Florida Housing Resources & Tenant Rights

Florida sets nearly all of its rental rules at the state level under the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Chapter 83, Part II of the statutes). Two 2023 laws reshaped the landscape: HB 1417 preempted local governments from regulating the landlord-tenant relationship, voiding dozens of city and county tenant ordinances, and the Live Local Act (SB 102) banned local rent control while funding new affordable housing. There is no statewide source-of-income protection. The Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) is the state housing agency, and local authorities run the vouchers. This page covers the statewide rules, the eviction timeline (including Florida’s strict court-registry rule), and links to every Florida city we cover.

Public Housing & Vouchers in Florida

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing are run by local authorities — Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development, the Jacksonville Housing Authority, the Tampa Housing Authority, the Orlando Housing Authority, and many more. The Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) is the state agency behind income-restricted apartments and homebuyer help:

• LIHTC and SAIL fund privately owned affordable apartments — search HUD’s LIHTC database or read how to find LIHTC housing
• SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) sends state dollars to every county and large city for rent, repair, and down-payment help — ask your local housing office
• Hometown Heroes offers down-payment assistance for eligible workers

Apply to several authorities at once — you are not limited to your home county. Use HUD’s PHA directory or our how to find your PHA and how to apply for Section 8 guides. City-specific waitlist status is on the city pages below.

The Live Local Act & Rent Control

Florida has no rent control, and the 2023 Live Local Act (SB 102) made that a statewide ban — local governments cannot adopt rent control or rent stabilization. The same law put substantial money into affordable housing: it expanded SAIL and Hometown Heroes funding and created zoning preemptions that let developers build affordable apartments on commercial and industrial land. For renters, the practical takeaway is that there is no cap on how much your rent can rise at renewal — but the new construction it funds may add affordable units in your area over time.

HB 1417: Statewide Preemption (2023)

Effective July 1, 2023, HB 1417 preempted the regulation of residential tenancies to the state, rendering local ordinances that regulate the landlord-tenant relationship null and void. Two things matter for tenants:

• Month-to-month notice increased to 30 days. Either party must now give at least 30 days’ written notice (up from 15) before the end of the monthly period to end a month-to-month tenancy
• Local tenant ordinances were wiped out. Notice rules, late-fee limits, tenant bills of rights, and similar local protections in cities and counties were voided. Whether locally adopted source-of-income protections survive as civil-rights ordinances is legally contested — see below

Emergency Rental Assistance in Florida

Florida’s statewide pandemic program (OUR Florida) has ended — if you are told to apply to it, that information is out of date. Current help is local:

• SHIP funds at your county or city housing office can cover rent, deposits, or repairs — this is the most consistent state-funded source
• Dial 211 to be routed to whatever local emergency rental and prevention funds are open near you, and to your regional Coordinated Entry for shelter and rapid re-housing
• LIHEAP (administered through local Community Action Agencies) lowers utility bills so more income is free for rent — see utility assistance programs
• The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and St. Vincent de Paul provide one-time emergency assistance in most Florida cities

See our emergency rental assistance guide for the national picture.

Florida Tenant Law: Key Protections at a Glance

Source of income & local preemption

Florida has no statewide source-of-income protection, so under state law a landlord can refuse a Section 8 voucher. Several counties — including Miami-Dade, Broward, and Hillsborough — had adopted local ordinances banning source-of-income discrimination through their human-rights codes. HB 1417’s 2023 preemption has called the enforceability of local tenant ordinances into question, and the issue is contested in court. If you are in one of those counties, check with the local human-rights agency about the current status before relying on it, and read our source-of-income protections guide.

Security deposits

Florida sets no cap on deposits. Under F.S. 83.49, if the landlord makes no claim, your deposit must be returned within 15 days. If the landlord intends to keep part of it, they must send written notice of the claim within 30 days; you then have 15 days to object in writing. If the landlord fails to send the notice on time, they forfeit the right to keep the deposit. Document the unit with photos at move-in and move-out; see how to recover your security deposit.

Eviction process & the court-registry rule

Self-help eviction is illegal (F.S. 83.67) — a landlord cannot change your locks, remove your belongings, or cut your utilities, and must go through county court. Florida’s process is fast and has one trap that catches many tenants:

• 3-business-day notice to pay or vacate for nonpayment (weekends and legal holidays do not count)
• Eviction complaint filed in county court; you are served a summons
• You have 5 days to respond — and you generally must deposit the rent the landlord claims you owe into the court registry. If you do not deposit it (or move to waive it), the court can enter a default and you can lose without a hearing, even if you have a valid defense. This is the single most important thing to know about Florida eviction
• Judgment and writ of possession: if the landlord wins, the clerk issues a writ and the sheriff posts a 24-hour notice before removing you

Because of this, an uncontested Florida eviction can finish in about two to four weeks. If you receive a summons, get legal help immediately at FloridaLawHelp.org and ask about the registry deposit before the deadline. Read how to avoid eviction.

Major Florida Cities We Cover

City pages carry local PHA waitlist status, named rental-assistance programs, and shelter contacts:

• Miami affordable housing resources
• Jacksonville affordable housing resources
• Tampa affordable housing resources

Where to Get Help in Florida

Free legal aid: FloridaLawHelp.org connects renters to local legal-aid offices for eviction defense, habitability, and discrimination cases.

State housing agency: Florida Housing Finance Corporation for LIHTC, SHIP, SAIL, and homebuyer help.

Find your local PHA: HUD’s PHA directory or our how to find your PHA guide.

211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 or visit 211.org for rental help, shelters, and utility assistance.

Fair housing: file with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (1-800-342-8170) or HUD (1-800-669-9777).

Next Steps

Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool routes you to the right mix of Florida programs in about two minutes based on whether your need is an emergency or long-term.

If you have been served an eviction, do not wait: contact FloridaLawHelp.org the same day and ask specifically about depositing rent into the court registry — missing that step is how many Florida tenants lose. Read eviction prevention too.