Jacksonville Offers Free Landlord Training

The City of Jacksonville's Neighborhoods Department and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office will present the next Landlord Training Program on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

The program, titled "Building Safer Neighborhoods: Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property," is intended for landlords, property owners and property managers throughout Jacksonville.

Training Details

• Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
• Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Sign-in: Begins at 8:30 a.m.
• Location: Northeast Florida Builders Association Office
• Address: 4932 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257
• Cost: Free
• Attendance: Limited to 50 participants
• Optional manual: $10, cash only

Advance registration is required through the city's Landlord Training Program registration page.

What Landlords Will Learn

The all-day program is divided into two parts and covers several practical areas of rental-property management.

The first portion focuses on applicant screening, recognizing dishonest applications, strengthening rental agreements and managing property in ways that discourage illegal behavior. It also addresses the importance of developing cooperative relationships with responsible residents and surrounding neighbors.

The second portion includes crime prevention through environmental design, commonly called CPTED. This approach examines how lighting, landscaping, locks, visibility and other physical features can make criminal activity less likely.

Additional subjects include:

• Warning signs of illegal drug activity
• Working effectively with law enforcement
• Drug-nuisance abatement
• Code-compliance considerations
• Responding when tenants or their guests engage in illegal activity
• Eviction procedures involving criminal conduct
• Special considerations affecting subsidized housing

The Jacksonville program is based on the National Landlord Training Program originally supported by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. According to the city, more than 90% of landlords completing the original program reported feeling more capable of screening applicants, recognizing warning signs and handling tenants involved in illegal activity. Jacksonville's program overview provides the complete agenda.

Prevention Begins Before the Lease Is Signed

Illegal activity at rental property can expose an owner to property damage, complaints from neighbors, code-enforcement action and expensive legal proceedings. In serious cases, a landlord who repeatedly ignores documented criminal activity may face nuisance-abatement proceedings.

Good management therefore begins well before a problem develops. Consistent written screening standards, careful verification of rental applications, a properly drafted lease and thorough documentation can help landlords identify warning signs while treating every applicant fairly.

Landlords must also remember that crime-prevention efforts do not override federal and Florida fair-housing protections. Screening standards should be applied consistently, and decisions should be based on reliable, relevant information rather than assumptions about an applicant or neighborhood.

Similarly, landlords should investigate reports carefully before attempting to terminate a tenancy. An arrest is not necessarily proof of criminal conduct, and a tenant reporting domestic violence or another crime may be the victim rather than the perpetrator.

Paul's Take

This appears to be a worthwhile program, particularly for newer independent landlords who may not have formal property-management training. Learning how to recognize trouble early is far better than discovering it after serious damage has occurred.

Landlords should nevertheless treat the course as education—not individualized legal advice. Evictions involving alleged criminal activity can become complicated, especially when the lease language, available evidence or identity of the responsible person is unclear.

Jacksonville benefits when the city, law enforcement, residents and responsible landlords work together. That cooperation should focus on education and practical assistance—not on turning landlords into unpaid law-enforcement officers or using training as the first step toward burdensome rental registration and inspection requirements.

Questions about the program may be directed to Nicole Spradley at 904-255-8197 or SpradleyN@coj.net.