Florida's rule is a split timeline: 15 days to return the deposit when no claim is made, 30 days to provide a claim notice when money will be kept, and 15 days for the tenant to object after receiving that notice.
The main provisions are Florida Statutes sections 83.49 and 83.505.
The three deadlines
- No claim: return the deposit and any required interest within 15 days after termination after the tenant vacates.
- Claim: provide written notice of the claim and reason within 30 days after termination.
- Objection: object in writing within 15 days after receiving the claim notice.
If the tenant does not object on time, the landlord may deduct the claim and must send the balance within 30 days after the claim notice. The tenant still keeps the right to later sue for a refund.
How a claim notice is delivered
The ordinary method is certified mail to the tenant's last-known mailing address.
Email is valid only when section 83.505 applies: the parties signed the required voluntary addendum, designated valid email addresses, and the election was still active. The sender must keep the notice and transmission evidence, and an email returned as undeliverable is not delivered under the statute.
If the landlord misses 30 days
The landlord forfeits the right to impose the claim against the deposit as a setoff. The landlord may still bring a separate damages action after returning the deposit.
Holding, disclosure, and interest
Florida permits a separate non-interest account, a separate interest-bearing account, or a qualifying surety bond. The interest-bearing and bond choices carry specific interest rules.
The rental agreement or a notice generally must disclose how the money is held within 30 days after receipt. The fewer-than-five-units exception applies to that subsection's disclosure requirement—not to every deposit rule.
Address and early-vacating rules
The statutory disclosure tells tenants to give the landlord a new address for deposit notices. Send it in writing and keep proof.
Unless a written agreement provides otherwise, section 83.49(5) can require certain early-vacating and periodic tenants to give at least seven days' written notice by certified mail or personal delivery, including an address where they can be reached. Missing that notice can affect the landlord's claim-notice duty but does not waive the tenant's deposit rights.
Check coverage first
Part II of chapter 83 and section 83.49 contain exclusions and regulated-housing overlays. A fee in lieu under section 83.491 is also not a security deposit. Confirm that the ordinary private-rental path fits before relying on it.
Read the section-by-section statute guide or work through the deadline.
Want the shorter path?
The state-specific Recovery System lays out what to do and gives you the send-ready Recovery Letters. You complete everything privately on your own device and move forward.
Get the Deposit Recovery SystemImportant: This page provides general information and is not legal advice.