Skip to content
Oakclause

Rental Application Fee Laws in Florida

Florida's residential landlord tenant law sets no dollar cap on rental application fees, and it preempts local regulation of rental applications and their fees.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Florida at a glance

Fee limit
No statutory cap; local limits preempted
Part II of Fla. Stat. ch. 83 contains no application fee limit, and 83.425 (2023) supersedes local rules on applications and fees associated with them.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Florida

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Florida?

Fee limit in Florida: No statutory cap; local limits preempted. Part II of Fla. Stat. ch. 83 contains no application fee limit, and 83.425 (2023) supersedes local rules on applications and fees associated with them.

Where do the Florida rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from Fla. Stat. 83.425. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.