Security deposit law in Florida

The rule in Florida

Florida sets no statutory cap on the size of a residential security deposit: the source checked (The Florida Senate, Fla. Stat. § 83.49 (2025)) states no maximum, so the amount is whatever the lease says.

The return deadline is 15 days, counted after the rental agreement terminates. The text reads: “within 15 days after the termination of the rental agreement.”

Of the 44 jurisdictions verified here, 5 give landlords less time and 38 give more; the median is 30 days.

Without a cap there is no dollar ceiling to compute. For comparison, 27 of the 44 verified jurisdictions do cap deposits, from one month's rent in states such as Alabama up to three months' rent in Nevada.

Worked date: if the clock starts on November 30, 2026, the deadline falls on December 15, 2026. The separate 30-day notice of a claim would be due by December 30, 2026.

In neighbouring states with verified rules: Alabama allows 60 days and caps deposits at one month's rent.

15 days is the deadline when the landlord makes no claim on the deposit. A landlord who intends to keep part of it must send written notice of the claim within 30 days after the termination of the rental agreement.

If a deposit is not returned, the small claims limit in Florida is $8,000 (small claims rules).

Source: The Florida Senate, Fla. Stat. § 83.49 (2025) · last checked October 20, 2026.

If the deposit does not come back

The statute above sets the deadline; what happens after it passes is covered in general terms in the guide on a deposit that is not returned, and the way each state starts and counts the clock is compared in how deposit deadlines are counted.