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

15 days. That deadline applies only when the landlord makes no claim on the deposit; the full amount, plus interest if applicable, goes back within 15 days of termination of the rental agreement. A landlord who intends to impose a claim must instead send written notice of intent to claim, with the reason, within 30 days of termination.

What happens if a landlord does not return the deposit on time in Florida?

A landlord who fails to give the required written claim notice within 30 days forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit and may not set off against it, but may sue for damages after returning the deposit (F.S. 83.49(3)(a)).

Do landlords have to pay interest on security deposits in Florida?

No — Florida does not require interest on the security deposit to be paid to the tenant. Interest is required only if the landlord chooses an interest-bearing holding option.

What are the security deposit rules in Florida?

Verified July 8, 2026 All Florida topics →

Florida sets no cap on residential security deposits, and a landlord must either return the deposit within 15 days of move-out or send a certified-mail (or statutory e-mail) notice of intent to claim within 30 days — miss that window and the right to keep any of the deposit is forfeited.

Cited to F.S. 83.49 (1)-(3), (5), (9) and 2 more Florida statutes · Verified July 8, 2026

Deposits must be held un-commingled in a separate Florida account (non-interest or interest-bearing) or secured by a surety bond, and tenants owed interest must be paid at least annually. The tenant has 15 days to object to a claim notice before the landlord may deduct. Tenants leaving early or on periodic tenancies owe the landlord 7 days' written notice with a reachable address; skipping it relieves the landlord of the claim-notice duty but not of the deposit itself. Recent amendments (2024-2025) added e-mail notice under F.S. 83.505 and a fee-in-lieu-of-deposit option under F.S. 83.491.

Florida security deposits at a glance

Maximum deposit	No statutory cap
Return deadline	15 days
Deadline conditions	That deadline applies only when the landlord makes no claim on the deposit; the full amount, plus interest if applicable, goes back within 15 days of termination of the rental agreement. A landlord who intends to impose a claim must instead send written notice of intent to claim, with the reason, within 30 days of termination. The claim notice goes by certified mail to the tenant's last known mailing address, or by e-mail if the parties have adopted the F.S. 83.505 electronic-notice addendum. The tenant then has 15 days after receipt to object; absent objection, the landlord deducts the claim and remits any balance within 30 days of the date of the claim notice. Missing the 30-day notice window forfeits the right to claim against the deposit (the landlord may still sue for damages after returning it).
Itemization required	Yes
Itemization rules	The claim notice must state the landlord's intention to impose a claim, the amount, and the reason, in substantially the statutory form set out in F.S. 83.49(3)(a), including the 15-day objection instruction and the landlord's address for objections. Certified mail (or compliant e-mail under F.S. 83.505) is mandatory; ordinary mail or text does not preserve the claim.
Separate account required	Yes
Interest owed to tenant	No
Account & interest rules	Interest is required only if the landlord chooses an interest-bearing holding option. The landlord must hold deposits and advance rent in one of three ways: (1) a separate non-interest-bearing Florida financial institution account; (2) a separate interest-bearing Florida account, with the tenant entitled to at least 75% of the annualized average interest rate or 5% simple interest per year, at the landlord's election; or (3) a surety bond posted with the clerk of court (or Secretary of State for multi-county landlords), plus 5% simple interest to the tenant. When interest is owed it must be paid or credited at least annually, and is not owed to a tenant who wrongfully terminates early. Commingling is prohibited under all options.
Pet deposits	Not addressed by statute
Non-refundable fees allowed	Not addressed by statute
Penalty for violation	A landlord who fails to give the required written claim notice within 30 days forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit and may not set off against it, but may sue for damages after returning the deposit (F.S. 83.49(3)(a)). In any court action over the deposit, the prevailing party recovers court costs plus a reasonable attorney's fee (F.S. 83.49(3)(c)).
Tenant forwarding-address duty	Unless a written rental agreement says otherwise, a tenant who vacates before the end of a fixed term, or who vacates a periodic (week/month/quarter/year-to-year) tenancy, must give at least 7 days' written notice by certified mail or personal delivery before vacating, including an address where the tenant can be reached. Failure relieves the landlord of the 15-day/30-day notice duty in 83.49(3)(a) but does not waive the tenant's underlying claim to the deposit (F.S. 83.49(5)).

Cite this page: "Landlord Atlas, Florida Security Deposit Laws (verified July 8, 2026), landlordatlas.com/laws/security-deposits/florida/" — free to cite and quote with a link (how these records are verified). Every figure above is cited to the Florida statute in the citations section below.

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Notes and caveats

The blank cap is the statute, not missing data — F.S. 83.49 regulates how deposits are held and returned but sets no cap on the amount — Florida simply has no maximum deposit.
The where-it's-held disclosure now applies only to 5+ unit landlords — the written disclosure of where the deposit is held (F.S. 83.49(2)) now applies only to landlords who rent 5 or more individual dwelling units.
Renewals count as new agreements — a renewal counts as a new rental agreement, and carried-forward deposits count as new deposits (83.49(6)).
When the property is sold — deposits and interest transfer to the new owner with an accounting (83.49(7)).

Common questions: Florida security deposits

Each answer is the verified value from the table above, restated as a direct answer. Free to quote with a link to this page.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Florida?: No statutory cap.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Florida?: 15 days. That deadline applies only when the landlord makes no claim on the deposit; the full amount, plus interest if applicable, goes back within 15 days of termination of the rental agreement. A landlord who intends to impose a claim must instead send written notice of intent to claim, with the reason, within 30 days of termination.
What happens if a landlord does not return the deposit on time in Florida?: A landlord who fails to give the required written claim notice within 30 days forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit and may not set off against it, but may sue for damages after returning the deposit (F.S. 83.49(3)(a)).
Do landlords have to pay interest on security deposits in Florida?: No — Florida does not require interest on the security deposit to be paid to the tenant. Interest is required only if the landlord chooses an interest-bearing holding option.
Can a landlord charge a non-refundable fee in Florida?: Not addressed by statute.

Statute citations

F.S. 83.49 (1)-(3), (5), (9) (verified 2026) Official source
F.S. 83.505 (verified 2026) Official source
F.S. 83.491 (verified 2026) Official source

How this record was verified: Direct read of 2025 Florida Statutes text on the official legislature site (leg.state.fl.us / Online Sunshine): F.S. 83.49 (full text), 83.53 (full text), 83.57 (full text), 166.043 (full text). Web verification of surrounding context (83.46, 83.505, 125.0103, 2023 ch. 2023-17 and ch. 2023-314 amendments) against official-source cross-references and multiple concurring secondary sources.