Florida Eviction Process For Non-Payment of Rent
The steps to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent can be found on the Official Clerk of the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County’s website. A landlord can also download the forms required to start the eviction process and file the paperwork without the help of an attorney. However, a real estate or landlord/tenant attorneys will make this process so much easier, and can file and serve the paperwork for you.
Notice of Non-Payment of Rent to Tenant
Before your lawyer files an eviction lawsuit, a written notice must be sent from the landlord to the tenant. This notice should state:
- The tenant has three business days to either pay the rent owed or vacate the property
- The amount of rent owed
- The date you served the tenant notice
- The name and address of the landlord and tenant
In addition to the notice, the other documents which need to be filed with the Court Clerk are:
- The original complaint
- Copies of the notice of non-payment of rent
- Copy of the lease
- The eviction summons
- A small filing fee
- Pre-addressed, stamped envelopes with the tenant’s name and address
The Sheriff or Certified Process Server will serve the tenant the summons. The tenant has five business days to file a response. On the sixth day, the lawsuit may be filed.
This article on the Florida eviction process was contributed by the Tampa real estate lawyers of Fuentes & Kreischer, PA, 813-933-6647.
