GA SB521

Board members and officers of condominium associations and property owners' associations must be "resident unit/lot owners" beginning January 1, 2027, defined as owners who have physically occupied their property as a principal residence for at least 6 months in the preceding year

Active duty military members in federal or state military forces are exempt from the physical occupancy requirement if their absence is due to ordered duty, deployment, or training

Board members and officers elected or appointed before January 1, 2027 may serve out their current terms regardless of residency status, but successors must meet the new requirements

Board members or officers serving multi-year terms who fail to maintain residency status (and are not active military) are subject to removal under association procedures

Associations must update their instruments and bylaws to include the resident owner requirement; the law does not impair voting rights or property rights of unit/lot owners