Florida landlords reviewing their maintenance responsibilities should distinguish between enacted changes and proposals that failed during the 2026 legislative session.
The latest enacted amendment to Florida Statute §83.51, which governs landlords' obligations to maintain rental premises, came through Chapter 2025-16, effective July 1, 2025. It expanded a notice-delivery option without rewriting the statute's underlying maintenance duties.
What changed: email delivery for extermination notices
When a tenant must temporarily vacate for extermination under §83.51(2)(a)1, the landlord must provide seven days' written notice. The amendment expressly permits that notice by email when delivered in accordance with §83.505, the electronic-notice statute.
Landlords must follow the statutory electronic-delivery agreement requirements; having a tenant's email address alone does not establish authorization. The existing provisions limiting the required absence to four days and requiring rent abatement remain in place.
Screen maintenance remains a landlord responsibility
Under §83.51(1)(b), landlords must ensure that screens are installed in reasonable condition when the tenancy begins. Afterward, the landlord must repair screen damage once annually, when necessary, until the rental agreement ends.
This is an existing requirement, not a new 2025 or 2026 change. The statute also allows subsection (1) obligations to be altered or modified in writing for a single-family home or duplex. Separately, subsection (4) addresses conditions caused by negligent or wrongful acts or omissions of tenants, their family members, or others present with their consent.
