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Florida's cap, return deadline, itemization rule, and wrongful-withholding penalty, with the controlling statute linked.
4 min read·
Short answer
Florida sets no statutory limit on the security deposit a landlord may collect, and the deposit must be returned within 15 or 30 days. Wrongful withholding exposure is forfeit claim; damages plus fees. The controlling text is Fla. Stat. § 83.49, verified July 2026; confirm the current statute before acting, since legislatures amend deposit law and cities layer stricter rules on top.
No statutory limit. The return rule is 15 or 30 days. The controlling text is Fla. Stat. § 83.49.
If you make no deductions, you must return the deposit within 15 days of move-out. If you intend to keep any of it, you have 30 days to send a specific written notice by certified mail, after which the tenant has 15 days to object before you may deduct. Miss the 30-day notice and you forfeit the right to deduct entirely.
The itemized statement rule
A specific written notice of the claim, sent by certified mail to the tenant's last known address, is required within 30 days when you intend to withhold. It is the notice, not a later statement, that preserves the right to deduct.
Account and interest rules
Deposits must be held in a Florida bank, either in a separate non-interest account, a separate interest-bearing account, or under surety bond, and you must disclose the arrangement to the tenant within 30 days of receipt.
Exposure for wrongful withholding
Forfeit claim; damages plus fees.
A landlord who fails to send the 30-day notice forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit, and a tenant who prevails in a dispute can recover damages plus attorney fees. The certified-mail notice on time is the entire mechanism here.
Verified against Fla. Stat. § 83.49 and official state sources in July 2026. Before withholding money, check the current statute text or ask a local landlord-tenant attorney. General information, not legal advice.
Questions landlords actually ask
Does Florida cap residential security deposits?
No statutory limit
What is the security deposit return deadline in Florida?
15 or 30 days. If you make no deductions, you must return the deposit within 15 days of move-out. If you intend to keep any of it, you have 30 days to send a specific written notice by certified mail, after which the tenant has 15 days to object before you may deduct. Miss the 30-day notice and you forfeit the right to deduct entirely.
What itemization does Florida require?
A specific written notice of the claim, sent by certified mail to the tenant's last known address, is required within 30 days when you intend to withhold. It is the notice, not a later statement, that preserves the right to deduct.
What is the wrongful-withholding exposure in Florida?
Forfeit claim; damages plus fees. A landlord who fails to send the 30-day notice forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit, and a tenant who prevails in a dispute can recover damages plus attorney fees. The certified-mail notice on time is the entire mechanism here.