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Florida security deposit: 30 days to get it back

Clock runs from the end of the tenancy. If the landlord makes no claim, the deposit (plus any interest owed) is due within 15 days. If it intends to claim any of it, written notice of the claim and reasons must go by certified mail within 30 days. If the tenant does not object within 15 days of receipt, the landlord may deduct and must send the balance within 30 days of the notice.

What the law requires

Itemized statement
The claim notice must be in writing, state the reason for the claim, and go by certified mail (the statute also refers to email under s. 83.505) to the tenant's last known mailing address. It must include the statutory statement telling the tenant to object in writing within 15 days. The statute sets no receipt or documentation threshold.
Forwarding address
A forwarding address is not required to start the clock; the landlord's notice goes to the tenant's last known mailing address.
If the landlord breaks the rules
No statutory multiple. A landlord that misses the 30-day claim-notice deadline forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit but may still sue separately for damages. In any court action over the deposit, the prevailing party gets court costs plus a reasonable attorney's fee.
Loss of the right to deduct
If the landlord does not send the claim notice within 30 days, it forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit and may not set off damages against it, though it may sue separately for damages.
Deposit cap
No statutory cap on the deposit amount. A 2025 bill to cap deposits at one month's rent (SB 1562) died in committee and did not become law.
Small claims limit
$8,000 in County Court (Small Claims)

Recent changes

The history note for s. 83.49 lists amendments by ch. 2024-199 (2024) and ch. 2025-16 (2025). It was not confirmed what either amendment changed in s. 83.49; the 15-day/30-day timing, forfeiture and attorney-fee provisions read the same in the current text. No 2026 amendment found.

If your landlord misses the deadline

  1. Write down your dates and gather proof: move-out date, the date you gave your forwarding address, the deposit amount, and anything the landlord sent. Photos and receipts help.
  2. Send a written demand by certified mail, keep the receipt, and cite Fla. Stat. § 83.49. Give a date to respond.
  3. If you still aren't paid, file in County Court (Small Claims). Deposit claims up to $8,000 can be filed there, usually without a lawyer. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

What a Florida demand letter looks like

Re: Demand for return of security deposit / Rental address: [Street address, unit, city, state ZIP]

Dear [Landlord name]:

I rented the property above from you under a lease that began on [lease start date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount] on [date paid]. I moved out and returned possession on [move-out date].

My forwarding address is [forwarding address]. Please send my deposit and any required statement to that address.

[A.] I have not received my deposit or an itemized statement of deductions. Under Fla. Stat. § 83.49, a landlord must return a tenant's security deposit, or send an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days after the tenant moves out. That deadline passed on [deadline date].

Preview of the first part of letter one. Yellow marks the parts you fill in.

Common questions

How long does a landlord in Florida have to return a security deposit?

Clock runs from the end of the tenancy. If the landlord makes no claim, the deposit (plus any interest owed) is due within 15 days. If it intends to claim any of it, written notice of the claim and reasons must go by certified mail within 30 days. If the tenant does not object within 15 days of receipt, the landlord may deduct and must send the balance within 30 days of the notice.

What happens if a Florida landlord keeps the deposit wrongfully?

No statutory multiple. A landlord that misses the 30-day claim-notice deadline forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit but may still sue separately for damages. In any court action over the deposit, the prevailing party gets court costs plus a reasonable attorney's fee. If the landlord does not send the claim notice within 30 days, it forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit and may not set off damages against it, though it may sue separately for damages.

Do I have to give my Florida landlord a forwarding address?

A forwarding address is not required to start the clock; the landlord's notice goes to the tenant's last known mailing address.

Where do I sue for my deposit in Florida?

Deposit claims up to $8,000 can be filed in County Court (Small Claims). Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

Other states

Rules reviewed October 2026. Laws change, so confirm with the statute before you rely on this page.