11 Things Your Landlord Is Required to Pay for in Florida That Many Renters Don’t Know

If you’ve ever rented in Florida, there’s a good chance you’ve had the experience of staring at a broken AC in August while your landlord takes three business days to return your call.

But here’s something most renters in the Sunshine State don’t realize: The law is on your side for a lot more than you think.

Florida has specific rules about what landlords have to pay for and fix. Too many tenants are eating costs they shouldn’t be.

Here are eleven things your Florida landlord is on the hook for that many renters don’t know about.

Disclaimer: Florida law makes a distinction between multi-family buildings (apartments, condos for rent) and single-family homes or duplexes. Some of the items below apply to multi-family rentals by default, and a landlord renting out a single-family home can shift some responsibilities to the tenant in writing. Always read your lease.

Annual Window Screen Repair

This one surprises almost everyone.

Florida Statute 83.51 specifically requires landlords to install screens in reasonable condition at the start of a tenancy. Then, they have to repair damage to those screens once a year if needed, for the entire time you live there.

In a state where mosquitoes are basically a second state bird, this matters.

A ripped screen in June isn’t just annoying. It’s an open invitation to every bug in the neighborhood.

A lot of tenants don’t ask because they don’t know they can.

But if your screens are trashed and it’s been a year, you can request repairs in writing.

Pest Control and Extermination

If you rent in a Florida apartment complex or any multi-family building, your landlord is legally required to handle extermination of rats, mice, roaches, ants, bedbugs, and even wood-destroying organisms like termites.

That palmetto bug situation in the hallway? The ant trail in the kitchen?

Your landlord’s problem, not yours.

They have to make reasonable provisions for extermination, and if they need you to temporarily vacate for treatment, they owe you 7 days’ written notice and a rent abatement for the days you’re out (up to 4 days max).

An important catch: This rule applies to multi-family rentals by default, not single-family homes or duplexes.

If you rent a house, check your lease because the responsibility can be shifted to the tenant in writing.

Structural Repairs and Maintenance to the Building

Roofs, windows, doors, floors, steps, porches, exterior walls, and foundations. If any of it falls apart or stops doing its job, the landlord pays.

This comes straight from Florida Statute 83.51, and it applies to every rental property in the state.

No exceptions.

If your bedroom floor is soft or your front door won’t latch, that’s not your weekend DIY project. That’s a landlord issue.

The key phrase in the law is “good repair,” which means your landlord don’t just have to fix things when they collapse.

They have to maintain them in working order along the way, which is the part that many renters don’t know.

Plumbing in Reasonable Working Condition

Your landlord has to keep the plumbing in what the law calls “reasonable working condition.”

That covers the pipes, the water lines, and the fixtures that came with the unit.

If your kitchen sink backs up because of something the landlord’s plumbing caused, not your pasta-down-the-drain habit, they pay to fix it.

Leaky pipes in the wall? Theirs.

A busted water line in the front yard? Also theirs.

The caveat that many renters miss is that clogs or damage caused by tenant misuse fall on you.

So, yes, your kid flushing a Hot Wheels car is still your problem.

Locks and Keys

Your landlord is required to provide functioning locks and keys on the unit.

If the deadbolt breaks or the front door lock stops turning, they pay for the repair or replacement.

This matters more than people realize.

Florida has its share of break-in concerns, especially in snowbird-heavy areas where units sit empty for months. A landlord who drags their feet on a broken lock isn’t just being annoying.

They’re violating the statute.

New tenants should also know that requesting a lock change when you move in is totally reasonable, and in a lot of cases, the landlord covers it without a fight.

Clean and Safe Common Areas

If you live in an apartment building, condo rental, or any multi-family setup, your landlord has to keep common areas clean and safe.

All of it: Hallways, stairwells, laundry rooms, parking lots, elevators, pools, and gyms.

That sketchy stairwell light that’s been out for three weeks? Not your job to replace.

The broken gate to the pool area? Landlord.

The trash piling up in the laundry room? Their responsibility.

Single-family home renters don’t have to deal with this because they don’t have common areas.

But anyone in an apartment complex from Pensacola to Key West has this protection automatically.

Garbage Removal and Outdoor Receptacles

In multi-family rentals, landlords have to make reasonable provisions for garbage removal and provide the outside receptacles for it.

That means the dumpsters, the cans, and the pickup service.

This is another one that surprises Florida renters in apartments, especially in smaller buildings where it sometimes feels like no one’s in charge of anything.

The caveat here is that your lease can require you to pay for garbage service as a separate charge, and that’s legal.

What they can’t do is leave you with nowhere to put your trash.

Big difference.

Running Water and Hot Water

Your landlord is legally required to provide functioning facilities for running water and hot water.

That’s not a perk. That’s the law.

If your hot water heater dies on a Tuesday, the landlord owns that repair.

If the city shuts off water because the landlord didn’t pay the bill on a property where water’s included, that’s on them too.

Multi-family rentals get this automatically under 83.51.

Single-family home tenants should check their lease since some of these duties can be shifted in writing, but the functional hot water expectation still often holds up in most standard lease agreements.

Heat During Winter

Yes, Florida has a heat requirement.

Stop laughing.

Florida Statute 83.51 requires landlords in multi-family buildings to provide functioning facilities for heat during winter.

So, when that three-day January cold front rolls through and it’s 38 degrees in Jacksonville, your landlord can’t just shrug it off.

This catches a lot of snowbirds off guard because they assume Florida doesn’t need heat laws.

The state disagrees.

If your heating system doesn’t work and it’s December, that’s a fixable issue on the landlord’s dime.

Working Smoke Detectors at Move-In

At the start of any single-family home or duplex tenancy, the landlord has to install working smoke detection devices.

This is explicit in the statute.

Apartments generally have smoke detectors as part of the building’s fire code compliance, but renters of houses and duplexes often don’t know this is a move-in requirement.

If you’re touring a rental house and you don’t see smoke alarms, that’s a red flag.

Ask about it before you sign anything.

Compliance With All Building, Housing, and Health Codes

This is the big one. The catch-all.

Florida Statute 83.51 requires landlords to comply with all applicable building, housing, and health codes during the entire tenancy.

Not just at move-in. The whole time you live there.

That means if your city or county has a rule about mold remediation, lead paint, window egress, or anything else, your landlord has to meet it.

If they don’t, you have legal grounds to push for repairs or take further action.

A lot of cities in Florida have stricter housing codes than the state minimum, and those apply too.

Miami-Dade, Orange County, and Hillsborough all have their own code enforcement, and tenants can report violations directly if a landlord won’t act.

Know Your Rights, Save Your Money

Florida renting isn’t easy. The HOAs are aggressive, and high hurricane insurance costs have landlords passing costs down.

But knowing what your landlord legally owes you can save real money and a lot of stress.

If something on this list isn’t getting handled, the first move is always a written notice to your landlord.

Florida law takes those written requests seriously, and a paper trail is your best friend if things escalate.

If you ever find yourself in a real dispute, local tenant advocacy groups and the Florida Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service can help you figure out the next steps without having to pay someone hundreds of dollars just to tell you what your lease already says.