Florida Electronic Notice Rules: What SB 716 Means for Landlords

You've been mailing 3-day notices and rent increase letters. Can you just email them?

As of July 1, 2025, yes — but only if you've got a signed addendum. Florida Statute 83.505 authorizes electronic delivery of landlord-tenant notices. It was created by HB 615 (2025) and is part of the broader Florida landlord-tenant law updates that have been rolling out. The catch: both parties have to agree in writing. No addendum, no email. Certified mail and hand delivery still work. But if you want to speed up notice delivery and cut down on certified mail costs, the electronic option is now available — if you set it up right.

The Quick Answer

Florida lets you send required landlord-tenant notices by email — but only when both you and the tenant have signed a written addendum to the lease agreeing to electronic delivery. The addendum must designate valid email addresses, state that participation is voluntary, and allow either party to revoke at any time. Once that's in place, notices like rent increases, non-renewals, cure notices, and entry notices can go by email. They're deemed delivered when sent (unless the email bounces). Eviction complaints and court process still require traditional service. Text messages don't count. Only email.

Why This Matters in Orlando and Tampa

Property managers in Central Florida handle hundreds of notices a year — 3-day pay-or-quit letters, 7-day cure notices, rent increase letters, non-renewal notices, entry notifications. Certified mail adds cost and delay. Hand delivery isn't always practical for out-of-state owners or multi-property portfolios. Email is instant and cheap. The new law gives you that option — but you have to get the addendum signed at lease signing or as a separate agreement. Retroactively deciding to email a 3-day notice without prior consent won't hold up in court. Set it up at move-in, and you're covered for the life of the tenancy (unless either party revokes).

What Notices Can Be Sent Electronically?

Florida Statute 83.505 applies to notices "required or permitted" under Chapter 83. That includes:

• 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (nonpayment)
• 7-day cure notice (curable lease violations)
• 7-day notice to quit (non-curable violations, repeat violations)
• 15-day or 30-day notice of non-renewal (month-to-month and fixed-term)
• Rent increase notices
• Entry notices (e.g., 12-hour notice for non-emergency entry under Florida Statute 83.53)
• Other notices required by the lease or statute

What still requires traditional service: The eviction complaint itself, summons, and other court process must be served by a process server or sheriff. Email doesn't substitute for that. 83.505 covers pre-litigation notices between landlord and tenant — not court filings.

What Does the Addendum Have to Include?

The statute is specific. The addendum must:

1. Conspicuously state that participation in electronic delivery is voluntary
2. Designate a valid email address for each party
3. Advise both parties they may revoke the agreement at any time by written notice
4. Advise both parties they may update their email address at any time by written notice
5. Be signed by both landlord and tenant

The Florida Legislature has provided a model form that can be incorporated into the lease. If you're drafting your own, make sure it hits these elements. A generic "we agree to receive notices by email" without the voluntary/revocation language may not satisfy the statute. Use a form that tracks the statutory requirements, or have a lawyer review yours.

How Does Delivery Work?

A notice sent electronically is deemed delivered at the time it's transmitted — unless the email is returned as undeliverable. So the 3-day clock for a pay-or-quit notice starts when you hit send, not when the tenant opens the email. If the email bounces, it's not delivered. You'd need to use hand delivery or certified mail for that notice.

Documentation: You must maintain a copy of the notice and proof of electronic transmission. That means keeping the sent email, timestamp, and any delivery receipt. If the tenant later claims they never got it, you'll need to show the court you sent it to the designated address and it didn't bounce.

Can You Use Text Messages?

No. The statute authorizes delivery by "electronic means" as defined — and the implementing language specifies email. Text messages aren't included. Stick to email for electronic delivery. For everything else, use hand delivery, mail, or posting.

What If the Tenant Doesn't Consent?

Then you use the traditional methods: hand delivery, certified mail, or posting plus mailing. You can't force electronic delivery. The addendum is voluntary. If the tenant prefers certified mail, that's their right. Many landlords offer the addendum at lease signing and let the tenant choose. Some tenants like the convenience of email; others want a paper trail. Both are valid.

What If the Tenant Revokes?

Either party can revoke at any time by giving written notice to the other. Revocation is effective upon delivery. It doesn't invalidate notices already sent electronically. So if you sent a rent increase by email last week and the tenant revokes today, that notice still counts. Going forward, you'd use certified mail or hand delivery until a new addendum is signed.

Does Email Work for the 3-Day Notice?

Yes — if the addendum is in place. The 3-day notice to pay rent or quit is one of the notices covered by 83.505. Some landlords and attorneys have been cautious about using email for eviction-related notices because courts scrutinize them closely. A defective 3-day notice can void the eviction. If you use email, make sure: (1) the addendum was properly signed, (2) you're sending to the designated email address, (3) the notice includes all required elements (amount owed, property address, etc.), and (4) you keep proof of transmission. When in doubt, certified mail is the safest option for 3-day notices. But the law does allow email with consent.

How Does This Fit With Your Lease?

Your Florida lease agreement should either include the electronic delivery addendum or reference a separate addendum. If you're adding it to an existing tenancy, both parties sign it as an amendment. The addendum doesn't replace other notice requirements — it only changes the delivery method. You still need to give 30 days for a rent increase, 3 days for a pay-or-quit, 7 days for a cure notice, and so on. The content and timing rules don't change. Only the delivery mechanism does.

Common Mistakes

Emailing without a signed addendum. The most common error. Verbal agreement or a lease clause that says "notices may be sent by email" may not satisfy 83.505. You need the specific addendum with the statutory elements.

Using text instead of email. Text messages aren't authorized. Use email only.

Not keeping proof of transmission. If the tenant claims they never got it, you need the sent email, timestamp, and confirmation it didn't bounce.

Sending to the wrong address. Use the email address designated in the addendum. If the tenant updates it in writing, use the new one.

Assuming court process can be emailed. Eviction complaints and summons require traditional service. 83.505 doesn't change that.

Forgetting to update when the tenant revokes. Once they revoke, switch back to certified mail or hand delivery. Sending the next notice by email after revocation could invalidate it.

When to Get Help

Get a lawyer or property management support if:

• You're not sure your addendum meets the statutory requirements
• You've been emailing notices without an addendum and an eviction is contested
• The tenant claims they never received a notice and you need to prove delivery
• You're drafting a new lease and want the electronic addendum properly integrated

For routine implementation, many property managers use a standardized addendum form and have tenants sign at move-in. For contested evictions where notice validity is at issue, an attorney can help you assess whether your electronic delivery will hold up.

The Bottom Line

Florida's electronic notice law (83.505) gives you an option to send landlord-tenant notices by email — with written consent from both parties. Get the addendum signed, use the designated email addresses, keep proof of transmission, and follow the same timing and content rules as before. Eviction court process still requires traditional service. Text messages don't count. Set it up at lease signing, and you can cut down on certified mail for the life of the tenancy.

For more on notice requirements, see our rent increase notice guide, tenant not paying rent guide, and landlord right of entry guide. And if you'd rather have someone else handle notices and evictions, get a free rental analysis — we manage Orlando and Tampa properties and stay current on Florida's landlord-tenant updates.

What Email and Text Need to Include

SB 716 allows electronic delivery if the tenant agrees in writing. The lease should have a clause: "Tenant consents to receive notices by email at [address]." Without that, certified mail is still required.

If you use email, keep a record. Screenshot the sent timestamp. Some landlords use property management software that logs delivery. We've seen eviction cases delayed because the landlord couldn't prove the notice was sent.