A recent lawsuit out of Minnesota serves as a warning to landlords everywhere: mishandling security deposits can lead to state enforcement actions, heavy penalties, and reputational damage. Florida landlords should take note: F.S. 83.49 imposes strict rules on...
Think your security-deposit process is airtight? Think again. Florida landlords lose thousands every year; not because tenants are right but because landlords miss a few strict rules under F.S. 83.49. A recent state lawsuit in Minnesota shows how deposit deductions...
Florida law allows landlords to terminate month-to-month or other at-will tenancies using a straightforward legal process outlined in Florida Statutes sec. 83.57. This provision is essential for landlords who wish to regain possession of their rental property without...
A recent CBS news article highlights the problems Texas landlords are having with removing squatters and tenants from their rental property. Consequently, Texas lawmakers are considering two bills, SB 38 and SB 1333, to address the issue of squatters and improve the...
As a landlord in Florida, managing your rental property efficiently and lawfully is essential to your success. One critical component of this success lies in the strength and compliance of your residential lease agreements. While it may seem convenient and...
Can You Charge a Tenant for Not Giving Move-Out Notice in Florida? Florida law provides residential landlords with the ability to charge a tenant liquidated damages if the tenant fails to provide proper notice of their intent to vacate at the end of the lease term....
Landlord Alert: Your Actions Can Be as Binding as Your Lease Landlords often rely on written leases to establish their legal rights and obligations with tenants. But as the Louisiana Court of Appeal reminded us in Meaghan Frances Hardcastle Trust v. Fleur de Paris,...
The High Cost of Poor Tenant Screening The importance of educating oneself in productive property management cannot be overstated, as clearly illustrated by the recent experience of Iowa Colony landlord Akosua Danquah. See news report here. Facing severe financial...
In Florida, landlords of multiple connected rental units need to know the legal requirements of an HVAC system and its relationship to the rental units. In general, the rental units can share the same HVAC system, but there are specific regulations and codes that...
When a landlord owns rental property within a homeowner association (HOA), the landlord must navigate not only Florida’s landlord-tenant laws but also the HOA’s restrictive covenants, rules, and enforcement actions. A recent case from Florida’s Fourth District Court...