How to Find Assistance In Florida with Landlord Disputes?

You rented a property in Florida and signed a lease agreement with the landlord. But you don't want to stay there anymore. Terminating a lease comes with severe consequences. If you are , you may want to know how to break a lease early without penalties. Keep reading.

Contrary to common belief, a lease is not often ironclad – you can break it without attracting any legal consequences. But still, early breaking the lease isn't as easy as it may appear. If you don't have verifiable legal justification, you risk being sued by the landlord. Additionally, the judgment and eviction hurt your credit score. But you don't have to worry about all these, especially when DoNotPay can help you.

DoNotPay is a faster, automated, and efficient way to help you break a lease early and easily without any penalties. Besides, DoNotPay can help you address other eviction issues, such as

Florida eviction laws help.
Understand Florida business eviction laws.
How to evict a roommate in Utah?
Florida eviction discrimination law.
How to get a security deposit back from a landlord?
File a complaint against your landlord.
Sue landlord for deposit.
Address landlord's eviction threats.

Reasons to Break a Lease Early

If you are wondering whether you can break a rental lease, the answer is yes. However, there are several factors you should consider before terminating your agreement.

Here are some of the legally justifiable reasons you can cite when breaking your lease early:

The Rental Unit Is Not Habitable Anymore

Any rental unit should be safe and habitable. The landlord is responsible for ensuring the property maintains a certain standard as agreed during the signing of the lease agreement. You can break the lease if the house isn't functioning wholly (e.g., if things like roofs, plumbing, electricity, heating, and gas are not working correctly).

Privacy Invasion by the Landlord

Tenants in Florida have a right to privacy. Landlords in the state are prohibited from entering your rental space, whether you are there or not, without your permission, a good reason, or the proper notice. If such an incident happens, you can get a court order, and when the landlord violates the order, you are allowed to break the lease.

Lack of Peace in the Home

Rental spaces should be peaceful. If you rented a unit expecting it would be quiet and safe, but it turns out not to be the case, you can end your lease prematurely. A breach of peace, in this case, may be brought about by excessively loud tenants, frequent dog barking, excessive landlord visits, phone calls, and unnecessary and prolonged remodeling works.

You Are in Danger or Being Harassed

The Florida law allows tenants who are victims of domestic violence to break their lease. You can also terminate your lease if you are being sexually assaulted, harassed, or stalked.

You Are Joining Active Military Service

Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, you are free to break a lease if you are joining active military service. However, if you signed the lease agreement after joining the service, you should adhere to the contract terms unless you have a permanent change of station military order.

Florida Landlord-Tenant Laws

Tenants and landlords can have a healthy relationship in if they understand the basics of landlord-tenant in the state. The laws and agreements of landlords and tenants are covered in the Florida Landlord Tenant Act.

Here's is a brief overview of the :

Lease Agreement.	It can be written or arranged orally. Usually, it is advisable to have a written agreement as it forms proof of the tenancy terms.
Landlord Duties.	The landlord decides the duties and terms of the rental or lease agreement. However, they must align with the state laws requirements.
Tenant Responsibilities.	The law requires the tenant to maintain a suitable landlord-tenant relationship. They achieve this by paying rent on time, avoiding disturbance in residence, operating all appliances and facilities responsibly, and complying with the health, housing, and building codes.
Payment of Rent.	There are no laws that govern the payment of rent in Florida. The implication is that the tenant and landlord should agree on the rent payment conditions. However, the law requires the rent to be paid on time based on the set property agreement.

What Are My Rights as a Tenant in Florida?

Under , a tenant enjoys the following rights:

The right of peaceful possession of the rented unit.
The dwelling should be habitable and safe to live in.
The tenant has a right to information on issues about their tenancy.
A right to the security deposit at the end of the tenancy.
Right to withhold rent under aggravated situations.
Right to move out of the rental unit.

How to Break a Lease Responsibly

It will help to be prepared if you are planning on breaking your lease early. The following tips will increase your chances of success:

1. Get all the paperwork ready.

Organize yourself by collecting all the necessary paperwork, such as financial arrangements and agreements. Ensure you have all the rent receipts ready or even get a letter of payment proof from the landlord.

2. Understand Your Case.

Start by revisiting your lease or rental agreement to know your termination options. There might be a clause that doesn't tie you to numerous legal consequences if you break a lease.

3. Seek Legal Help.

The terms of your rental contract might be confusing, especially if you are not a legal officer. Get help from a law officer to understand how you can break the lease without penalties.

4. Engage Your Landlord.

The best way to break a lease agreement without penalties is by talking to your landlord. Let them know your reasons for them wanting to break the lease. The chances are high that they may allow you to terminate the lease without consequences.

5. Consider Subletting.

It is not every time that you will want to break a lease because of the poor conditions of the property. Perhaps you just got a job elsewhere after renting the space. You may opt to sublet instead of just breaking the lease in such cases.

Break a Lease Early With the Help of DoNotPay

Undoubtedly, you can break a lease early, but it is a stressful and, at times, costly process. DoNotPay is here to remove such stress and help you break your lease without attracting any penalties. Besides, our Landlord Protection product can help you:

Get back your security deposits.
Learn about your state's eviction laws and what protections apply in your case.
Resolve disputes regarding repairs with your landlord.
Resolve conflicts with roommates by filing demand letters or going through small claims court.
Break your lease early.

How to break a lease in Florida using DoNotPay:

If you want to break a lease in Florida but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 4 easy steps:

Search for and open the Landlord Protection product on DoNotPay.
Select which issue applies to you.
Answer a simple set of questions so our chatbot can collect the necessary information to create your demand letter.
Choose whether you want DoNotPay to send the demand letter to your landlord or roommate on your behalf. If you already tried sending a demand letter and it didn't work, we can help you start the small claims court process.

Why Use DoNotPay for Florida Law Help?

DoNotPay is a fast, effective, and stress-free way to get any form of landlord protection. DoNotPay is:

Fast— your issues will be addressed within a short time.
Easy—you don't have to worry about filling out numerous forms.
Successful—you are assured of breaking the lease without any negative consequences.