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Free Florida Security Deposit
Return Letter Template

Last reviewed July 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Florida Security Deposit Return Letter

When a tenancy ends, a Florida landlord has a set time to return the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Here’s what Florida’s statute says.

Florida rules at a glance

Florida rules for a Security Deposit Return Letter
Return deadline15 days. If the landlord isn’t keeping any of it, the deposit must be returned within 15 days of move-out.Fla. Stat. §83.49(3)(a)
Claim notice30 days. To keep any of it, the landlord must send written notice by certified mail within 30 days stating the reason; the tenant then has 15 days to object, and missing the 30-day deadline forfeits the claim.Fla. Stat. §83.49(3)

Security deposits in Florida

Florida places no dollar limit on how much a landlord can collect as a security deposit or advance rent. What the law does regulate is how the money is held and how it must be returned.

  • How it’s held — The deposit must sit in a separate non-interest-bearing Florida bank account, a separate interest-bearing account, or be secured by a surety bond — it can’t be mixed with the landlord’s own funds (§83.49(1)).
  • 30-day disclosure — Within 30 days of receiving the deposit, the landlord must tell the tenant in writing where it is held and whether interest is paid. Landlords who rent fewer than 5 units are exempt from this disclosure (§83.49(2)).
  • Return — no claim — If the landlord isn’t keeping any of it, the deposit must be returned within 15 days of move-out (§83.49(3)(a)).
  • Return — with a claim — To keep any of it, the landlord must send written notice by certified mail within 30 days stating the reason. The tenant then has 15 days to object. Miss the 30-day deadline and the landlord forfeits the right to claim against the deposit (§83.49(3)).
  • Fee instead of a deposit — Since July 2023, a landlord may offer a non-refundable monthly fee in place of a deposit under a separate signed agreement; the tenant can cancel and switch to a normal deposit at any time (§83.491).

Required disclosures in Florida

Florida does not mandate bedbug, mold, or general fire-sprinkler disclosures for ordinary residential leases — so LawLease doesn’t pad your Florida lease with notices the state doesn’t require.

  • Lead-based paint — Federal law requires the lead warning and any known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).
  • Radon gas — Florida requires the exact statutory radon notice on a lease document (§404.056(5)).
  • Security deposit location — Where the deposit is held and interest terms, within 30 days (§83.49(2); landlords with under 5 units are exempt).
  • Landlord / agent identity — The name and address of the landlord or an agent authorized to receive notices (§83.50).
  • Flood disclosure — For leases of one year or longer, known flood damage and claims must be disclosed on a separate document (§83.512, effective October 1, 2025).

Florida Security Deposit Return Letter FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Florida?

Florida sets no cap on the deposit amount — it’s whatever the lease specifies. What’s regulated is how the money is held (a separate account or a surety bond) and that it’s disclosed to the tenant within 30 days (§83.49).

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

Within 15 days if the landlord makes no claim against it. To keep any of it, the landlord must send written notice by certified mail within 30 days stating the reason; the tenant then has 15 days to object. Missing the 30-day deadline forfeits the landlord’s right to claim against the deposit (§83.49(3)).

More Florida landlord documents

Security Deposit Return Letter in other states

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