FL
Florida House Bill H0133

Florida 2023 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0133 Compare Versions

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1010 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14+A bill to be entitled 1
1515 An act relating to fees in lieu of security deposits; 2
1616 creating s. 83.491, F.S.; authorizing a landlord to 3
1717 offer a tenant the option to pay a fee in lieu of a 4
1818 security deposit; authorizing a landlord to offer a 5
1919 tenant the option to pay the security deposit in a 6
2020 specified manner; requiring the landlord to notify the 7
2121 tenant of certain unpaid fees and costs within a 8
2222 specified time after the conclusion of the tenancy; 9
2323 prohibiting the landlord from filing an insurance 10
2424 claim within a specified period of time; prov iding 11
2525 requirements for the landlord and insurer if an 12
2626 insurance claim to recover certain losses is filed; 13
2727 prohibiting the landlord from accepting certain 14
2828 payments; requiring the landlord to provide certain 15
2929 written notice to the tenant; requiring a written 16
3030 agreement signed by the landlord, or the landlord's 17
3131 agent, and the tenant if the tenant decides to pay a 18
3232 fee in lieu of the security deposit; prohibiting the 19
3333 written agreement from contradicting specified laws; 20
3434 requiring that the written agreement contain certain 21
3535 information; requiring a specified disclosure in the 22
3636 written agreement; providing options for paying the 23
3737 fee; specifying that certain fees, insurance products, 24
3838 and surety bonds are not security deposits; specifying 25
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4747 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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5151 that landlords have exclusive dis cretion as to whether 26
5252 to offer tenants the option to pay a fee in lieu of a 27
5353 security deposit; prohibiting a landlord from 28
5454 approving or denying an application for occupancy 29
5555 based on a prospective tenant's choice to pay a fee in 30
5656 lieu of a security deposit; r equiring that landlords 31
5757 who offer a tenant the fee option offer such option to 32
5858 all new tenants renting a dwelling unit on the same 33
5959 premises; providing an exception; providing 34
6060 construction; providing applicability; providing an 35
6161 effective date. 36
6262 37
6363 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 38
6464 39
6565 Section 1. Section 83.491, Florida Statutes, is created to 40
6666 read: 41
6767 83.491 Fee in lieu of security deposit. — 42
6868 (1)(a) If a rental agreement requires a security deposit, 43
6969 a landlord may offer a tenant the option to pay a fee in lieu of 44
7070 a security deposit. 45
7171 (b) A landlord may provide a tenant the option of paying a 46
7272 security deposit in monthly installments in an amount that is 47
7373 agreed upon between the tenant and the landlord while 48
7474 participating in the fee pr ogram. 49
7575 (2)(a) If a tenant agrees to pay a fee in lieu of a 50
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8484 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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8888 security deposit, the landlord must notify the tenant within 30 51
8989 days after the conclusion of the tenancy if there are any costs 52
9090 or fees due resulting from unpaid rent, fees, or other 53
9191 obligations under the rental agreement, including, but not 54
9292 limited to, costs required for repairing damage to the premises 55
9393 beyond normal wear and tear. 56
9494 (b) A landlord may not submit a claim to an insurer to 57
9595 recover the landlord's losses associated with unpaid rent, fees, 58
9696 or other obligations under the rental agreement, including, but 59
9797 not limited to, costs required for repairing damage to the 60
9898 premises beyond normal wear and tear until at least 15 days 61
9999 after providing the tenant with the required notice under 62
100100 paragraph (a). 63
101101 1. The landlord must include an itemized list of any 64
102102 unpaid amounts and the dates such amounts were due, 65
103103 documentation supporting any itemized damages and costs of 66
104104 repairs, and a copy of any written objection or report of any 67
105105 communication of objec tion by the tenant when the landlord 68
106106 submits a claim to an insurer. 69
107107 2. If an insurer pays a claim that was submitted under 70
108108 this subsection to a landlord and the insurer has subrogation 71
109109 rights, the insurer may, within 1 year after the tenancy that 72
110110 was the subject of the claim ends, seek reimbursement from the 73
111111 tenant for the amounts paid to the landlord. If the insurer 74
112112 seeks reimbursement from the tenant, the following apply: 75
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121121 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125125 a. The insurer must provide the tenant with all 76
126126 documentation for losses which t he landlord provided to the 77
127127 insurer in support of the landlord's claim and a copy of the 78
128128 settlement statement documenting the insurer's payment of the 79
129129 landlord's claim. 80
130130 b. The tenant retains any defenses against the insurer 81
131131 which the tenant would otherwi se have against the landlord. 82
132132 3. A landlord may not accept payment from both a tenant 83
133133 and an insurer for amounts associated with the same rent, fees, 84
134134 or damages. 85
135135 (3) If a landlord offers a tenant the option to pay a fee 86
136136 in lieu of a security deposit, t he landlord must notify the 87
137137 tenant in writing of all of the following: 88
138138 (a) That the tenant has the option to pay a security 89
139139 deposit instead of the fee at any time. 90
140140 (b) That the tenant may, at any time, terminate the 91
141141 agreement to pay the fee in lieu of the security deposit and 92
142142 instead pay a security deposit as listed in a rental agreement 93
143143 between the landlord and tenant or, if a security deposit was 94
144144 not agreed upon in a rental agreement between the landlord and 95
145145 tenant, in the amount that is otherwise offered to new tenants 96
146146 for a substantially similar dwelling unit on the date that the 97
147147 tenant terminates the agreement. 98
148148 (c) That the tenant may choose to pay the securit y deposit 99
149149 in monthly installments in an amount that is agreed upon between 100
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158158 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162162 the landlord and tenant while participating in the fee program. 101
163163 (d) Whether any additional charges apply for the options 102
164164 provided in paragraphs (a) and (b). 103
165165 (e) The amount of th e payments required for each option 104
166166 the landlord offers. 105
167167 (f) That the fee is nonrefundable, if applicable. 106
168168 (g) That the fee is only for securing occupancy without 107
169169 paying a required security deposit. 108
170170 (h) That the fee payment does not limit or change t he 109
171171 tenant's obligation to pay rent and fees, if any, under the 110
172172 rental agreement or limit or change the tenant's obligation to 111
173173 pay the costs of repairing damage to the premises beyond normal 112
174174 wear and tear. 113
175175 (i) That if the landlord uses any portion of the fee to 114
176176 purchase insurance, the tenant is not insured and is not a 115
177177 beneficiary of the landlord's insurance coverage, and that the 116
178178 insurance does not limit or change the tenant's obligations to 117
179179 pay rent and fees under the rental agreement or change the 118
180180 tenant's obligation to pay the costs of repairing damage to the 119
181181 premises beyond normal wear and tear. 120
182182 (4)(a) If a tenant decides to pay a fee in lieu of a 121
183183 security deposit, a written agreement to collect the fee must be 122
184184 signed by the landlord, or the landlord 's agent, and the tenant. 123
185185 The written agreement may not contain any clause that 124
186186 contradicts s. 83.45 or s. 83.47. The written agreement must, at 125
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195195 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199199 a minimum, specify all of the following: 126
200200 1. The amount of the fee, which may not be increased 127
201201 during the term of the rental agreement. 128
202202 2. How and when the fee is to be collected. 129
203203 3. The process and timeframe during which a tenant must 130
204204 pay the security deposit specified in the rental agreement if 131
205205 the tenant defaults on paying the fee, and that such default 132
206206 will not adversely affect the tenant's credit rating if the 133
207207 security deposit is timely paid. 134
208208 4. That the written agreement may be terminated at any 135
209209 time as long as the tenant pays the amount of the security 136
210210 deposit specified in the rental agreement. 137
211211 5. If the tenant pays the amount of the security deposit 138
212212 specified in the rental agreement, then the tenant's default on 139
213213 paying the fee or termination of the written agreement may not 140
214214 adversely impact the tenant's credit report. 141
215215 (b) The written agreement spec ified under paragraph (a) 142
216216 must also include a disclosure in substantially the following 143
217217 form: 144
218218 145
219219 FEE IN LIEU OF SECURITY DEPOSIT 146
220220 147
221221 THIS FEE IS NOT A SECURITY DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT OF THE 148
222222 FEE DOES NOT ABSOLVE THE TENANT OF ANY OBLIGATIONS 149
223223 UNDER THE RENTAL AGREE MENT, INCLUDING THE OBLIGATION 150
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232232 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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236236 TO PAY RENT AS IT BECOMES DUE AND ANY COSTS AND 151
237237 DAMAGES BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR WHICH THE TENANT 152
238238 OR HIS OR HER GUESTS MAY CAUSE. 153
239239 154
240240 THE TENANT MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME 155
241241 AND STOP PAYING THE FEE AND INSTEAD PAY THE SECURITY 156
242242 DEPOSIT AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 83.491, FLORIDA 157
243243 STATUTES. 158
244244 159
245245 THIS AGREEMENT HAS BEEN ENTERED INTO VOLUNTARILY BY 160
246246 BOTH PARTIES AND THE TENANT AGREES TO PAY THE LANDLORD 161
247247 A FEE IN LIEU OF A SECURITY DEPOSIT AS AUTHORIZED 162
248248 UNDER SECTION 83.491, FLORI DA STATUTES. IF THE 163
249249 LANDLORD USES ANY PORTION OF THE TENANT'S FEE TO 164
250250 PURCHASE INSURANCE, THE TENANT IS NOT INSURED AND IS 165
251251 NOT A BENEFICIARY OF SUCH COVERAGE, AND THE INSURANCE 166
252252 DOES NOT CHANGE THE TENANT'S FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS 167
253253 UNDER THE RENTAL AGREEMENT. 168
254254 169
255255 THIS DISCLOSURE IS BASIC. PLEASE REFER TO PART II OF 170
256256 CHAPTER 83, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO DETERMINE YOUR LEGAL 171
257257 RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. 172
258258 173
259259 (5) A fee in lieu of a security deposit may be: 174
260260 (a) A recurring monthly fee, payable on the same date that 175
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269269 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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273273 the rent payment is due under the rental agreement; or 176
274274 (b) Payable upon a schedule that the landlord and tenant 177
275275 choose and as specified in the written agreement. 178
276276 (6) A fee collected under this section, or an insurance 179
277277 product or a surety bond accepted, by a landlor d in lieu of a 180
278278 security deposit is not a security deposit as defined in s. 181
279279 83.43(12). 182
280280 (7) A landlord has exclusive discretion as to whether to 183
281281 offer tenants the option to pay a fee in lieu of a security 184
282282 deposit and is not required to offer such fee optio n to tenants. 185
283283 However, if a landlord offers a tenant an option to pay a fee in 186
284284 lieu of a security deposit, the landlord may not use a 187
285285 prospective tenant's choice to pay, or offer to pay, a fee in 188
286286 lieu of a security deposit as criteria in the determination to 189
287287 approve or deny an application for occupancy, and the landlord 190
288288 must also offer all new tenants renting a dwelling unit on the 191
289289 same premises the option to pay a fee in lieu of a security 192
290290 deposit, unless the landlord chooses to prospectively terminate 193
291291 the fee option for all new rental agreements. 194
292292 (8)(a) This section does not: 195
293293 1. Require a fee collected in lieu of a security deposit 196
294294 to be used to purchase an insurance product or a surety bond; or 197
295295 2. Prohibit a tenant from being offered or sold an 198
296296 insurance product or a surety bond to present to the landlord in 199
297297 lieu of a security deposit if the offer or sale of such 200
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306306 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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310310 insurance product or surety bond complies with the laws of this 201
311311 state. 202
312312 (b) Acceptance by a landlord of an insurance product or a 203
313313 surety bond that is purchased or procured by a tenant, a 204
314314 landlord, or an agent of the landlord may not be considered an 205
315315 offer on the part of the landlord to allow a tenant to pay a fee 206
316316 in lieu of a security deposit for the purposes of subsection 207
317317 (7). 208
318318 (9) This section applies to rental agreements entered into 209
319319 or renewed on or after July 1, 2023. 210
320320 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 211