State Regulation

Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 621, which protects property rights, provides homeowners remedies against squatting, and increases penalties on squatters.

The Florida legislature has proposed a number of changes to Florida Landlord/Tenant law. One of them (83.455) is a landlord must provide the tenant 60 notice of termination plus a written explanation for the decision. Another (83.56) is a landlord must have “good cause” to terminate a rental agreement.

Our eviction business has seen a sizeable increase in the number of squatters moving into empty rental units. The stories are similar. The landlord discovers strangers have taken up residency in their rental home. Naturally, they are angry and worried. Will they become violent? Will they destroy the house? How do I get them out?

Your tenant has moved out. While your priority is to clean and paint and get the unit rented, there are a number of things which good business practice suggests -- and some which State law demands.

Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown blood-sucking, wingless insects. Bedbug bites usually clear up without treatment in a week or two. Bedbugs aren't known to spread disease, but they can cause an allergic reaction or a severe skin reaction in some people.

Florida statues are very specific regarding your tenant's security deposit. The rules are the same for tenants who move out under good conditions and those who don’t, including eviction.

Nearly every tenant leaves stuff behind when they vacate, most of the time it’s just a big pile of junk. Trash or treasure, the law says it’s not yours and you have an obligation to respect your former tenant’s personal property.