Florida security-deposit return deadline
Under Fla. Stat. §83.49(3), you have 15–30 days from move-out. Enter the date the tenant vacated to get your exact deadlines.
Deadlines per Fla. Stat. §83.49(3). Florida statutes change; verify with the current statute. Not legal advice.
The two clocks in §83.49
Florida runs two separate deadlines off the day the tenant vacates, and which one applies depends entirely on whether you are keeping any of the deposit.
If you are returning the whole deposit, you have 15 days to send it back. If you intend to keep any part of it — for damage beyond ordinary wear — you have 30 days to send written notice by certified mail, in the form the statute specifies, to the tenant's last known mailing address.
After a proper notice, the tenant has 15 days to object in writing. Miss the 30-day notice and the statute says you forfeit the right to impose a claim at all — you may have to return the full deposit even where the damage was real.
What Fla. Stat. §83.49(3) requires
- Return deadline: 15–30 days
- 15 days — No claim on the deposit
- 30 days — Deadline to send certified-mail notice of intent to claim. Tenant then has 15 days to object; balance due within 30 days after the notice
- Deposit cap: No statewide cap
- Claim notice must go by certified mail to the tenant's last known address, in the statutory form
- No notice within 30 days forfeits the right to claim against the deposit
- Prevailing party in deposit litigation recovers costs and attorneys' fees
Statutes as of August 2026. Statutes change — verify with the current text of Fla. Stat. §83.49(3) before relying on a deadline. This is general information, not legal advice; consult a Florida attorney for your situation.
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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.