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Tenants on a month to month lease left the premises  without prior notice and demanded return of their security deposit. The Landlord, also without notice, only returned a portion of the deposit. The Tenants sued for the remainder.

Whether a landlord is permitted to retain or required to return a tenant’s security deposit depends upon the interplay between sections 83.49(3)(a) and 83.49(5), Florida Statutes (2018). Section 83.49(3)(a), Florida Statutes governs the landlord’s duty:

(a) Upon the vacating of the premises for termination of the lease, if the landlord does not intend to impose a claim on the security deposit, the landlord shall have 15 days to return the security deposit together with interest if otherwise required, or the landlord shall have 30 days to give the tenant written notice by certified mail to the tenant’s last known mailing address of his or her intention to impose a claim on the deposit and the reason for imposing the claim.

Section 83.49(5), Florida Statutes governs the tenant’s duty:

(5) Except when otherwise provided by the terms of a written lease, any tenant who vacates or abandons the premises prior to the expiration of the term specified in the written lease, or any tenant who vacates or abandons premises which are the subject of a tenancy from week to week, month to month, quarter to quarter, or year to year, shall give at least 7 days’ written notice by certified mail or personal delivery to the landlord prior to vacating or abandoning the premises which notice shall include the address where the tenant may be reached. Failure to give such notice shall relieve the landlord of the notice requirement of paragraph (3)(a) but shall not waive any right the tenant may have to the security deposit or any part of it.

Here, neither the Landlord nor Tenants abided by their statutory notice obligations. What happens under these circumstances? If the tenant fails to advise the landlord that they are vacating a month-to-month tenancy (as happened here), subsection (5) of the statute says, “[f]ailure to give such notice shall relieve the landlord of the notice requirement of paragraph (3)(a) but shall not waive any right the tenant may have to the security deposit or any part of it.” The landlord’s notice obligation is forgiven — but the tenant does not forfeit the right to lay claim to all or part of their deposit. See Plakhov v. Serova, 126 So. 3d 1221, 1223 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012) [37 Fla. L. Weekly D2520a].

JOHN SERAK and LAUREN SERAK, Appellants, v. SANDRINE VAN VLIERBERGHE d/b/a CASA PARAISO, LLC., Appellee. Circuit Court, 11th Judicial Circuit (Appellate) in and for Miami-Dade County. Case No. 2019-263-AP-01. L.T. Case No. 2017-008203-SP-26. July 22, 2020. An Appeal from the County Court for Miami-Dade County 28 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 457a. Online Reference: FLWSUPP 2806SERA