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Rent Regulations

Fla. Stat. § 83.40 et seq. § 83.48

Attorney fees.

In Force
Verified 10/28/2026 · Next check 11/4/2026
FloridaLease Requirements

Operative Text

Fla. Stat. § 83.40 et seq. § 83.48
In any civil action brought to enforce the provisions of the rental agreement or this part, the party in whose favor a judgment or decree has been rendered may recover reasonable attorney fees and court costs from the nonprevailing party. The right to attorney fees in this section may not be waived in a lease agreement. However, attorney fees may not be awarded under this section in a claim for personal injury damages based on a breach of duty under s. 83.51.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Florida Statute § 83.48 establishes that in civil lawsuits over a rental agreement or the residential landlord-tenant statutes, the winning party is entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees and court costs from the losing party. This fee-shifting rule cannot be waived or signed away in a lease. One notable exception applies: attorney fees are not available under this section when the claim is for personal injury damages arising from a landlord's duty to maintain the premises under § 83.51.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 28, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Fla. Stat. § 83.48, a landlord who prevails in a civil action to enforce a lease or the residential tenancy statutes may seek to recover reasonable attorney fees and court costs from the nonprevailing tenant. Conversely, a losing landlord may be ordered to pay the tenant's fees. Operators should be aware that any lease clause attempting to waive this fee-shifting right is unenforceable, and that the provision does not extend to personal-injury claims tied to § 83.51 maintenance duties.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Fla. Stat. § 83.48 gives tenants who win a civil action over a lease or the residential tenancy statutes the right to seek reimbursement of reasonable attorney fees and court costs from the landlord. Because no lease can waive this right, a clause purporting to eliminate it is void. Tenants who believe this provision is relevant to their situation may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to understand how fee recovery works in practice, keeping in mind that the section does not cover personal-injury claims based on § 83.51.

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 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Fla. Stat. § 83.51

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Fla. Stat. § 83.515
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. § 83.40
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. § 83.515
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. § 83.49
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. § 83.51
Fla. Stat. § 83.505
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. § 83.49
Fla. Stat. § 83.45
Fla. Stat. § 83.47
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. § 83.43
Fla. Stat. § 83.505
Fla. Stat. ch. 83
Fla. Stat. § 83.505
Fla. Stat. § 83.59
Fla. Stat. § 83.51
Fla. Stat. § 83.52
Fla. Stat. § 83.505
Fla. Stat. § 83.60
Fla. Stat. § 83.49
Fla. Stat. § 83.46
Fla. Stat. § 83.56
Fla. Stat. § 83.56
Fla. Stat. § 83.57
Fla. Stat. § 83.59
Fla. Stat. § 83.575
Fla. Stat. § 83.55
Fla. Stat. § 83.51
Fla. Stat. § 83.64
Fla. Stat. § 83.50
Fla. Stat. § 83.60
Fla. Stat. § 83.49
Fla. Stat. § 83.56
Fla. Stat. § 83.682
Fla. Stat. § 83.52
Fla. Stat. § 83.59
Fla. Stat. § 83.56
Fla. Stat. § 83.49
Fla. Stat. § 83.49

Related Rules

§ 244.280
Tenant to be given copy of lease
§ 151.35
SEVERABILITY
§ 165.12
SEVERABILITY

Source Information

Source:https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/Chapter83/All
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