In 2017, the median gross rent in Florida was $1,128. Many tenants cannot afford their rent and find themselves going through the Florida eviction process.

Whether you are the tenant or the landlord, you need to understand the process. Understanding the process will allow you to navigate with as few errors as possible.

Continue reading to find out the most important things you need to know.

The Florida Eviction Process Explained

If you’re a landlord and you try to evict your tenant without knowing the law, you could lose in court. Losing in court doesn’t only mean that you will have to let your tenant stay, but it could cause other problems as well.

Make Sure There Are Grounds to Evict

There are laws to evicting tenants from a property. Landlords can’t just decide they want tenants out if there isn’t a real cause. 

Some of the causes you may be able to list are lease agreement violations, failing to pay rent, violations of laws, or being a nuisance.

If you are a landlord considering evicting a tenant, you need to make sure you haven’t violated any terms of a lease. When your cause reaches court, the tenant will have the ability to tell their side of things. If you’ve violated the lease agreement, you will have to deal with the law.

If you find you need help with a legal matter, consider reaching out to Legal Counsel and Eviction Attorneys for Retail Landlords.

These Are Illegal Actions

Wondering what illegal actions might be when you’re a landlord? 

Shutting off water, gas, or electric or changing locks to force tenants to move is illegal. If your landlord does any of these things or things like removing your property, then you should contact the police immediately. This can cause major mental health issues that you need to pay attention to and take care of right away.

In Florida, landlords may have to pay for up to three months of rent if they engage in illegal activities such as those listed above. The tenant must take the landlord to court in order to get the “damages” settlement, but the landlord may be ordered by the court to pay attorney fees if the tenant wins.

Proper Notification

Before a landlord can evict a tenant from their property, they must provide proper notification. Depending on the situation, the length of time landlords must give the tenant may be different. 

If you are a landlord sending a notice to a tenant, you should send written notification. The written notification you send should be sent by certified mail so you have proof that the tenant got the notification.

If you need specific advisement on the period of time you should allow after notification, you can contact an attorney that specializes in Florida law. The notification period can be from 3 to 15 days, depending on the case.

Continue Learning About Real Estate

Whether you want to learn about the Florida eviction process, be a real estate investor or landlord, or you just want to know how to avoid getting evicted, you can learn from our website. 

Read our article on reasons to invest in Florida real estate.