What Are My Rights as a Tenant in an Apartment in Florida?

• A rental agreement in Florida is regulated by the landlord and tenant act in the state statutes. The tenant rights given by these statutes protect your right of privacy; your right of quiet enjoyment; provides ways to get legal recourse if your landlord enters a dispute with you; and outlines your responsibilities as a renter.

Security Deposits

• One section in Florida's landlord and tenant laws specifies what a landlord can do with a security deposit and the time frame he has to return a deposit after you leave the rental. The security deposit law covers damage and pet deposits, as well as any other prepaid deposits. The landlord is prohibited from keeping the security deposit if a Florida tenant violates his lease. The money is solely for the use of any damages above and beyond normal wear and tear. The landlord has to pay you any interest accrued on the security deposit if he uses an interest-bearing bank account to store the deposit money.

  The amount of time a Florida landlord has to give you back your security deposit depends on whether he needs to use it for damages. If the rental unit does not have any damage, the landlord has 15 days after your lease ends to send you the deposit. If he needs to use some or all of the deposit money to fix problems in the home, he has 30 days to send you notification about the repairs the money is being used for. He has an additional 30 days to send you any amount leftover from the repairs.

Privacy

• When you rent an apartment from a Florida landlord, you receive a right to privacy granted by restricting the landlord's right of entry. The landlord has to inform you in advance if he needs to come into your home for repairs, maintenance or inspection. If the landlord shows up at your home without advance written notice, you can deny him entry. As he does not have legal possession of the rental unit while a lease agreement exists, he cannot force you to let him into the apartment.

Repairs

• A tenant has the right to a safe and convenient home, and it is the landlord's responsibility to ensure that the building is kept up to local housing and building codes. He is also responsible for repairs on the property. A Florida tenant may request repairs in writing for the landlord to take care of. If the landlord violates local codes, a tenant has the option to withhold rent if the repairs are not made in a timely fashion.