Are utilities considered part of rent in Georgia?

It depends on the lease. If the Georgia lease bundles utilities into the monthly rent (one combined number, paid to the landlord), they are part of rent for purposes of the rent cap, the deposit cap, and rent increase notice. If the lease separates them (tenant pays the utility company directly, or pays a separate utility allowance to the landlord), they are usually NOT part of rent. Georgia has no statewide advance notice specific to rent increases. OCGA 44-7-7 sets 60 days as the landlord-initiated month-to-month termination default, treated as the default for rent changes. No state rent cap. A landlord who shifts utilities from "included" to "tenant pays" mid-tenancy without proper notice is effectively raising rent and must comply with the rent increase notice rules. Some Georgia jurisdictions also require RUBS (ratio utility billing system) or sub-metering disclosures before splitting utilities. The key question: does the change increase the tenant's net monthly out-of-pocket cost? If yes, treat it as a rent increase.

Source: OCGA 44-7-7 (60-day landlord termination default)