Florida Landlord Updates

News, analysis, and actionable insights for rental property owners in Orlando and Tampa.

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First-Time Landlord in Florida? Here's Your 30-Day Checklist

53% of today's independent landlords became landlords after 2021. If you just inherited a Florida property or can't sell your home, here's the 30-day plan that keeps you out of legal trouble and into cash flow.

Application Fraud Is Rising: How to Spot Fake Pay Stubs and Landlord References

93% of landlords reported encountering application fraud in the past year. The new wave isn't just fake pay stubs — it's fake employers with real websites, real phone numbers, and AI-generated employment histories.

Florida's New 5-Day Eviction Notice Rule: What SB 716 Means for Your Lease Templates

Starting July 1, 2026, Florida landlords must give tenants 5 business days — not 3 — to pay or vacate. SB 716 also bans late fees during the cure period and voids recurring penalty clauses.

When Things Go Wrong

Step-by-step responses for the situations that keep landlords up at night.

How to Handle Tenant Disputes Without Going to Court

Tenant disputes are expensive. Here's how Florida landlords resolve noise complaints, maintenance disagreements, and lease violations without a courtroom.

Domestic Violence and Lease Breaks: FL 83.676 for Landlords

A tenant invoked FL 83.676 to break the lease due to domestic violence. Here's what the law requires from landlords and how to handle it properly.

Tenant Withholding Rent Over Repairs: Florida Landlord Response

Your tenant is withholding rent, claiming you haven't made repairs. Florida law has a specific process — and if they didn't follow it, you can still collect.

Selling a Rental With Tenants in Florida: Cash for Keys and Other Options

Ready to sell your Florida rental but have tenants in place? Here's your options — from cash for keys to selling with the lease intact — and what the law requires.

Dangerous Tenant: What Florida Landlords Can Legally Do

Your tenant is threatening neighbors, damaging property, or creating unsafe conditions. Here's what Florida law allows you to do — and the line you can't cross.

Pest Control in Florida Rentals: Landlord vs. Tenant Responsibility

Roaches, termites, rodents — who handles pest control in a Florida rental? Here's how state law divides responsibility and what your lease should say.

Bed Bugs in My Florida Rental: Who Pays for Treatment?

Bed bugs in your Florida rental? Here's who pays for treatment, what the law requires, and how to handle the dispute between landlord and tenant responsibility.

Emotional Support Animals in Rentals: What Florida Landlords Must Know

Your tenant just presented an ESA letter. Florida law says you have to accommodate — but you also have rights. Here's what you can and can't do.

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Legal Essentials

Florida landlord-tenant law, lease requirements, and compliance guides.

First-Time Landlord in Florida? Here's Your 30-Day Checklist

Application Fraud Is Rising: How to Spot Fake Pay Stubs and Landlord References

Florida's New 5-Day Eviction Notice Rule: What SB 716 Means for Your Lease Templates

Starting July 1, 2026, Florida landlords must give tenants 5 business days — not 3 — to pay or vacate. SB 716 also bans late fees during the cure period and voids recurring penalty clauses.

Hurricane Prep for Florida Rental Properties: A Landlord's Checklist

A step-by-step hurricane prep checklist for Florida rental properties — what to do before, during, and after storm season to protect your investment.

Preventive Maintenance Calendar for Florida Rental Properties

Florida's climate beats up rental properties year-round. Here is the month-by-month maintenance calendar that prevents expensive emergency repairs.

Move-Out Inspection Checklist for Florida Landlords

The move-out inspection determines what you can deduct from the deposit. Here is the room-by-room checklist and the 30-day claim timeline you cannot miss.

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Landlord Toolkit

Download the Florida Landlord Tax Cheat Sheet

Every Schedule E deduction on one page, a repairs-vs-improvements guide with 10 examples, and a fill-in depreciation worksheet. Print it. Hand it to your CPA.

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Download the Hurricane Prep Countdown Checklist

The 30-day timeline that keeps your rental property insured and your tenants safe — with the documentation protocol adjusters want to see.

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Download Your First 30 Days as a Florida Landlord

The week-by-week checklist for new and accidental landlords in Orlando and Tampa — with the specific statutes, market numbers, and local requirements national guides leave out.

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Money & Strategy

1031 exchanges, LLCs, depreciation, insurance, and the hidden costs nobody warns you about.

Rental Property Bookkeeping: The Florida Landlord's Monthly System

The landlords who lose money usually lose it through sloppy records. Here's what to track, how long to keep it, and the Florida-specific rules that trip up even experienced property owners.

Rental Property Depreciation: The Florida Landlord's Tax Guide

Depreciation is the largest tax benefit for Florida rental owners. Here is how the 27.5-year schedule works, when cost segregation makes sense, and what recapture costs.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Rental Tax: Florida's Two Tax Worlds

STR tax obligations: 6% FL sales tax plus tourist development tax by county. LTR: no sales tax. Platform collection, filing, and penalties for non-compliance.

Florida Flood Disclosure for Landlords: SB 948 Requirements

Florida's flood disclosure rules now apply to landlords. Here's what SB 948 requires, how to check your property's flood zone, and what happens if you skip it.

Florida Rental Property Taxes: What Landlords Pay and Deduct

Florida has no state income tax—but property taxes hit landlords differently. Here is what you pay, what you deduct, and what the county-by-county numbers look like.

HELOC vs. Cash-Out Refi: Financing Your Next Florida Rental

Want to tap your equity for another rental? HELOC and cash-out refi both work — but they solve different problems. Here's how to pick the right one.

Florida Protected Series LLC: Asset Protection for Multi-Property Landlords

Signed into law in 2025 and taking effect July 1, 2026, Florida's new Protected Series LLC structure gives multi-property landlords a way to isolate liability between properties without forming a separate LLC for each one.

Hidden Costs of Owning Rental Property in Florida

The purchase price is just the beginning. Here's every hidden cost Florida landlords face — from insurance surprises to vacancy gaps to the expenses nobody warns you about.

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Market Intelligence

Cross-market analysis comparing Orlando and Tampa rental trends.

Q1 2026 Market Pulse: Orlando vs Tampa — The Supply Story Splits

Orlando's construction pipeline is shrinking while Tampa's stays elevated. Here's what Q1 2026 data means for landlords in both markets — and why the playbook just diverged.

Florida Rental Market 2025 Year in Review: Where the Numbers Landed

Post-pandemic normalization, insurance market changes, new construction impact, and rent growth moderation. A full-year look at Florida rental trends.

Q4 2025 Market Pulse: Orlando vs. Tampa Year-End Check

Year-end 2025 market comparison: holiday season impact, snowbird demand, new construction, and how Orlando and Tampa diverged in the fourth quarter.

Orlando vs Tampa: Where Should You Invest in Rental Property?

Orlando and Tampa are neck and neck on rent. But cap rates, insurance, vacancy, and job growth tell different stories. Here is the Q4 2025 scorecard.

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Explore by Market

orlando Property Management

Disney, UCF, Medical City, a growing tech corridor, and one of the strongest rental demand markets in the Southeast. Single-family homes, duplexes, and small multifamily across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties.

65 articles

tampa Property Management

MacDill AFB, USF, a booming downtown, and a landlord base that needs a team who knows Hillsborough County cold. We cover Tampa, St. Pete, and the surrounding suburbs.

51 articles