Georgia law requires landlords with ten or more units to perform a post-move-out inspection within three days of the termination of the lease (or date the landlord learns that the tenant has vacated), and provide a signed list of any claimed damages to the tenant. The tenant may inspect the premises within five days after termination. There is no mandate for inspection before move-out.

The tenant may be able to hold up the earlier inspection as a basis to challenge later fees if the new issues could reasonably have been detected during the prior walkthroughs. But if the landlord didn't observe the problems earlier, they are properly charged to the tenant as damages, and the charges are reasonable, the tenant should expect to have to pay the landlord's charges.

The tenant may have a defense to the new charges if the landlord did not perform a timely inspection of the unit, or did not provide a timely list of claimed damages.