Can a Georgia tenant withhold rent for repairs?

Sometimes, but only with strict statutory compliance. In Georgia, a tenant who has given the landlord written notice of a habitability problem and waited a reasonable time may, in some circumstances, withhold rent until the repair is made. The withheld rent generally must be deposited into a separate escrow account or paid into court, not pocketed. Pocketed rent is treated as nonpayment and grounds for eviction. The repair-and-deduct remedy (where the tenant arranges the repair and deducts the cost from rent) is a parallel option, usually capped at one month's rent and limited to a few uses per year. Both remedies require the underlying condition to be a true habitability defect, not a cosmetic issue.

Source: Georgia habitability code; common-law tenant remedies