TWWHB Helps Florida Tenants Recover Security Deposits from Corporate Landlords
Did your apartment complex keep your security deposit? Did a corporate landlord send you an unexpected move-out bill for cleaning, carpet, or painting, or worse: hand your account to a collection agency? You are not alone. Under Florida law, you may also have the right to fight back and recover what you are owed.
At Taylor, Warren, Weidner, Hancock & Barnes, P.A., we represent tenants in Florida against large apartment communities, corporate landlords, and property management companies. When a large rental property operator ignores the rules and keeps your money, your problem becomes our problem. Every landlord tenant dispute we take on is reviewed by a Florida landlord tenant attorney, free of charge, before you ever pay a dime.
How long does a Florida landlord have to return a deposit?
In Florida, a landlord has 15 days to return your full security deposit if they aren't keeping any of it. If they intend to keep part of it, they must mail a written notice of the claim within 30 days. Miss the deadline, and they forfeit the right to keep your deposit.
Did your landlord kept your security deposit in Florida? If your security deposit was not returned in 30 days, or you were charged fees for damages, call TWWHB for a free consultation: (850) 438-4899.
Call (850) 438-4899What Florida Landlord Tenant Laws Say About Your Deposit
Florida's landlord tenant laws are found in Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes, titled “Landlord and Tenant.” These rules govern the relationship between landlord and tenant and apply to both residential and commercial rentals across the state. Florida is specific with regard to security deposits, and it puts real deadlines on landlords.
Florida law on security deposits (Fla. Stat. § 83.49) offers the following stipulations:
If a landlord fails to send that written notice within 30 days, they forfeit the right to keep your deposit. In a security deposit dispute that goes to court, the prevailing party is entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. This is a key reason large property owners settle valid tenant claims.
Many renters assume a move-out bill or a deduction is final. It often is not. Corporate landlords process thousands of move-outs and sometimes apply the same improper charges to unit after unit. If your rental unit was professionally managed, those security deposit disputes are exactly the kind of case we review.
Call TWWHB for a Free, No-Obligation Case Review
Answer a few quick questions below to see if you qualify. If your situation involves a Florida apartment complex, corporate landlord, or property manager, a landlord tenant attorney will review your documents at no cost to you.
How to Get Your Security Deposit Back (Florida)
If a Florida apartment complex or corporate landlord kept your deposit or hit you with move-out charges, here's how to fight back and recover what you're owed:
Know your deadlines.
Under Florida Statute § 83.49, your landlord has 15 days after you move out to return your full deposit if they aren't making any claim against it. If they intend to keep part of it, they must send you written notice by certified mail (or email) within 30 days explaining the reason. Missing either deadline can cost the landlord the right to keep a penny.
Give proper written notice that you're moving out.
Provide your landlord a forwarding address in writing before you leave. This starts the clock on their obligations and removes a common excuse for delay.
Document the rental unit at move-out.
Take timestamped photos and video of every room — floors, walls, appliances, carpet — after you've cleaned and removed your belongings. Move-in photos, if you have them, are just as valuable for disputing “damage” charges.
Read the landlord's claim carefully.
Corporate landlords process thousands of move-outs and often apply the same boilerplate charges — cleaning, carpet, painting — unit after unit. Normal wear and tear is not something they can charge you for.
Object in writing within 15 days.
If you disagree with the landlord's notice of intent to impose a claim, Florida law gives you 15 days to object in writing after you receive it. Send your objection by certified mail and keep a copy.
Send a demand letter.
A clear, written demand for the return of your deposit — citing § 83.49 and the missed deadlines — often prompts a settlement, because landlords know the prevailing party in a security deposit dispute can recover attorney's fees and costs.
Keep every document.
Save your lease, renewal agreements, the security deposit notice, the move-out statement, the final ledger, any collection letters, and all texts or emails with the property manager or resident portal.
Don't ignore a collection notice.
If disputed charges were sent to collections or reported to the credit bureaus, act quickly; you may have additional rights, and paying an improper bill can be harder to undo later.
Talk to a Florida landlord tenant attorney.
Many renters pay a move-out bill or write off a withheld deposit that they never actually owed. Because Florida's landlord tenant laws let the prevailing tenant recover attorney's fees, a valid claim can often be pursued at no upfront cost to you.
Speak with a Landlord Tenant Attorney (Florida)
Florida Landlord Tenant Disputes We Handle
We focus on renters who have been wronged by large property owners and management companies. Common Florida landlord tenant matters we review include:
We also help tenants understand their rights around residential evictions. If a corporate landlord has moved to evict a tenant, or threatened to, it is important to know that Florida's rules for residential evictions require proper written notice and a specific court process — landlords cannot simply lock you out.
Tenant Representation Against Corporate Landlords
Large apartment management companies have in-house legal teams and outside law firms on retainer. Most individual renters do not — and that imbalance is exactly what our tenant representation is built to correct. We know how large property owners in the Florida real estate market operate, from Pensacola and the Gulf Coast to apartment communities statewide, and we hold them to the standard the law in Florida requires.
Who we currently review cases for:
Note: We focus on professionally managed rental property. If your landlord was a private individual, or the rental property was outside Florida, this particular review may not be the right fit — but the eligibility form below will let you know in seconds.
No Upfront Cost — We Only Win When You Do
You should not have to pay out of pocket to recover money a landlord wrongly kept. Your case review is free, and because landlord tenant laws in Florida allow the prevailing tenant to recover attorney's fees in a landlord tenant dispute over a deposit, we can often pursue your claim at no upfront cost to you. Talk to a Florida landlord tenant attorney before you assume the charge is final or the deadline has passed.
Speak with a Landlord Tenant Attorney (Florida)Legal update
Florida Statute § 83.49 now permits landlord notice by email as well as certified mail.
Florida Landlord Tenant Rights: Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Florida landlord have to return my security deposit?
Under Fla. Stat. § 83.49, if the landlord is not making a claim on your deposit, they have 15 days after you move out to return it in full. If they intend to keep part of it, they must send you a written notice by certified mail within 30 days explaining why. Miss either deadline and the landlord may forfeit the right to keep your money.
The apartment sent me a move-out bill. Do I have to pay it?
Not necessarily. Corporate landlords and property management companies sometimes apply improper or inflated charges. Before you pay a move-out bill or let it go to collections, have a Florida landlord tenant attorney review it. Many of these security deposit disputes are winnable.
Can a landlord evict a tenant in Florida without notice?
No. Residential evictions in Florida follow a strict process under Chapter 83. To evict a tenant, a landlord must give proper written notice and go through the courts. A landlord cannot change your locks, shut off utilities, or remove your belongings on their own.
Do Florida landlord tenant laws apply to both houses and apartments?
Yes. Chapter 83, titled “Landlord and Tenant,” covers residential and commercial rentals — from single-family rental property to large apartment communities. Our focus is renters of professionally managed and corporate-owned properties.
Will it cost me anything to have my case reviewed?
No. Your case review is free. Because Florida law lets a prevailing tenant recover attorney's fees in a security deposit dispute, we can often take valid cases at no upfront cost to you.
Talk to a Florida Landlord Tenant Attorney Today
If a corporate landlord or apartment management company kept your deposit, sent you a move-out bill, or reported you to collections, you may be entitled to get your money back — plus attorney's fees. Complete the eligibility form above or contact Taylor, Warren, Weidner, Hancock & Barnes, P.A. for a free, no-obligation review.
Call (850) 438-4899