What should a landlord review before signing a residential lease?

1. Parties and property

• Is the landlord named correctly? If an LLC owns the property, the lease should usually be in the LLC’s name.
• Are all adult occupants listed and bound by the lease?
• Is the unit described accurately, including parking, storage, or shared areas?

2. Term and renewal

• Start and end dates are clear.
• The lease says what happens when the term ends, including whether it becomes month-to-month.
• The notice needed to end a month-to-month tenancy is consistent with the current statute (see section 83.57).

3. Rent, fees, and deposits

• Amount, due date, and payment method are stated clearly.
• Any late fee is clearly specified in the lease.
• The security deposit amount and any other deposits are described.
• The lease discloses where and how the deposit is held, as Florida requires (see section 83.49), and the move-out process matches the statute’s timing for returning a deposit or giving notice of a claim on it.

4. Required disclosures

• Landlord and agent information: the name and address of the person authorized to manage the property and of the owner or person authorized to receive notices (section 83.50).
• Radon: Florida requires a specific radon notice in rental agreements (section 404.056).
• Lead-based paint: federal disclosure for most housing built before 1978.
• Flood disclosure: a separate flood disclosure for residential leases of one year or longer (section 83.512).

5. Maintenance and repairs

• Who handles what is stated clearly.
• The allocation is consistent with the statute. Florida limits how much of a landlord’s maintenance duty can be shifted to a tenant, and the options differ for single-family homes and duplexes (see section 83.51).

6. Access and entry

• The lease describes how the landlord gives notice before entering. Florida generally treats at least 24 hours’ notice as reasonable (see section 83.53).
• Emergency entry is addressed.

7. Rules, pets, and occupants

• Pet terms and any fees are described accurately, keeping in mind that assistance animals are treated differently from pets under fair housing law.
• Limits on subletting, assignment, and guests are stated.

8. Default, notices, and attorney fees

• The lease describes what counts as a violation and how notices will be sent.
• Notice terms do not conflict with statutory notice periods.
• Any attorney-fee provision is reviewed. Florida has a rule that makes fee provisions in residential leases work in both directions (see section 83.48).

9. Terms that may not hold up

Florida generally does not allow a residential lease to waive a tenant’s statutory rights or to excuse a landlord from certain liability (see section 83.47). A term like that can be unenforceable and can make a later dispute harder, so remove it rather than hope it will be enforced.

For help with a particular lease, see lease drafting and review.

General information about Florida law, not legal advice. Statutes are amended from time to time and requirements depend on the property and tenancy.