11/03/2026
Florida landlords: one missed deadline can cost you the right to keep any of a tenant’s security deposit.
Here’s how the clock works after a tenant moves out:
• Keeping nothing? Return the full deposit within 15 days.
• Keeping some for damage? You have 30 days to send the tenant a written notice by certified mail. It must state how much you’re keeping and why.
• The tenant then has 15 days to object in writing.
Miss that 30-day window and you lose the right to deduct anything from the deposit, even for real damage. You can still sue for the damage later, but only after you’ve returned the full deposit.
Put the move-out date on your calendar the day it happens, and send the notice to the tenant’s last known mailing address.
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