Applying and moving in
Rental application and credit check fees in Florida
Florida doesn't cap what a landlord or property manager charges to apply, and since 2023 cities and counties can't set their own limits either, so the fee is whatever the listing says. The one capped fee is a condo association's, at $150 per applicant. If a landlord turns you down because of a screening report, federal law gives you the right to a free copy of that report and to dispute anything wrong in it.
Updated Last checked 3 min read
Quick answer
- No Florida cap on landlord application fees. Local caps were preempted in 2023.
- Condo association approval fees are capped at $150 per applicant.
- Ask the landlord its criteria before you pay: score, income multiple, history, pets.
- Denied over a screening report? Ask for your free copy within 60 days.
- Never pay a fee for a home you haven't confirmed is real.
On this page
What the fee pays for
An application fee covers the landlord's or manager's cost to screen you: a credit report, an eviction and court records search, a criminal background check, and calls to your employer and past landlords. The CFPB lists all of those as things a tenant screening report can include, along with a risk score built from the landlord's own criteria.
Most landlords charge each adult who will live there. Two roommates applying to the same apartment usually means two fees, plus the association's, if it's a condo. Applying to a few places in the same week? Find out whether those credit checks hurt your score.
Is there a limit in Florida?
Not for landlords. Chapter 83 doesn't set a maximum, and section 83.425, passed in 2023, says rental applications and the fees tied to them are the state's business, superseding any local rule. So a city can't cap them.
Condo associations are the exception. Under section 718.112(2)(k), an association that has to approve the lease can charge no more than $150 per applicant, a married couple or a parent with dependent children counts as one, and a renewal with the same tenant can't be charged at all. The approval process is in condo and HOA approval.
Ask these before you pay
- What credit score do you need, if you have a minimum?
- How many times the rent should my income be?
- Do you accept guarantors or co-signers?
- Is a past eviction or bankruptcy an automatic no?
- What are the pet rules, and is there a weight or breed limit?
- Is the fee refundable if the home rents to someone else first?
- How many applications are already in?
If you clearly miss a firm rule, keep your money. A landlord who won't share its criteria before taking your money is a bad sign.
What it adds up to
- Landlord's fee at $75 per adult
- $150
- Condo association fee, two unrelated roommates
- Up to $300
- The same pair, married
- Up to $150, since a couple counts as one applicant
- If the first one falls through
- All of it again for the next home
If you are turned down
When a landlord denies you because of a screening or credit report, it has to tell you, give you the screening company's contact information and tell you your rights. You can get a free copy of that report if you ask within 60 days, and you can dispute anything inaccurate in it. Check it for cases that aren't yours, which happens with common names, and for old filings shown as judgments.
Fees that point to a scam
A real application fee goes to a real landlord or manager for a home you've seen or can see. The FTC lists wire transfers, gift cards and crypto as the payments rental scammers ask for, and a home you can't visit is the other giveaway. How to spot a rental scam has the checks.
Questions people ask
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Florida?
No statewide limit for landlords, and local governments can't set one since 2023. Condo associations are capped at $150 per applicant.
Are rental application fees refundable in Florida?
Florida law doesn't require it. Ask the landlord before you pay, and get any refund promise in writing.
Can a landlord charge every adult an application fee?
Yes, and most do, because each adult is screened. Condo associations count a married couple or a parent with dependent children as one applicant for their fee.
What can I do if the screening report has a mistake?
Request your free copy within 60 days of the denial and dispute the error with the screening company. Send the landlord the correction once it is fixed.
Free help from Rentvana
Ask us before you pay a fee. We'll tell you which homes you're likely to qualify for.
Renters never pay Rentvana. A licensed agent replies within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm.
Questions first? Call 888-601-8344 or email hello@rentvana.com.
Words in this guide
Sources
- Florida Statutes, section 83.425: Preemptionleg.state.fl.us
- Florida Statutes, section 718.112: Bylawsleg.state.fl.us
- CFPB: What is a tenant screening report?consumerfinance.gov
- Federal Trade Commission: Rental listing scamsconsumer.ftc.gov
Checked against these sources on by Rentvana Editorial. If something has changed, email hello@rentvana.com and we'll fix it.
Questions?
Call 888-601-8344 to talk to a licensed agent, or email hello@rentvana.com and one gets back to you within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm. Renters never pay Rentvana.