Eviction Laws in Orlando, Florida
Orlando is Florida’s fourth-largest city and one of the fastest-growing metros in the United States, with a population of around 320,000 in the city proper and over 2.7 million across the broader Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area. While the world knows Orlando for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and the massive tourism and hospitality industry that surrounds them, the rental market is driven by a much broader economic base — the University of Central Florida is one of the largest universities in the country with over 70,000 students, the healthcare sector anchored by AdventHealth and Orlando Health employs tens of thousands, and a rapidly growing technology and defense corridor along the Interstate 4 spine has diversified the economy well beyond theme parks. The result is a rental market with extraordinary depth: students, hospitality workers, healthcare professionals, tech employees, and tourism industry workers all competing for units in a city that has added more residents per year than almost any other metro in the country.
Florida’s eviction framework under F.S. Chapter 83 applies uniformly across Orlando and Orange County, and the process is straightforward and landlord-efficient. For nonpayment of rent, landlords must serve a written 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate — excluding weekends and legal holidays — before filing. For curable lease violations, a 7-Day Notice to Cure applies; for serious or incurable violations, a 7-Day Unconditional Quit Notice. Once the notice period expires without compliance, the landlord files a Complaint for Eviction with Orange County Court. The tenant has 5 business days to respond. After a favorable judgment, a Writ of Possession is issued and the tenant has just 24 hours to vacate before the Orange County Sheriff enforces removal. Florida has no rent control and no security deposit cap, though strict 15/30-day deposit return rules apply.
Orlando & Orange County — Local Rules That Affect Landlords
No rent control. Florida state law preempts local rent regulation and Orlando has none — though tenant advocacy groups in Orange County have periodically pushed for local protections, state preemption has held firm.
Short-Term Rental Restrictions. Orlando city limits restrict STRs to owner-occupied primary residences in most residential zones. Orange County has its own STR permitting requirements outside city limits. Landlords considering vacation rentals must verify zoning compliance at the property level — operating an unpermitted STR in Orlando proper creates significant legal and code enforcement exposure.
UCF and Student Lease Dynamics. With UCF enrolling over 70,000 students, a substantial share of Orlando’s rental inventory turns over on academic calendars. End-of-lease holdovers are common in May and June. Florida law requires no additional notice for holdover tenants beyond the demand — landlords can file a Complaint for Eviction immediately after the lease expires and the tenant refuses to vacate.
Tourism and Hospitality Worker Volatility. A significant portion of Orlando’s tenant pool works in the hospitality and theme park industries — sectors prone to seasonal layoffs, strike activity, and income volatility. Document all nonpayment thoroughly and maintain a consistent rent ledger before filing — Orange County judges see high volumes of nonpayment cases and paper documentation matters.
Security Deposit Rules. Florida requires written notice to tenants within 30 days of receiving a deposit detailing where it is held and whether it is interest-bearing. Non-compliance forfeits deposit claim rights — a defense tenants and legal aid attorneys raise regularly in Orange County eviction proceedings.
Orange County Court — Where Orlando Landlords File
Orlando landlords file eviction actions at Orange County Court, County Civil Division, located at 425 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801, phone (407) 836-2000, open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. File a Complaint for Eviction and pay the filing fee of approximately $185 plus $10 per defendant for summons issuance. The clerk issues a 5-business-day summons served by the Orange County Sheriff or a certified process server. If the tenant does not respond within 5 business days, file a Motion for Default. If the tenant responds and deposits rent into the court registry, a hearing is set. After a favorable judgment, a Writ of Possession is issued and the tenant has 24 hours to vacate before the sheriff executes removal. Self-help eviction — changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities without a court order — is illegal under F.S. § 83.67 and exposes landlords to damages of up to 3 months’ rent plus attorney fees.
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