Learn Florida landlord-tenant laws, rights, and responsibilities covering everything from rent and repairs to eviction and security deposits.
Florida may be known as the Sunshine State, but navigating its intricate web of rental laws and regulations can feel far from sunshine. These laws can directly impact landlord and tenant rights, responsibilities, and interactions, and while comprehensive, they can appear intimidating and truly overwhelming.
To simplify your journey into Florida's rental laws, we have prepared this comprehensive guide, empowering landlords to safeguard their investments and cultivate positive relationships with their tenants. At the same time, it provides tenants with the knowledge required to assert their rights and maintain a healthy living environment.
This all-encompassing guide covers a wide range of crucial topics, including tenant screening, security deposits, lease agreements, and eviction procedures. With this valuable resource by your side, you will confidently navigate Florida's legal landscape under the Florida Landlord Tenant Act, Part II, Chapter 83. Let's dive in!
Florida is widely recognized as a landlord-friendly state. The reasons for this designation include minimal regulations on rent control, late fees, and security deposit amounts, granting landlords the freedom to set rental rates and terms within legal bounds.
Additionally, Florida's eviction process is considered efficient, allowing landlords to act swiftly with a seven-day notice for nonpayment of rent. Lower property tax rates further benefit landlords by reducing operating costs.
Florida real estate investors and rental owners are entitled to certain rights that enable them to run profitable and efficient rental businesses. Some of those main rights include:
Laws in Florida also hold landlords responsible for certain obligations that ensure a smooth tenancy and habitable living environment for their renters. The types of obligations depend on the type of dwelling unit.
Here are the conditions that a landlord should ensure are met throughout the duration of an apartment lease:
For single-family home or duplex leases, the landlord should meet the following requirements:
Tenants in Florida have fundamental rights that ensure their safety and respect while residing in a rental unit. Their main rights include:
In contrast, Florida tenants also have duties to fulfill in order to maintain a well-functioning landlord-tenant relationship. These obligations include:
If a tenant fails to fulfill these duties, the landlord may be able to take legal action, such as evicting the tenant.
Florida law has limited clauses covering the rental application and tenant screening process. However, it does cover the following:
Florida landlord-tenant law permits rental agreements to be written or oral no matter the length of the tenancy. However, it’s always advisable to have a written rental agreement in place, as it documents the rights and obligations of both the landlord and tenant.
Florida law does not require any specific clauses to be included in a rental agreement, but all rental property owners should include these clauses in lease agreements to avoid issues down the road.
Both landlords and renters in Florida have the right to terminate the lease agreement early for various reasons. The landlord may terminate the lease early if the tenant fails to pay rent on time, violates the rules and regulations of the lease agreement, or intentionally damages the rental unit. On the other hand, tenants may terminate the lease early if they are on active military duty.
There is no limit on how much a Florida rental owner can charge for a security deposit.
According to Florida residential landlord-tenant laws (Chapter 83, section 49), landlords must not use the security deposit funds in any way until those funds are due to them at the end of the tenancy.
Within 30 days of the renter moving into the unit, the landlord must send a written notice to the tenant covering:
At the end of a tenancy, the full security deposit must be returned within 15 days. If the landlord fails to return the security deposit within those 15 days, the tenant may seek legal help.
If the landlord plans to keep all or a portion of the deposit, they have 30 days to send written notice to the tenant’s forward address, the reasons they are keeping the deposited money. If the landlord does not provide the notice within the 30-day timeframe, they must return the full amount.
The reasons a landlord has to withhold a portion of the security deposit include damages beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid rent and utilities, and cleaning fees.
Landlords in Florida are free to charge whatever rent they want for their properties, as the state does not have rent control laws. Additionally, Florida statutes do not cover rent payment conditions, meaning they can set their own terms for collecting rent.
The only thing that Florida rental laws address regarding rental payments is that the tenant must pay rent on time, and if the landlord fails to make repairs in a timely manner, renters have the right to withhold payments until the issue is corrected. In this case, tenants must inform the landlord via written notice seven days prior to withholding rent.
No matter the type of dwelling unit, landlords in Florida must comply with the requirements of applicable building and housing and health codes. When housing codes are absent, the landlord is required to keep the following in good repair or condition: plumbing, windows, screens, roof, floors, exterior walls steps, porches, foundations, and all other structural components.
In Florida, landlords have seven days to begin work on any major repairs that may affect the property’s warranty of habitability.
If a property is not safe for the renter, the landlord is obligated to provide the necessary assistance; otherwise, the tenant may seek legal advice, terminate the lease, or withhold rent with proper notice.
It's important to note that not all repairs can be completed within seven days, and landlords should show reasonable effort to execute the repairs within a reasonable time frame.
Florida landlords have the right to enter their rental for maintenance, inspections, property showings, and decorations and improvements. Landlords must give “reasonable” notice before entering the property and enter at a “reasonable” time. As of 2022, Florida code §83.53(2) defines reasonable as at least 24 hours notice. Only in the case of an emergency can a landlord enter without providing notice.
Landlords may also enter the property under the following conditions:
Florida statutes allow landlords to move forward with the eviction process for several reasons.
Some of the main reasons include:
If a tenant fails to pay rent, a landlord must provide a written seven-day notice to pay. If the tenant does not comply within seven days, the landlord can start the eviction process.
In the case the tenant should not be given a chance to fix the issue (for example, destruction, damage, or intentional misuse of the rental), the tenant will have seven days to vacate the premises altogether.
It is important to note that landlords in Delaware must follow specific procedures and comply with state law when evicting a tenant. This means that self-help evictions, which is the act of forcibly removing tenants or their belongings, turning off utilities, or changing the locks, are strictly prohibited.
In addition to regulations covering general issues such as repairs and security deposits, Florida rental law also covers specific regulations for topics such as renter discrimination laws and landlord retaliation. Explore some of these topics below.
Florida rental property owners must adhere to the Federal Fair Housing Act and laws and cannot discriminate against tenants based on protected characteristics such as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status.
Florida's Fair Housing Act also includes additional provisions relating to discrimination against persons with disabilities. These provisions require landlords to make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, such as allowing service animals or making modifications to the rental unit to accommodate the tenant's disability.
It’s also important to note Florida law prohibits landlords from engaging in discriminatory practices, such as refusing to rent or sell housing, falsely denying that housing is available for inspection, rental, or sale, or imposing different conditions or terms on a loan based on a protected class.
Like in most states, it’s illegal for landlords in Florida to retaliate against tenants for taking protected rights like reporting a landlord for health and safety violations.
Retaliatory actions include raising rent, reducing services, or threatening to evict the tenant or repossess the rental property. Any such acts can have legal repercussions and penalties against the landlord.
Rent laws in Florida require landlords to make the following mandatory disclosures to renters in writing:
Understanding the intricacies of landlord-tenant laws in the Sunshine State is crucial for cultivating a harmonious relationship. These comprehensive laws are designed to protect the rights and responsibilities of both the landlord and tenant.
By becoming familiar with and complying with these regulations, landlords in Florida can protect their investments, build positive relationships with tenants, and run a successful rental business. At the same time, this knowledge empowers Florida tenants to confidently assert their rights and ensure a safe and respectful home.
Whether you are a landlord or a tenant in Florida, a solid grasp of the state's landlord-tenant laws forms the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship. This understanding promotes transparent communication, fair practices, and harmonious coexistence.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. This content may not constitute the most up-to-date legal information. No reader, user, or browser of this article should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information herein without first seeking the advice of a legal professional.
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