Fla. Stat. § 715.10 et seq. § 715.105
Form of notice concerning abandoned property to former tenant.
Operative Text
(1) A notice to the former tenant which is in substantially the following form satisfies the requirements of s. 715.104: Notice of Right to Reclaim Abandoned Property To: (Name of former tenant) (Address of former tenant) When you vacated the premises at (address of premises, including room or apartment number, if any) , the following personal property remained: (insert description of personal property) . You may claim this property at (address where property may be claimed) . Unless you pay the reasonable costs of storage and advertising, if any, for all the above-described property and take possession of the property which you claim, not later than (insert date not fewer than 10 days after notice is personally delivered or, if mailed, not fewer than 15 days after notice is deposited in the mail) , this property may be disposed of pursuant to s. 715.109, Florida Statutes. (Insert here the statement required by subsection (2)) Dated: (Signature of landlord) (Type or print name of landlord) (Telephone number) (Address) (2) The notice set forth in subsection (1) shall also contain one of the following statements: (a) “If you fail to reclaim the property, it will be sold at a public sale after notice of the sale has been given by publication. You have the right to bid on the property at this sale. After the property is sold and the costs of storage, advertising, and sale are deducted, the remaining money will be paid over to the county. You may claim the remaining money at any time within 1 year after the county receives the money.” (b) “Because this property is believed to be worth less than $500, it may be kept, sold, or destroyed without further notice if you fail to reclaim it within the time indicated above.”
Florida Statute § 715.105 establishes a standardized notice form that landlords must use when a former tenant leaves personal property behind. The notice must identify the property, state where it can be retrieved, and give the former tenant at least 10 days (if delivered in person) or 15 days (if mailed) to reclaim it after paying any reasonable storage and advertising costs. Depending on the estimated value of the property, the notice must also include one of two disclosures: either that unclaimed property worth $500 or more will be sold at a public auction with surplus proceeds held by the county for up to one year, or that property believed to be worth less than $500 may be kept, sold, or destroyed without further notice if not reclaimed in time.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Landlords handling abandoned property under Fla. Stat. § 715.105 generally use the statutory form notice verbatim or in substantial conformity with it, filling in all required fields such as the former tenant's name and address, a description of the left-behind items, the retrieval location, and the applicable deadline. Compliant operators also include the correct supplemental statement — either the public-sale language or the sub-$500 language — based on their good-faith estimate of the property's value. Keeping records of how and when the notice was delivered (personal delivery vs. mail) is important because the minimum reclaim period differs depending on the delivery method.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Fla. Stat. § 715.105, if you left personal belongings behind after vacating a rental unit, your former landlord is required to send you a written notice describing the property and telling you where and by when you can retrieve it. The notice must also disclose what will happen to the property if you do not reclaim it — either a public auction (with any surplus funds held by the county for up to a year) or disposal without further notice if the property is valued under $500. If you believe a landlord has not followed the notice requirements of this provision, tenant-rights organizations in Florida can help you understand the general options available, which may include raising the landlord's noncompliance as part of a broader legal matter.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 29, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation