts in order, fix defects, furnish to the standard your tenant expects, and photograph every room and appliance before anyone moves in.

4. Set the rent and the currency

   Compare achieved rents for similar flats in the same area, decide whether the rent is in dollars or lari, and decide whether it is payable in advance.

5. Find and check the tenant

   Confirm identity, income or employer, and the previous landlord's experience. For short stays, rely on the platform's verification and reviews.

6. Sign the contract and take the deposit

   Use a written contract in a language both sides understand, with a deposit within the legal limit and an inventory attached.

7. Hand over

   Hand over keys against the signed inventory, meter readings and photographs, so the end-of-tenancy check has a clear starting point.

8. Run the tax routine

   Know whether a company tenant will withhold tax or you will declare it yourself, and diarise the deadline.

9. Manage and renew

   Collect rent, pay the bills, handle repairs, and decide in good time whether to renew, raise the rent or end the tenancy in writing.

Long let or short stays: the operational difference

The financial comparison of the two models is in the investment guide. Operationally, they are almost different businesses.

A seasonal mix, short stays in summer and a longer let or own use in winter, is common in Batumi and the resorts. It works if the long-let contract is written for a fixed term that ends before the season, because a tenant who stays on after the end of the term without objection from the landlord is treated as having an indefinite tenancy (Civil Code, Article 559(2)).

Before the first tenant: the building, the association and the accounts

An apartment is part of a building, and the building has rules of its own. The Civil Code makes apartment owners associations the successors of the old housing cooperatives (Article 1512), and in practice the association, or in new buildings a management company appointed by the developer, decides on contributions, repairs, access and house rules. Read them before letting. A rule against short stays, pets or loud works can decide the model for you, and a contribution that the tenant does not pay is a cost in your budget.

Three practical tasks come next. First, put the utility accounts for electricity, gas, water and internet in order, so that you know who pays each one and how the tenant will see the readings. Second, check the condition of the apartment: the landlord must hand over and keep the apartment fit for the use agreed in the contract for the whole tenancy (Article 532), so a defect fixed before the tenant arrives costs less than one fixed under pressure later. Third, decide whether to furnish fully. Beyond comfort, furnishing has a legal effect: a landlord may end the tenancy of a furnished apartment at any time by observing the notice period, without having to show a valid reason (Article 562(3)), which gives the owner more flexibility than an unfurnished let.

Insurance is not compulsory for the owner of an apartment, but a policy covering the building elements, your furniture and your liability to neighbours is worth comparing, especially for short stays where guests change every few days. Ask the insurer in writing whether letting, and short stays in particular, are covered.

Setting the rent, the currency and the payment date

The best guide to rent is what similar apartments in the same building or street actually achieve, not what they advertise. As a city-wide yardstick, Galt & Taggart puts Tbilisi rents at roughly $9 to $10 per square metre a month since 2024, and at $9.8 in December 2025 for flats of 50 to 60 square metres; in Batumi, the average daily rate for short stays was $35.6 in 2025. Those are city averages; the view, the floor, the building and the furniture move the number for your apartment.

Three contract decisions sit alongside the amount.

• Currency. Rents are agreed in dollars or in lari depending on the segment. A dollar rent protects an owner whose costs are in dollars; a lari rent may suit a local tenant better. Whatever you choose, write it down, and if the rent is quoted in dollars but paid in lari, state which exchange rate and date apply.
• Payment date. Under the Civil Code rent is paid at the end of each period unless the parties agree otherwise (Article 553(1)). Most landlords want rent in advance; the contract has to say so.
• Extra costs. Additional payments, such as utilities or the building contribution, can be required from the tenant only if the contract says so (Article 553(2)). List them.

Rent reviews also need a rule. A tenant's refusal to pay an increased rent that corresponds to market rates is one of the valid reasons for which a landlord may end a home tenancy (Article 562(2)(c)), but a contract that sets out when and how the rent is reviewed avoids that confrontation altogether.

Finding and checking a tenant

Long-term tenants in Tbilisi and short-stay guests in Batumi are found in different places, and the checking is different too. For a long let, the questions are simple: who is this person, can they pay, and how did they treat their last home? A copy of a passport or ID card, the name of the employer or the source of income, and a reference from a previous landlord answer most of it. For a company tenant renting a flat for an employee, ask for the company's details and who signs.

Copies of a tenant's documents are personal data. Georgia's Law on Personal Data Protection, in force since 1 March 2024, requires that personal data be processed for a clear purpose and kept no longer than needed. Ask only for what you need to decide and to sign, keep it securely, and delete what you no longer need after the tenancy ends.

For short stays, most of the checking is done by the booking platform: verified identity, payment and the guest's reviews. Your part is clear house rules, a deposit or damage policy in the listing, and a check-in process that confirms who is staying. The number of guests and any ban on parties belong in the listing, not only in a message after booking.

The tenancy contract: what the law fills in if you do not

A Georgian tenancy contract need not be long, but every gap in it is filled by the Civil Code, and the Code's default is not always what a foreign owner expects. The table lists the main rules and what to write in your contract.

Write the contract in a language both parties understand; a bilingual Georgian and English contract is common. If you will not be in Georgia to sign, a representative can sign for you under a power of attorney that names the apartment and limits the authority to letting. A model contract in five languages is planned as a separate guide in the list below.

The deposit: three months at most, with interest

Article 552 of the Civil Code is one of the most tenant-protective rules in Georgian tenancy law, and many foreign owners do not know it exists. Where a tenancy agreement requires the tenant to provide security, the security may not exceed three months' rent. If it is paid in money in advance, the tenant may pay it in equal monthly instalments over three months. Interest at the rate set by law accrues on a deposit paid in advance, and at the end of the tenancy the deposit is returned together with that interest. Any agreement to the contrary that disadvantages the tenant is void.

In practice most landlords ask for one or two months' rent as a deposit, which is within the limit. The rule matters in three situations: when a landlord asks for more than three months to "be safe", when a tenant asks to pay the deposit in instalments, and when the deposit is returned at the end. A contract that says what may be deducted, such as unpaid rent, unpaid bills or damage beyond normal wear, and by when the balance is returned, turns the end of a tenancy into a calculation instead of an argument.

Handover, inventory and the condition at the end

The handover is the moment that decides most end-of-tenancy disputes. Under Article 564, a tenant returns the apartment in the condition in which it was received, allowing for normal wear and tear, or in the condition the contract specifies, and Article 547 says the tenant is not liable for changes caused by normal use. Without a record of the condition at the start, "normal wear" becomes a matter of opinion.

A good handover takes an hour and saves weeks. Walk through the apartment with the tenant, photograph or film every room, list the furniture and appliances with their condition, record the meter readings, test the keys and the alarm, and have both sides sign the list. Attach it to the contract. Repeat the same walk-through at the end, with the same list, and compare. Damage beyond normal use is deducted from the deposit with receipts; ordinary wear, such as faded paint or a worn rug after years of use, is the owner's cost.

During the tenancy: repairs, access and defects

The Civil Code divides the work between owner and tenant in a way that is easy to remember: the landlord keeps the apartment fit for use, and the tenant looks after it day to day.

• The landlord maintains. The apartment must stay fit for the agreed use throughout the tenancy (Article 532), and a defect that reduces its usefulness can give the tenant a right to a rent reduction (Article 536).
• The tenant reports. A tenant who finds a defect, or a danger to the apartment, must tell the landlord immediately (Article 543). Ask for photographs with every report.
• The tenant does current repairs. As a rule the tenant carries out current repairs at their own expense and may not alter or reconstruct the apartment without consent (Article 548).
• Works must be tolerated, with notice. The tenant tolerates works needed to maintain the apartment or the building, and the landlord gives notice where possible and avoids unnecessary disturbance (Article 540).
• Serious danger ends the tenancy. If the apartment seriously endangers the health of those living there, the tenant may terminate without notice (Article 542).

From abroad, the practical answer is a named person in Georgia with a key and authority to call a plumber or electrician up to an agreed amount, and a short list of trusted tradespeople. Whether that person is a friend, a neighbour or a management company, the contract with the tenant should name them as the contact for repairs.

Ending a tenancy, on either side

Most tenancies end quietly at the end of their term. When they do not, the Civil Code sets out who may end them and how.

• At the end of the term. A fixed-term tenancy ends when the term expires (Article 559(1)). If the tenant stays on and the landlord does not object, it becomes indefinite (Article 559(2)), so diarise the end date and confirm the handover in writing.
• Early, by the tenant. A tenant of a home may end a fixed-term tenancy early by giving one month's notice and offering a solvent replacement tenant acceptable to the landlord for the rest of the term (Article 555).
• Early, by the landlord. The landlord may end the tenancy early if the tenant significantly damages the apartment despite a warning (Article 557), or if the tenant has not paid rent for three months (Article 558).
• For valid reasons. Otherwise a landlord may end a home tenancy only for valid reasons: a substantial breach by the tenant, the landlord's own need or that of close relatives, the tenant's refusal of a market-rate increase, or illegal or immoral acts against the landlord (Article 562(2)). A furnished apartment is the exception: it may always be ended by observing the notice period (Article 562(3)).
• Notice and form. The notice period is three months unless the contract or the circumstances say otherwise (Article 561), and termination must be in writing (Article 563).

Selling a let apartment does not end the tenancy. The buyer takes the landlord's place (Article 209), so a sale with a tenant in place is a sale of an apartment with its lease. Tell prospective buyers, and give them the contract.

When things go wrong

Rent arrives late or not at all. Start with a written reminder, then a formal written demand. After three months without rent, the landlord may terminate early under Article 558. Keep every message and bank statement. Claims for periodic payments such as rent are subject to a three-year limitation period (Civil Code, Article 129(2)), so unpaid rent should not be left for years.

The tenant will not leave. Do not try to remove a tenant yourself, by changing the locks or taking out belongings. Ending a tenancy against the tenant's will goes through the court and enforcement, which is why a written contract, written notices and a clear record of payments are worth more than any clause about penalties. A separate guide on disputes with tenants is in the list below.

Damage. Document it with photographs, compare it with the handover inventory, obtain a repair quote, and deduct the cost from the deposit with an explanation. Damage beyond the deposit can be claimed from the tenant. Where the tenant significantly damages the apartment after a warning, early termination is available under Article 557.

A short-stay guest causes trouble. Use the platform's resolution process quickly, with photographs, and inform the building's management if neighbours were affected. Most platforms set time limits for damage claims.

Short stays: the extra questions

Letting by the night raises questions a long let does not. Georgia's Law on Tourism, adopted on 14 May 2025 and amended on 28 May 2026, defines accommodation as a travel service facility intended for a tourist's overnight stay, and provides that the National Agency of Public Registry shares data on entities engaged in tourism activities that are registered in its Register of Economic Activities with the Georgian National Tourism Administration (Article 11(4)). In the English text we have read, the law does not set up a separate licence for private apartment hosts; whether and how a private owner who lets by the night must register is a question we have put to our partner lawyer.

Tax is the second question. An individual letting residential space they own for short stays can apply for an optional fixed income tax of GEL 10 per square metre of the let area a month, a regime that Law No 1061 extended until 1 January 2028. Outside that regime, the treatment of short-stay income needs confirmation for each owner, so budget for tax on it rather than assuming none.

The third set of questions is practical: the building's rules, the neighbours' tolerance, the safety of the apartment for changing guests (smoke detector, first aid kit, clear emergency instructions), and a reliable cleaner and key handover. The platforms themselves are compared in a separate guide below.

Tax on rent, in brief

The guide to money and taxes covers the tax rules in full. For a landlord, three of them do most of the work.

• 5% on a home let for living in. Rent a natural person receives for residential space let for residential purposes is taxed at 5% if no deductions are made (Tax Code, Article 81(2)).
• Withholding by company tenants. When an enterprise, organisation or entrepreneur pays rent to a non-resident individual, it withholds the tax at source (Article 134(1)(d1)).
• Declaring rent from private tenants. Where no tax was withheld at source, the owner declares the rent; according to PwC, individuals file before 1 April for the preceding year.

An example: a 55 square metre flat let at $9.8 per square metre earns $539 a month, or $6,468 a year. Converted at the National Bank of Georgia's 5 August 2026 rate of 2.624 lari per dollar, this comes to GEL 16,972, on which 5% is roughly GEL 849. Keep the contract, the bank statements and any withholding statements together; they are your tax file.

Managing from abroad: yourself, a friend or a manager

There are three ways to run a Georgian letting from abroad, and each works for some owners.

Yourself, with local help. You find the tenant, sign remotely or through a representative, receive rent into an account you control, and keep one trusted person in Georgia for keys and emergencies. It is the cheapest option and the most time-consuming, and it works best for a long let to a reliable tenant.

A friend or relative. Common, and fine while it lasts. Put the arrangement in writing anyway: what they may decide, what they may spend, where the rent goes and how they report. Friendships end over unclear money more often than over anything else.

A professional manager. A manager finds and checks tenants or guests, signs under a power of attorney, holds the deposit under agreed rules, pays the bills from the rent and sends a monthly statement with receipts. The fee is a percentage of rent or a fixed amount; ask for it in writing, along with what is included and what is extra. Check that the rent is paid into an account you can see, not only reported to you. Our rental management service describes how we do this and what we report.

Whichever you choose, the power of attorney should be narrow: name the apartment, list the acts allowed (letting, collecting rent, paying bills, ordering repairs up to a limit), state whether the representative may receive money, and set an end date.

Three lettings, and the rule that decides each

The Tbilisi long let with a nervous owner. An owner abroad lets a two-room flat in Tbilisi to a young professional for a year and, to feel safe, asks for four months' rent as a deposit. Article 552 caps the deposit at three months, lets the tenant pay it in three monthly instalments, and makes any term to the tenant's detriment void, so the extra month cannot be enforced. Six months in, the tenant is offered a job in another city and wants to leave. Under Article 555 the tenant may end the tenancy early with one month's notice by offering a solvent replacement tenant acceptable to the owner for the rest of the term. A sensible owner meets the replacement, checks them as carefully as the first tenant, and signs a new contract rather than an informal handover between tenants.

The Batumi seasonal mix. An owner wants short stays from June to September and a quiet long let for the rest of the year. The long-let contract is written for a fixed term from October to the end of May, with the handover date and the check-out procedure stated. If the winter tenant stays into June and the owner says nothing, Article 559(2) treats the tenancy as extended for an indefinite term, and the summer season is at risk. The owner therefore confirms the handover in writing a month before the end date, and books the first summer guests only after the keys are back.

Furnished or unfurnished. Two owners in the same building let identical flats, one furnished and one empty. Both later want to end the tenancy to sell with vacant possession. The owner of the unfurnished flat must rely on one of the valid reasons in Article 562(2), and the wish to sell is not one of them; the realistic path is to agree an end date with the tenant or to sell with the tenant in place, since the buyer steps into the landlord's role under Article 209. The owner of the furnished flat may end the tenancy by observing the notice period under Article 562(3). Furnishing does not just raise the rent; it changes the owner's options.

Twelve clauses for a Georgian lease

1. The parties, with ID or company numbers, and addresses for notices.
2. The apartment, by address and cadastral code, and the inventory as an annex.
3. The term, with start and end dates, and what happens at the end.
4. The rent, its currency, the exchange rate rule if any, the payment date and the account.
5. The deposit, within three months' rent, and the return procedure.
6. Utilities, internet and the building contribution, and who pays each.
7. Repairs: what the tenant does, what the landlord does, and the authorisation limit.
8. Use: residential only, number of occupants, pets, smoking.
9. No subletting or short-stay letting by the tenant without written consent.
10. Access for inspections and works, with notice.
11. Notice periods for both sides and the written form of termination.
12. The handover and check-out procedure, and the governing language of the contract.

Renting out and managing: the detailed guides

Risks and exceptions

• No written contract. Every gap is filled by the Civil Code's defaults, which favour the tenant on deposit and termination.
• An oversized deposit. A deposit above three months' rent breaks Article 552; terms to the tenant's detriment are void.
• No inventory. Without a signed record of the condition at handover, normal wear and damage cannot be told apart.
• Letting against the house rules. Short stays in a building that restricts them invite conflict with the association and neighbours.
• Silent renewals. A tenant staying on after the term without objection turns a fixed term into an indefinite tenancy.
• Rent paid to someone else's account. Rent should reach an account you can see, not only a report.
• Assuming short-stay income is untaxed. Either the fixed tax per square metre or income tax applies; budget for one of them.
• "Guaranteed" rental income. Treat any promised occupancy or rent as a sales line, not a contract term you can enforce.

Frequently asked questions

Can I let my apartment in Georgia if I do not live there?

Yes. A foreign owner lets on the same terms as a Georgian owner. You can sign remotely or through a representative with a power of attorney, and receive the rent into an account abroad or in Georgia.

How large a deposit can I ask for?

At most three months' rent under Article 552 of the Civil Code. The tenant may pay it in three monthly instalments, interest accrues, and terms to the tenant's detriment are void.

Can I end a tenancy when I want to?

For a home, only for valid reasons listed in Article 562, after three months of unpaid rent, or for significant damage after a warning. A furnished apartment may always be ended by observing the notice period, which is three months unless agreed otherwise.

What happens to the tenant if I sell?

The tenancy continues. The buyer takes the landlord's place under Article 209 of the Civil Code.

How is rent taxed?

A home let as a residence pays 5% on the rent, with no deductions allowed (Tax Code, Article 81(2)). When the tenant is a company, it withholds the tax from what it pays a non-resident; if not, you declare the rent before 1 April for the previous year.

Do I need a licence for short stays?

The Law on Tourism does not set up a separate licence for private apartment hosts in the text we have read. Registration requirements, and how short stays are taxed outside the optional fixed regime, are being confirmed by our lawyer and accountant.

Can the tenant sublet or list the flat on a booking site?

Not without your consent (Article 549). For a home, a tenant with a valid reason can ask to sublet, and you may refuse if the sub-tenant is undesirable, the flat would be overcrowded or the sublet is unacceptable to you for other reasons (Article 550). Write a clear prohibition on short-stay letting by the tenant into the contract.

Who pays for repairs?

The landlord keeps the apartment fit for use; the tenant usually does current repairs and must report defects immediately. Set a limit in the contract above which the tenant must ask before spending.

Sources

1. Civil Code of Georgia (Articles 129, 170, 209, 531-564, 1512), consolidated 25 June 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
2. Tax Code of Georgia (Articles 81, 134), consolidated text with amendments to 1 April 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
3. Law of Georgia on Tourism, adopted 14 May 2025, as amended 28 May 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
4. Law of Georgia on Personal Data Protection, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
5. Georgia: individual, income determination, PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, last reviewed 2 September 2026 (accessed 12 October 2026)
6. Georgia: individual, tax administration, PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, last reviewed 2 September 2026 (accessed 12 October 2026)
7. Galt&Taggart predicts single-digit growth in apartment prices in Tbilisi in 2026, GBC, 22 January 2026 (accessed 12 October 2026)
8. Sector snapshot: Batumi residential real estate, Investor.ge, 20 April 2026, citing Galt & Taggart (accessed 12 October 2026)
9. Geostat reports foreign visitors spent 15 billion GEL in Georgia in 2025, First Channel, 30 January 2026 (accessed 12 October 2026)
10. Lari strengthens in July too, GBC, 4 August 2026, citing official rates of the National Bank of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)

Change log

• 12 October 2026 - Complete guide published from the Civil Code tenancy articles, the Tax Code, the Law on Tourism and Galt & Taggart data; legal and tax points under review by the partner lawyer and accountant.