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How long does the eviction process take in Florida? What does it cost? This guide will step you through what owners can expect from Florida’s eviction process.

No, You Can't Change The Locks: 8 Must-Know Eviction Laws for Florida Landlords

Evictions are usually a last resort for Florida landlords. While no one wants an eviction on their to-do list, when your rental income dries up or a tenant is damaging your property, it's time to take action.  

If eviction from your Florida rental property is necessary, it will be a lot easier if you have a good handle on the proper procedures and laws in the state. In 2023, the state passed changes to the Florida Landlord and Tenant Act or Florida Statute 83. This overturned a number of local city ordinances around notice and evictions, so things may have changed since your lease started. 

While every eviction situation is unique, Belong put together a quick guide of 8 common questions to support Florida landlords in 2024. 

What eviction rules have changed in Florida for 2024? 

A notable change to Florida tenancy laws is that notice periods have increased when ending a monthly agreement. If you need to terminate a month-to-month tenancy, you can give 30 days written notice to vacate your property. This has doubled from the previous rule of 15 days. 

When a lease has expired, written notice periods depend on how frequently rent is paid:

Month-to-month: 30 days (increase from 15 days)

If the resident remains in the home after the notice period has passed, you have cause to file an eviction lawsuit. 

Other 2023 changes that impact tenancy laws (but not evictions) include accepting a fee in lieu of a security deposit, returning deposits on time, caps on late fees and conducting background checks on employees and contractors. 

What are the reasons you can evict someone from a rental home in Florida in 2024? 

In Florida, you need 'just-cause' to end a lease agreement. Valid reasons include:

Not vacating after a lease has ended and notice has expired 

Not upholding responsibilities under tenant-landlord law, such as destroying or defacing the premises, having a pet without permission, or unreasonably disturbing neighbors in a breach of the peace

Homeowners should also be aware of their obligations under Florida's landlord-tenant statute to keep the property in good repair and ensure the home is habitable. If you fail to do so, your resident has the right to withhold rent, provided they issue you with a notice of their intent. You will get seven-days notice to correct the defect/s and the resident can't be forced to pay rent or threatened with eviction during this period. 

How much notice is needed for non-payment of rent? 

If a tenant fails to pay rent, you can provide three-days notice to vacate. This notice gives the resident three business days to pay owed rent or leave.

If the resident pays the rent within the three-day period, you can't proceed with an eviction and the tenant continues their existing lease arrangement. If it happens again, the process must be repeated.


If you don't receive the rent, but the tenant vacates within the three-days, you may use the security deposit to cover the unpaid rent. If the security deposit doesn't cover all of the rent due, you have the option to sue for the amount owing.


If the resident doesn't pay the rent and remains in the home, you can file a summons and complaint with the county court to gain possession of the property. 

How much notice is required to evict for a lease violation? 

For a lease violation you must provide the tenant with seven-days notice to vacate your Florida home. It's worth getting legal help to put this notice together, but if it contains any errors it's considered defective. You may need to start the process and notice period over again. 

During this seven-day period, you need to give residents a chance to fix things if it's a minor infraction. For example, if your tenancy agreement states "no pets allowed" and they adopt a cat, you can allow them to surrender or rehome the cat before proceeding with the eviction process. 

If violations continue, you don't have to keep giving them chances to rectify. Also if they behave in a way that can't be easily rectified (for example, conducting illegal activity or causing considerable damage), this is an "incurable violation" for which the tenant can not make amends. 

Can I force a renter to leave my Florida property?

No, you should never take matters into your own hands when you need a resident of your rental home to leave. Activities such as shutting off the utilities or changing the locks to your home to keep a renter out is called a "self-help" eviction and is illegal in Florida. If you are found to be forcing an eviction illegally, you could be sued for up to three months' rent or damages (whichever is greater) plus legal costs under Florida laws. 

How can I get someone removed from my rental home?

Only a Florida law enforcement official has the authority to remove someone under a writ of possession. If you believe someone is living in your house illegally with no lease (known as 'squatting'), you can provide local police with a sworn affidavit. Under Chapter 82, Section 35 of the Florida code, this will allow police to remove the unlawful occupant. 

How long does the eviction process take in Florida?

On average, it takes 20 - 37 days to evict a resident of your rental property in Florida. If the eviction is not contested and the process runs smoothly, it could take as little as 7 - 15 days. 

The estimates below are the typical processing times, but be aware that if your local court faces a backlog of cases, it could take longer to receive a hearing date if required: 

Court enters a default judgment or assigns a hearing date: 5 - 7 days

The clerk of court enters a writ of possession: 1 - 3 days

Sheriff executes writ of possession: 1 - 7 days

Once an eviction has been approved, the residing parties have 24 hours to vacate. If they do not vacate, a law enforcement officer will need to handle their removal from the property. 

How much does an eviction cost in Florida?

This depends! Evictions can be complex and unique, so costs can vary, especially if you end up in court and/or require an attorney. The Miami-Dade Clerk of the Courts Office advises that an eviction filing costs $185 - $340. 

But even filing fees vary depending on the type of eviction that you require. Pasco County has a list of Landlord/Tenant Eviction Fees and Costs here, which can provide a good reference point to start. Most counties have downloadable forms and fee schedules available on their websites, so be sure to check out your local county for resources. 

If you expect that your property management fees will cover an eviction, be sure to check the fine print. Belong ranked the top-rated property management companies in Florida and found that most eviction protection packages cover filing fees only and are limited to around $500 - $800, leaving you with considerable out-of-pocket expenses if things aren't straightforward. Not only does eviction protection increase your management fees, most still charge for overseeing the eviction process and add on additional costs if any of their staff need to attend court on your behalf. 

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Homeowners insurance vs landlord insurance vs short-term rental insurance. What’s the difference? Discover what you really need to protect your rental home.

What Type of Insurance Should I Get For My Rental Property?

If you have homeowners insurance on a rental home, we’ve got some bad news. Your money is going to waste.  

That’s because the moment you list a home on the rental market or start using it as a vacation rental, you’re no longer covered. 

Homeowners insurance policies only offer protection for owner-occupied properties. 

When you own a rental, be that long-term rental or a short-term vacation rental — you need the right insurance policy to protect your asset. If you don't, you could have a claim denied and be liable for expensive repairs and legal fees. Oof. 

Now insurance isn’t exactly known for its simplicity and transparency. There’s a lot to decipher between homeowners insurance vs. landlord insurance vs. short-term rental insurance. But this article will give you a quick guide into the coverage homeowners need for the use of their home as a rental.

What type of insurance do homeowners need for a rental property?

Let’s start with homeowners who rent out their home long-term. This means you have tenants in the home full-time and the occasional vacancy where the home is empty.

You’ll need a policy called Landlord Insurance or Rental Property Insurance. Depending on the type of coverage you choose, this can protect you and your rental home against:

Structural damage of the home itself in instances of vandalism, theft, fire, or storms

Liability from injuries that happen on your property or damage caused by your residents and/or their guests

Loss of rental income when the property is uninhabitable during repairs and restoration

When you’re shopping for rental home policies, you may come across the term ‘Dwelling Policy’ or ‘DP1, DP2, and DP3’. In a nutshell, this is a tiered system that defines the level of coverage. DP1 being a budget policy, DP3 being the most expensive with the most inclusions and DP2 falling mid-range in between. 

Most DP2 and DP3 policies will have the option to include loss of use. This is especially helpful for those who rely on rental income as it will cover a shortfall in rent. 

Regardless of tier, most policies exclude cover for flood and earthquake damage, which is an added extra. What you choose should depend on your budget, risk, and circumstances. There are also options to include coverage from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. 

So what about if you have a short-term vacation rental? Landlord and Rental Property policies aren’t suitable for these, which we will cover next.

How much does landlord’s insurance cost in 2024?

In 2024, expect to pay an average of 15-20% more for a landlord insurance policy than you would for standard homeowners insurance. 

For example, if you took out a policy for a rental home in Sacramento, postcode 95814. According to this insurance.com calculator, if the dwelling was covered for $400,000 in rebuild costs with a $1,000 deductible and $100,000 of liability insurance, you would expect to pay between $962 - $2,921 per year for a homeowner policy in 2024. A landlord’s policy would be 15-20% higher, so expect a range of $1,106 - $3,505 per year for the same property, depending on how much coverage you opt for. 

Like all insurance, the cost of a premium will vary depending on:

Age, construction, and condition of the home

Whether you choose to pay upfront or monthly

Any optional extras included such as water damage and vandalism 

Will home insurance cover an Airbnb or short-term rental?

You guessed it: homeowners insurance won’t cover your home if it’s used as a short-term or vacation rental. And neither with a landlord policy. In this case you’ll need specified short-term rental insurance. This is because short-term rentals are higher risk than long-term rentals. 

Now it’s true that most vacation rental platforms include protection against guest behavior. But it’s important to remember that these are not sufficient insurance policies. Some platforms will offer host liability insurance, but this will do nothing to protect the home itself. 


If your property is hit by structural damage from a fire or storm, a platform like Airbnb or VRBO is not going to foot the bill. If it’s impacted by vandalism or theft that didn’t occur from a guest, you won’t be covered. This leaves you exposed to a lot of risk. 

How much does short-term rental insurance cost?

Expect to pay anywhere from 10-70% more for short-term rental insurance than you would for a homeowner policy. The actual cost of vacation rental insurance will vary depending on your home and its usage, however costs average $1,500 - $3,000 per year in 2024. 

Despite being banned on most platforms, vacation rentals are still notorious for wild parties and can leave property owners with massive cleanup bills. Making claims against guests for extra cleaning charges or damage can be a tough process and hard to prove. 

It’s worth keeping these additional costs in mind when comparing whether short-term or long-term rental is the best financial option for your home. 

Make insurance one less decision to worry about

With the option to build in the right Rental Home Insurance coverage for what you need, Belong will have your long-term rental home protected in minutes. It’s one of the many ways Belong is making it easier than ever for individuals to achieve financial freedom with a rental home.

To see how Belong is simplifying the rental experience (and making it easier to choose long-term renting for your home), visit our homeowner's page and learn about services in places like Austin, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and many more. 

Disclaimer: Belong thinks the word landlord is outdated and prefers ‘homeowners’. But in this article we need to make an important distinction between owner-occupied homes and landlords with tenant-occupied homes or vacation rentals, so we have to use the words landlord and tenant a little more than we’d like. This article provides a guide on the types of insurance available and approximate costs but should not be considered financial advice. Please read all insurance policy guides to ensure you have something that suits your personal home and situation. 

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FAQS on Home Equity Lines of Credit and common uses, requirements to qualify, tax deductions, and the pros and cons of taking out a HELOC on a rental home.

What is a Home Equity Line of Credit and How Can It Benefit Rental Owners?

Home equity is the difference between what your home is worth and how much debt is owed against it. When your house appreciates and/or you have paid off a chunk of your mortgage principal — you have equity. 

While rental homes are not considered to be a liquid asset due to mortgage financing and the lengthy process of selling one, you can turn what you own of this home into cash through financing. One option is known as a Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC, which is available to people who have paid off at least 15-20% of their mortgage. 

HELOCs are often used by owners of rental properties to finance projects such as capital improvements or renovation. This helps to increase the value of rental returns and appreciation of the home without dipping into your savings. 

In this article we explore frequently asked questions about Home Equity Line of Credit and common uses of HELOC for rental homeowners, covering the following questions:

What is a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)?

What do I need to qualify for a Home Equity Line of Credit?

What is a Home Equity Line of Credit used for?

Can I get a tax deduction on the HELOC interest paid for my rental home?

What are the pros and cons of taking out a Home Equity Line of Credit?

What is a good alternative to a HELOC to finance renovation of my rental home?

A HELOC is a line of credit that allows you to borrow against your home equity. For example, if your home is worth $800,000, and you owe $500,000 on your mortgage, you have $300,000 in equity that can be borrowed against. Typically you need to have paid off at least 15-20% of your mortgage to qualify for HELOC financing.

HELOC financing is different to refinancing an entire mortgage. Working a little like a credit card, the HELOC defines an amount you can borrow up to and you will only be charged interest on the amount borrowed. This will be by way of a variable interest rate that is typically lower than a personal loan or credit card financing. 

Requirements and repayments will vary based on the amount you wish to borrow, the equity in your home and the lender you choose. Generally, to qualify for a Home Equity Line of Credit you will need:

At least two years of verifiable income history

A debt-to-income ratio of 40% or less (that is, all your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income)

You can use money from a HELOC for almost any purchase or debt consolidation — even as a down payment on another home. Some real estate investors use the equity in one rental home to finance another and grow their portfolio. But more commonly, owners of rental property use a HELOC to finance capital improvements or renovations, improving the market value of their home to maximize their rental income and appreciation opportunities.

It depends! The tax rules on HELOCs and rental properties are quite complex since the IRS introduced changes in 2017. These rules will last until 2026 unless altered or extended further. 

Most expenses relating to a home used as a rental property are tax deductible and the interest portion of your HELOC might be included, depending on how you use the funds. There will also be limitations if you’re deducting a loss on the home or the income is considered passive activity. Check with your property accountant or tax professional before making tax claims based on your individual circumstances and how your HELOC funds have been used. 

New rules stipulate that for the interest on home equity debt to be tax deductible, you must ensure:

Funds are used to “buy, build, or substantially improve” a property

Funds can only be used on the property they are drawn for (so you can’t claim interest on a HELOC on your own home to improve your rental and vice versa)

Deductions meet the restrictions on the loan size ($750,000 is the total new limit for deductions on all residential debt, including HELOC and mortgage interest) 

Broadly, if you’re making capital improvements to your rental property such as a kitchen remodel, replacing the roof or installing a new HVAC then it’s likely you can deduct the interest payments of the HELOC used to fund the cost. You won’t be able to deduct the actual expenses incurred, but they can be depreciated. 

If you’re using the funds to make maintenance repairs, you will not be able to deduct the interest on a HELOC. You will however be able to deduct the actual expense associated with essential repairs and maintenance. 

The benefits or “pros” of taking out a HELOC include:

HELOC provides fast and easy access to cash without having to withdraw your savings or sell off other investments such as stock

HELOCs are a form of secured loan so they offer a lower variable interest rate to most personal loans and credit cards

Unlike Home Equity Loans or refinancing options, there is no need to apply for a separate loan, you can redraw the funds as needed

HELOCs offer flexibility in your budget — you don’t need to borrow and pay interest on $20,000 if you only end up spending $10,000 (and you don’t need to find more funds quickly if you go over budget) 

You may be eligible to claim a tax deduction, particularly if you are funding necessary repairs on a rental home — or making capital improvements that can be depreciated

The risks or “cons” of taking out a HELOC include:

Your home or rental property will be used as collateral, which puts you at risk of foreclosure if you default on your repayments

The interest rates on HELOCs are variable and susceptible to rate hikes, which could blow your budget and increase repayments over time 

HELOCs add time to your mortgage as it withdraws from payments you’ve previously made

Payments are over and above your mortgage repayments and can also include extra fees 

Even though you don’t need to spend the entire amount of your home equity, the HELOC amount you’ve been approved for will impact the debt-to-income ratio on your credit score

So now that we’ve established how a HELOC can be used to renovate or improve a rental home — what’s a good alternative?

Making repairs and renovations can be a great way to boost your financial future by attracting higher rent and increasing the value of your home long-term. If you’re not eligible or don’t wish to apply for a HELOC, an alternative to borrowing from the equity of your home could be to borrow from your rental income instead. 

For homeowners on the Belong network, this is an option available via a unique financing product named ‘Split It’. 

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Is the 2024 election bad news for the US housing market? Should homeowners and investors be concerned? Belong digs into the data and the bigger picture.

Red, White, and Real Estate: The Housing Market During the 2024 Election Year

It’s that time again, the housing market has entered an election year. With the US presidential election on its way in November 2024, homeowners, investors and economists are eager to predict what impact it will have. And some are nervous.  

A recent Investopedia survey found over half (61%) of investors say they're worried about the 2024 U.S. presidential election affecting their portfolios. But should they be? Are elections really bad news for the housing market? 

The truth is no one can ever know for sure. All markets are sensitive to change, so while the election does factor into this, there’s a lot more at play. 

What affects housing prices during an election year?

While we often talk about the real estate market, supply and demand has the greatest impact on the price of housing. This will of course vary between states and local neighborhoods, so some areas can boom when others bust. 

Investopedia lists the four major factors that drive the real estate market:

Demographics such as population age, growth, and migration 

Interest rates and the impact they have on purchasing power

The health of the economy such as stability, employment, inflation, the cost of living

Government policies, tax incentives and subsidies 

When uncertainty hangs over any of these factors, the real estate market tends to stall. Both supply and demand drop if people feel less confident about making moves to buy and sell property. It’s the wait-and-see approach that spooks the market. In an election year, people often want to hold off in case interest rates change or a new government changes housing or tax policies.

But there are much bigger macroeconomic factors at play than the 2024 US election. The economy has faced headwinds, high inflation and speculation of recession. Then there’s the increase in natural disasters and war. All this impacts consumer confidence and the housing market.  

What’s more likely to influence the markets this year is the cost of lending. After so many increases, mortgage rates dropping would likely have a bigger impact on housing activity than who sits in office. 


How has the housing market performed during past elections? 

As one realtor.com article notes, most elections cause more of a ‘blip’ on the housing market than major meltdowns. The uncertainty peaks around November, causing sales to slow down compared to non-election years. But this is usually resolved by December when activity resumes. 

It’s the other factors mentioned earlier that have a bigger impact. For example, 2008 was an election year but that coincided with the global financial crisis. 2020 was an election year, but pandemic-lead demographic changes and record-low interest rates was what drove housing prices and activity. 


Investopedia also looked at historical data around investment performance and found that the S&P 500 recorded positive returns in 20 of the last 24 election years.

How is the housing market performing in 2024 so far?

Housing affordability remains a problem in 2024, with both interest rates and home prices stubbornly high. Real estate analysts at Redfin noted that the year is off to a sluggish start. Home prices are increasing and mortgage rates have stopped falling. 

But they also note that there are plenty of real estate investors still hungry for lower-priced homes and searching for bargains. Redfin’s analysis found that investors bought more than a quarter (26%) of the county’s most affordable homes in the last quarter of 2023, the highest recorded in the last two decades. 


How Belong brings stability to rental homeowners

Don’t sweat the election year. If you’re looking for a long-term solution and stability in your rental experience, Belong has you covered. We’re making rental finances predictable by offering stable, guaranteed rent. We’re providing flexible payment options to keep your cash flow steady. And we’re doing it while providing a better way of living for the millions of Americans who rent. 

Working together, we can put people first and change what it means to rent a home. Belong can help you reach your financial goals, while also creating lasting, positive impact on innumerable lives for decades to come.

See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco, San Diego, Austin, Los Angeles, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, Concord, Berkeley, Orlando and more.

Melanie Kershaw

Mel Kershaw is a Content Lead at Belong. With an extensive background working with technology companies including Eventbrite and Yelp, she’s always looking for ways to create educational and informative articles that simplifies tech and solves problems for her audience.

Jill Jaracz

Lucas Hanft

Jordan Newsom

Natalie McNeal

Ale Resnik

Jill Jaracz

Lucas Hanft

Jordan Newsom

Natalie McNeal

Ale Resnik