Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Florida?

No. Cutting off utilities, changing locks or removing a tenant’s property makes the landlord liable for actual and consequential damages or three months’ rent, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney fees. Fla. Stat. § 83.67. In Florida a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by Fla. Stat. §§ 83.56, 83.59, 83.60, 83.62, 83.67; Fla. Stat. § 51.011.

WhatFlorida
Changing the locks, cutting a utility or removing belongingsUnlawful
Who may remove a tenantOnly a court officer acting on a court order

Notes

Florida’s registry-deposit rule is the most consequential detail in the state: a tenant who does not deposit the rent claimed loses the right to defend, and the landlord may move for a default judgment for possession.

Source

Fla. Stat. §§ 83.56, 83.59, 83.60, 83.62, 83.67; Fla. Stat. § 51.011 — last checked 2026-09-16.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

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