Florida security-deposit deadline calculator
Enter the move-out date; get your §83.49 deadline and what it requires.
Florida Statutes §83.49(3): 15 days to return with no claim; 30 days to give written notice by certified mail if imposing a claim. Missing the 30-day notice can forfeit the claim. Not legal advice.
The two clocks in §83.49
Florida runs two different clocks from the day the tenant vacates. If you're returning the whole deposit, you have 15 days to send it. If you intend to keep any of it — damages, unpaid rent, cleaning beyond wear — you have 30 days to send written notice by certified mail stating your intent and the reason. The notice buys you the right to claim; missing it can forfeit that right entirely, no matter how real the damages are.
After a proper notice, the tenant has 15 days to object in writing. No objection, and you may deduct and return the remainder. An objection puts you in negotiation-or-court territory — which is where your move-in/move-out inspection photos decide everything.
The operational takeaway: the deadline work happens BEFORE move-out. A dated move-in inspection, a matching move-out inspection, and a forwarding address collected with the keys turn §83.49 from a trap into a checklist.
This page is general information about Florida Statutes §83.49, not legal advice. Statutes change and facts matter — consult a Florida attorney for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
What are Florida's security deposit deadlines?
Under Fla. Stat. §83.49(3): 15 days after the tenant vacates to return the deposit if you claim nothing, or 30 days to send written notice by certified mail of your intent to impose a claim. After proper notice, the tenant has 15 days to object.
What happens if I miss the 30-day notice?
The statute says a landlord who fails to give the required notice forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit — you may have to return it all, even with real damages. The deadline has teeth; calendar it the day the tenant leaves.
Does the notice really have to be certified mail?
The statute specifies notice by certified mail to the tenant's last known mailing address. Get the tenant's forwarding address at move-out, and keep the mailing receipt with your inspection photos.
What evidence supports a deposit claim?
Move-in and move-out inspections of the same areas, dated photos, and receipts or estimates for the work claimed. A claim without a move-in baseline is an argument, not a case.
Inspections and deposits, tracked together
Move-in/move-out photo inspections, deposit ledgers, and the records a claim needs. Free for 14 days.