On July 1st, new Florida rental laws came into effect that will have an impact on both landlords and tenants for both good and bad. While landlords have the legal right to evict tenants more quickly, those same tenants will enjoy additional protections vis-à-vis security deposit refunds and leases that only benefit the landlord.
According to Boca Raton Real Estate lawyer Jerron Kelley, the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act has resulted in the most significant changes in rental laws in over two decades. They were made to give clarity to the rental laws, vis-à-vis “the rights and responsibilities of both sides in areas of the law that were open to interpretation.” It is important that individual landlords become familiar with this law and the changes that it implies, especially since the rental market in the region is still “so vibrant” even after the housing collapse.
In a nutshell, the new rental laws mean the following: a) landlords need to notify their tenants if they are planning on keeping the security deposit. Failure to do so within 30 days will necessitate a full refund. B) Should a tenant fail to correct a lease violation following a seven-day notice to do so, the landlord can start the eviction process without providing any other notices. C) Landlords are now able to accept partial rent payments and evict in the same month if they give their tenants a receipt for amount paid, and then put that money in the court registry if the evictions are filed. D) Leases that require a tenant to provide up to 60 days’ notice to vacate must also include a clause ensuring they provide the same amount of time that the lease will not be renewed.