As a landlord, you want to be sure that your properties are being leased to tenants who will take care of the space you own, but your concerns do not stop there. There are basic things anyone who is thinking about becoming a landlord should know and take into consideration when leasing to tenants.
If you have a property management company handling your real estate, you still need to be aware of these 3 important rights that are just the beginning of being a Landlord in Florida.
Landlords Must Have Fair Housing Practices
Discrimination is a very real thing that has happened throughout the history of Florida, particularly in cases of housing. The Fair Housing Act of 1968, protects tenants from discriminatory housing practices.
As a landlord, you want to be sure that your property managers are not discriminating on the basis of:
Race
Sex/Gender
Disability (Physical or Mental)
Religion
National Origin
Landlords Have The Right To A Security Deposit
In a previous blog post, we discuss in-depth the laws of Florida Security Deposits, but it is important to reiterate that as a landlord, you have the right to secure a deposit from tenants.
In Florida, there is no set amount that a landlord can charge for a security deposit, but a general practice is to charge the cost of first and last month’s rent. Security deposits are typically held in a secure account, and are used for the purposes of covering damages from a tenant to rental property during the time of the lease.
If you are not going to use or deduct money from a tenant’s security deposit, you have 15 days to return the deposit. If you are going to make deductions, you have 30 days.
Landlords Have The Right To Enter The Premises
In order to enter a tenant’s residence, landlords must provide 12 hours notice. This is usually in the case of property maintenance or repairs. For all other situations requiring entry, the law states that notification must be provided in a “reasonable” amount of time.
In certain cases, a landlord may enter a residence without any notice. For example if a tenant has abandoned a property or during emergencies. If a tenant does not allow a landlord lawful entry into a residence, the landlord can take legal action.
If you are a property owner for multiple residential locations, you may find yourself dealing with tenant disputes more often than you like. For more information on how to evict your tenants, contact our office at info@theonyxgrouplegal.com. Our experienced team knows how to settle landlord tenant disputes efficiently, allowing our clients to manage their residential properties, and get paid, without disruption.