Tenants of Cobb Co. apartments forced to move out, owners plan to renovate, charge higher prices

ATLANTA — Renters living at the Avenida North Apartments in Cobb County say their boxes are packed, after being forced to move out.

“I don’t know where I’m going to go after March 31st,” said Elizabeth Hillis.

Renters told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln that they were notified when their leases were terminated prematurely after a new company bought the property.

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They received a 30-day eviction notice earlier this month.

Residents say management told them the new investors plan to renovate the property with plans of leasing the units at a higher price.

“They’re just getting rid of the people from here because they hoping to get more money,” said Maziar Gholizadeh.

Maziar Gholizadeh says he’s lived at this property for 14 years and says Georgia tenants simply don’t have enough rights.

“Basically, I’m losing everything,” he said.

Elizabeth Hillis is autistic and relies on disability vouchers to pay her rent.

“That’s why they don’t want to renew my lease, it’s just because I pay with a voucher. It’s not because I don’t pay my rent, it’s because they don’t like how I pay the rent,” Hillis said.

A property manager declined to answer any of our questions.

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Atlanta Legal Aid says this is a growing problem across the metro, as affordable housing and low-income options dwindle.

Georgia lawmakers have been discussing long-term options to increase affordable housing.

The House of Representatives Study Committee on Regulation, Affordability, and Access to Housing reports Georgia cities are 40% to 57% below the 2019 national supply.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has been aggressively increasing affordable housing.

In 2022 the city created nearly 1,800 housing units, with 4,000 more under construction.

“There is a serious lack of affordable housing in Metro Atlanta,” said Crystal Redd with Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.

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Tenant rights advocates say they were hoping HB 404, known as the Safe Home Act, would pass.

This week the bill was tabled by the Senate, meaning Georgia renters will have to wait for the 2024 legislative session to see if the bill will pass.

“We have a way to go, so if this could be the first step to continue to solidify to increase the protections that tenants have, then I would certainly want to see that,” said Redd.

Redd says House Bill 404 would strengthen tenant rights regarding slumlords and strengthen eviction protections.

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