Florida Security Deposit Return Rules: The 15-Day and 30-Day Deadlines

In Florida, the deposit deadline depends on whether you keep any of it. If you take no deductions, return the whole deposit, with any interest owed, within 15 days after the lease ends and the tenant moves out. If you want to deduct, send a written notice of your claim within 30 days, by certified mail or by e-mail if the tenant agreed to e-mail notices, using the statute's wording. The tenant then has 15 days to object. If you miss the 30-day notice, you lose the right to deduct anything from the deposit. You can still sue for damages separately.

Because deductions run through a notice-and-objection process, the order of steps matters. This guide walks through them. The Florida security deposit laws page has every rule with its statute link.

The Florida timeline

Step 1: Decide whether you have a claim

Inspect the unit right after move-out against your move-in record and photos. If nothing needs deducting, simply return the deposit within 15 days. If something does, you have 30 days to send the claim notice. Don't wait until day 29; certified mail takes time to arrive, and the objection clock runs from receipt.

Step 2: Send the notice in the statutory form

Send the notice by certified mail to the tenant's last known mailing address. E-mail is allowed only if the tenant signed Florida's electronic-notice consent under § 83.505. The notice must state the amount claimed and the reason, in substantially this form (§ 83.49(3)(a)):

"This is a notice of my intention to impose a claim for damages in the amount of ___ upon your security deposit, due to ___. It is sent to you as required by s. 83.49(3), Florida Statutes. You are hereby notified that you must object in writing to this deduction from your security deposit within 15 days after the time you receive this notice or I will be authorized to deduct my claim from your security deposit. Your objection must be sent to (landlord's address)."

Fill in a specific reason for each deduction, such as "replace carpet in bedroom 2, pet urine damage, $640." A vague reason invites an objection. Our free security deposit return letter can carry the itemized amounts alongside the statutory language.

If the 30 days pass without a notice, you forfeit the right to impose any claim on the deposit and can't set off damages against it. Return the deposit, then file a separate suit for damages if they're worth pursuing (§ 83.49(3)(a)).

Step 3: Wait for an objection, then pay the balance

If the tenant doesn't object within 15 days of receiving the notice, deduct your claim and send the rest within 30 days of the date of your notice. A tenant who misses the objection window can still sue you separately (§ 83.49(3)(b)).

If the tenant does object and you can't settle it, either side can go to court. The winner gets court costs and a reasonable attorney's fee, and the court is told to hear the case quickly (§ 83.49(3)(c)). Fee-shifting cuts both ways, so claim only what you can document. See normal wear and tear examples for the usual dividing lines.

When the tenant leaves without notice

Unless the written lease says otherwise, a tenant who moves out before the lease ends, or ends a periodic tenancy, must give you at least 7 days' written notice by certified mail or personal delivery, including an address where they can be reached. A tenant who skips that notice relieves you of the § 83.49(3)(a) notice requirement. The tenant still keeps any right to the deposit (§ 83.49(5)). Even then, sending the notice to the last known address is the safer course.

Interest, renewals and sales

• Interest. If the deposit sits in an interest-bearing account or you post a surety bond, interest is owed at least once a year. You don't owe it to a tenant who wrongfully ends the tenancy early (§ 83.49(9)). Interest owed goes back with the deposit.
• Renewals. A lease renewal counts as a new rental agreement, and a deposit carried forward counts as a new deposit (§ 83.49(6)).
• Selling the property. Transfer every deposit and any interest to the buyer or new agent with an accounting for each tenant, and get a written receipt. Until you do, you remain responsible (§ 83.49(7)).
• Subsidized housing. Section 83.49 doesn't apply to units whose rent or deposit is set by a public housing authority or federal program, except subsections (3), (5) and (6) for housing authorities (§ 83.49(4)).

Florida sets no cap on the deposit amount, and local governments can't add deposit rules because the state preempts residential tenancy regulation, expressly including security deposits (Fla. Stat. § 83.425). For the return process in other states, see how to return a security deposit. The Florida landlord-tenant law page covers the rest of the state's rules, and the Florida lease agreement page explains the deposit disclosure your lease needs.

Sources

Official sources cited above (checked 2026-10-30):

• Fla. Stat. § 83.49, deposit money or advance rent; duty of landlord and tenant (2026)
• Fla. Stat. § 83.505, electronic notices (2026)
• Fla. Stat. § 83.425, preemption (2026)