Applying and moving in
What you need to rent a home in Florida
To rent in Florida you'll need a photo ID for every adult, proof of income, your rental history and money for application fees, plus the first month's rent and a security deposit before you get the keys. In a condo you'll go through a second application with the association. Have it all in one folder before you tour, because the good homes in South Florida go to the first complete application.
Updated Last checked 4 min read
Quick answer
- Put every document in one PDF before you tour.
- Application fees for each adult, and the association fee in a condo.
- Move-in money: first month and a deposit, sometimes last month too.
- Read the lease before you sign. A lease longer than a year must be in writing.
- Your deposit comes back within 15 days, or you get a written claim within 30.
On this page
Have these ready before you apply
- A photo ID for every adult who will live in the home
- Proof of income: recent pay stubs, an offer letter, bank statements, tax returns if self-employed, or benefit letters
- Your rental history: past addresses, dates, and how to reach your landlords
- Money for application fees. Many landlords charge one for each adult.
- Pet records and photos, if you have a pet
- Your voucher paperwork, if you use a housing voucher
- A guarantor's details, if you're using one
Scan everything into one PDF on your phone. When you find the right place on a Saturday afternoon, you can apply from the driveway.
How the application works
Step 1: You apply
Fill out the application and pay the fee. Ask what the landlord looks for before you pay, so you know where you stand.
Step 2: The landlord screens
Most landlords check income, credit, eviction records, criminal background and past landlords. Answer calls and emails quickly. Curious how your credit looks from their side? See what landlords check on a credit report.
Step 3: The association reviews, if there is one
Many condos and some HOAs run their own application with their own fee, capped at $150 per applicant in a condo. Ask how long their approval takes.
Step 4: You sign and pay move-in money
Read the lease before you sign. Get the move-in total in writing first, and pay in a way that leaves a record.
What it costs to move in
Move-in money usually covers the first month's rent and a security deposit. Some landlords also ask for last month's rent up front, and condo associations may add an application fee and their own deposit. Florida doesn't cap deposits, so it adds up fast. What it costs to move in adds it up for a real two-bedroom.
On Rentvana, every Checked listing shows the full move-in total right under the monthly price, so you know the number before you apply.
What to check in the lease
- Who fixes what, especially the AC, appliances and pest control.
- Late fees and any grace period, since Florida law sets neither.
- Whether you must give notice that you won't renew, and how much. The law allows 30 to 60 days.
- Whether there is an early termination addendum, and what it costs.
- Pet rules, parking, and any HOA or condo rules attached.
- Whether you agreed to receive notices by email.
Florida's statute of frauds requires any lease longer than one year to be in writing. Shorter ones can be oral, but don't do it. A written lease is your proof of what you both agreed.
How security deposits work in Florida
- The landlord must hold your deposit in a Florida bank account or post a bond, and can't mix it with its own money.
- After the lease ends, a landlord who keeps nothing has 15 days to return your deposit.
- A landlord who wants to keep some or all of it must send written notice within 30 days, by certified mail to your last known address or by email if you both signed an email addendum, with the reason.
- You then have 15 days from receiving that notice to object in writing.
The full rules, with dates worked out, are in Florida security deposit law.
Never pay for a home you have not seen
A deposit to hold a place you have not been inside is the classic scam. Read How to spot a rental scam.
Questions people ask
What credit score do I need to rent in Florida?
There's no legal minimum. Each landlord sets its own bar, so ask before you pay a fee. See renting with a 600s credit score.
How much money do I need to move into a rental in South Florida?
On a $2,200 home, first month and a one-month deposit come to $4,400, and adding last month makes it $6,600, before application fees and any association fee or deposit.
Do I need renters insurance in Florida?
State law doesn't require it, but many leases do. It covers your belongings and liability, not flood. See renters insurance in Florida.
Can I rent without a Social Security number?
Florida law doesn't require one to rent. Landlords who screen by credit may ask for other ways to verify identity and income, like a passport, an ITIN, bank statements or a guarantor.
Free help from Rentvana
Send us your budget and dates, and we'll walk you through the application and approval.
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 83.49: Deposit money or advance rent, duty of landlord and tenantleg.state.fl.us
- Florida Statutes, section 725.01: Promise to pay another's debt, etc.leg.state.fl.us
- Florida Statutes, section 718.112: Bylawsleg.state.fl.us
- CFPB: What is a tenant screening report?consumerfinance.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.