Investors Can’t Pressure Homeowners Into Selling Under New Atlanta Rule

The Atlanta City Council voted Monday to make “commercial harassment” a city-level offense.

Matt Rourke / Associated Press file

In Atlanta’s gentrifying neighborhoods, the requests from investors can be relentless. Residents receive daily fliers, phone calls and text messages promising cash for their homes.

The offers are a common strategy used by investors looking for properties at discount prices around Atlanta. But now they may be illegal.

The Atlanta City Council voted Monday to make “commercial harassment” a city-level offense. The law prohibits investors from pressuring homeowners into selling their properties. That means if homeowners turn down investors’ initial offers, they can’t reach out again for six months.