The State of Florida has no rent control provisions, meaning that landlords are free to charge whatever amount they would like for rent. The only control on how much they can charge is the availability of people willing to pay that price. Economists sometimes refer to this as charging “whatever the market can bear.”
Now, if you have a written lease agreement, then that document might stipulate time frames for notices to be given. It could say that the landlord must give you a certain amount of notice for any changes to the lease agreement prior to renewal, just as you must give a certain amount of notice if you do not intend to continue leasing the property.
Typically, landlords will give around 30 days’ notice if they intend to change any terms of the lease for the next period, including rent increases. However, as far a state law is concerned, the landlord is not obligated to inform you of his or her plans to raise the amount of rent charged for the next lease term. As always, we recommend having an experienced attorney review your specific documents and situation to determine your best course of action.
Ideally, the relationship between landlord and tenant is open, honest, and communicative, but this is often not the case. If you are experiencing difficulties with your rental situation, be sure to contact an attorney who will fight for your rights and ensure that your best interests are taken into account.
Stephen K. Hachey, a Florida real estate attorney can help your wade through this difficult process and determine a positive solution. Contact him at 813-549-0096. The opinions in this post are solely those of the author. The author takes full responsibility for the content. Like all blog posts, this is offered for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice.
This post was written by Stephen Hachey. Follow Stephen on Google, Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin.
