Have you taken the time out to ‘Know the Law’? Being a Landlord in Orlando means that you need to know the Florida Statute’s Chapter 83 Part 2 as it relates to Residential Tenancies. This statute is also known as The Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
In Part 3 of this series ‘Know the Law’ we’ll continue to review important laws that pertain to being a landlord:
Did you know?
That the statutes address unlawful ‘Retaliatory Conduct’ as it relates to Landlords?
Chapter 83.64 in part states: It is unlawful for a landlord to discriminatorily increase a tenant's rent or decrease services to a tenant, or to bring or threaten to bring an action for possession or other civil action, primarily because the landlord is retaliating against the tenant.
Examples of conduct for which the landlord may not retaliate include, but are not limited to, situations where: (a) The tenant has complained to a governmental agency charged with responsibility for enforcement of a building, housing, or health code of a suspected violation applicable to the premises. There are additional examples; see full Chapter.
Did you know?
That the statutes additionally address ‘Prohibited Practices’ as it relates to Landlords?
Chapter 83.67 in part states:
Prohibited practices include (1) A landlord of any dwelling unit governed by this part shall not cause, directly or indirectly, the termination or interruption of any utility service furnished the tenant, including, but not limited to, water, heat, light, electricity, gas, elevator, garbage collection, or refrigeration, whether or not the utility service is under the control of, or payment is made by, the landlord.
And; (2) A landlord of any dwelling unit governed by this part shall not prevent the tenant from gaining reasonable access to the dwelling unit by any means, including, but not limited to, changing the locks or using any boot-lock or similar device. There are additional examples; see full Chapter.
If you’re a landlord you must know the law and how it obligates you and your tenant. Remember, we’re here for you if you decide you’d like to use the services of a Professional Property Manager to navigate through all of the red-tape of residential property management. The Verandah Properties Team.
Click Here for Part 12 in this series – My Tenants are Breaking their Lease