Lease Management

Advance Rent vs Security Deposit: The Florida Rule Most Landlords Miss

If you collect first, last and security, you're holding two kinds of regulated money — and the exemption most small Florida landlords rely on doesn't cover the part that matters.

What Can a Landlord Change Mid-Lease in Florida?

Your landlord wants to raise the pet rent halfway through your lease. Can they? What a Florida landlord can and can't change mid-term — and the one lawful time to change anything.

The Best Time to Rent Out a House in Tampa (11 Years of Data)

Everyone says list your Tampa rental in summer. We measured eleven years of Tampa rent data to see what that timing is actually worth — and it's about twenty dollars a month.

How to Require Renters Insurance in a Florida Lease

Requiring renters insurance is the cheapest risk-transfer a Florida landlord controls. Here's the exact lease clause, the one designation most owners get wrong, and how to enforce it.

Renting Without a Lease in Florida: What Landlords Risk

A handshake tenancy is legal in Florida, but it costs you the protections you'd want most. Here's what a verbal lease can and can't do, and why you can't charge late fees without one.

Landlord Quick-Start Guide: Your First Week in Florida

Just became a landlord in Florida? Here's your first week, in order — the five things to get right before your tenant moves in, and the deadlines that come with them.

Can a Florida Landlord Charge Late Fees Without a Written Lease?

A late fee in Florida is a contract term, not a right the statute hands you. With no written lease, there's no fee to charge. Here's why, and what you can collect instead.

Snowbird Rentals: Furnished Winter Leases in Florida

Furnished winter leases to snowbirds can out-earn a 12-month lease — if you get the rate, the off-season gap, and Florida's 6-month tax line right.

Florida SB 716, Explained: Why the 5-Day Eviction Notice Didn't Become Law

You saw the headlines: Florida's eviction notice moves to five days on July 1. It didn't. SB 716 died in committee. Here's what the bill actually said, why it stalled, and what your 3-day notice has to do right now.

Tenant Turnover Playbook: Minimize Vacancy Between Leases

Your tenant is moving out and you've got one rental to fill. Here's how a Florida owner turns the unit over fast — and keeps the vacant days down to a handful.

Florida 7-Day Notice: Cure vs. Unconditional Quit

Your tenant broke the lease — but not by skipping rent. That's a 7-day notice, not a 3-day. Here's how to tell the cure version from the unconditional quit, and pick the one that survives court.

How to Prep a Florida Rental for Summer Storm Season

Storm prep on a Florida rental isn't a checklist of shutters — it's a division of labor between you, your tenant, and your insurance. Here's how to settle it before June 1.

When One Roommate Leaves: Co-Tenant Conflicts in Florida

One roommate moved out and the other is short on rent? On a joint Florida lease, here's what you can and can't do — and why the lease doesn't split.

Rental Property Landscaping: Who's Responsible in Florida?

Florida law never assigns yard care at a rental — so a lease that's silent on landscaping puts 100% of the cost, plus any code-violation fine, on the landlord. Here's the clause that fixes it.