How to Report a Landlord in Florida With DoNotPay

Before moving into a rental home, you do everything you can to ensure you are a good fit with the property and the landlord. Even if you did a walkthrough of the property and identified problems that needed to be fixed before signing a lease, you may have begun to notice issues with your unit. Perhaps your landlord has shown signs of negligence and leaves you without help when you try to address these issues. If you're experiencing this, you may be wondering about the next steps to take to get into a better living situation.

Fortunately, you have rights as a tenant in Florida. Whether you have a landlord who breaks the law or are living in a property that does not feel safe or habitable, there are ways to report a landlord and get out of your lease. There are many reasons why you could , and this DoNotPay guide can help walk you through what to do if you believe you are in a position to do so.

Reasons to Report a Landlord in Florida

may be necessary for a number of reasons. You may be entitled to report a landlord for problems with the property itself if the landlord does not arrange for mitigation or repairs in a timely manner. Problems could include

Pests.	Mice, rats, bed bugs, and other pest infestations can cause serious health problems. The landlord is responsible for extermination and prevention.
Mold.	Mold can cause breathing problems and allergic reactions. The landlord is responsible for mitigation.
Lead.	Lead paint was commonly used to build homes until the late 1970s. Some lease agreements require a landlord to notify renters of possible lead paint in homes, but if there are instances of lead paint coming off the walls, the landlord is required to fix it.
Lack of working utilities.	The landlord is required to ensure tenant access to certain vital services, such as heat, electricity, and running water. If any of the services stop working due to landlord negligence, they are legally responsible for addressing it right away.
Plumbing issues.	Leaking pipes or water damage due to faulty fixtures must be fixed by the landlord.
Structural issues.	Leaking roofs, unsafe walls, and any other structural concerns need to be addressed by the landlord and fixed by a licensed contractor.

Under Florida law, you can also report a landlord if they:

Shut off or interrupt your utilities for any reason.
Change the locks or otherwise deny tenant access.
Remove any exterior doors, locks, roofs, walls, or windows without your approval for repairs or replacements.
Remove any of your personal property from the dwelling unless for lawful reasons, such as after lawful eviction or surrender of property.

How to Report a Landlord in Florida on Your Own

In Florida, your landlord must be notified in writing of their noncompliance with Florida landlord and tenant laws in order for the rent to be withheld or a rental agreement to be terminated. Rent may be withheld if the landlord has not addressed property issues within seven days of being notified of these issues. Additionally, you may for noncompliance if they are guilty of the above-mentioned problems. To report your landlord on your own, you must:

Compile documents and evidence showing the ongoing issues inside the rental property.
Contact your local health department with the evidence and your official complaint.

Your local health department will then:

Inspect the property.
Prepare a report of the findings and send them to your landlord.
Give your landlord time to fix the issues.
Reinspect the property.
Fine your landlord, if necessary.

After these steps, you can choose to terminate your lease without repercussions or continue living in the property after the issues have been corrected. Because of the time-consuming nature of this process, you may feel discouraged about moving forward. However, this is not a task you need to tackle on your own. DoNotPay has a product that can help you easily and successfully report your landlord and get back to living safely and healthily, either in your current home or in a new one.

DoNotPay Can Help

DoNotPay is here to guide you if you need to . 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 disputes with roommates by filing demand letters or going through small claims court.
Break your lease early.

If you want to know how to report a landlord 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.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay is here to help you understand your rights as a tenant in Florida. We also have many products and services that can help take the tedious work out of many legal issues and everyday tasks. A few of our services can help you:

Sign up for DoNotPay to learn which of our products we can put to work for you today!