DeSantis signs into law industry-backed bill allowing Florida landlords to charge 'junk fees' instead of security deposits

I don't think the asshole even has a soul. Just look at his eyes...Scary.

whatevs

it's Florida

Show me your junk!

He's been quite clear that he wants Florida to ultimately be a white, rich, straights-only state. Nothing surprises me at this point.

I’m not fan of DeSantis and his cronies in Florida isn’t just this basically saying that we won’t charge you a security deposit but will charge you a higher rent amount? Unless a set fee amount isn’t stated in the lease and able to raised during the term of that lease at any time, I don’t really see how this is anything other than raising the rental price. Florida doesn’t have rent control that I know of, so what’s the problem?

Where will the workers who do the jobs the straight, white, rich guys don't want to do, live though? In DeSantis' fat rolls? They certainly won't be able to afford apartments while he's governor!

R5, you're supposed to be OUTRAGED!!!!

no matter what this is about

Might as well just split Florida from the rest of the country and just let them all do whatever the fuck they want. They voted for the douchebag ...they can keep the douchebag. The whole state is a cesspool for mental.

On that note, maybe split off every rampant red state, too.

It is expressly not rent… that’s the whole idea of predation . Florida still has some protective landlord-tenant law that governs rentals and payment of rent. This is a bypass to make excessive profit without full compliance of the basic law.

R9, without specifics I can’t really speak to what you’re claiming. I’m not an expert on real estate law in Florida so I can’t say what law you’re talking about or how it pertains to this new law.

…..

R11, I read that and see no prohibition on what this law does, unless you can point it out. The landlord can charge a deposit or not, they can charge whatever rent they want. Where is the conflict between the new law and existing law?

Normally, when a landlord takes a security deposit it is to protect themselves. If they choose not to, it seems reasonable that they would want an additional amount of rent to cover their potential losses when a tenant leaves and the landlord has damages that they will now have to sue for, costing time and money and with a great potential for people simply not paying civil judgments, which are hard to collect when the defendant doesn’t have any asserts to attach a lien to.

Existing law protects renters by providing a process to recoup rent or to withhold rent. Existing law protects renters by providing a process where their security deposits can be recovered. Predatory law under discussion does not provide a mechanism for recouping ongoing fee payments that have already been collected—does it…shit out of luck for the renter.

R13, this law as I understand it doesn’t do away with renters being able to withhold or recoup rent if required services (heat, hot water, and garbage) aren’t provided. The recovery of deposit is a moot point because the renter never gives a deposit and enters into a contract knowing that the fees are not refundable. It’s not as if they are being denied something that they used to have.

If the state left things as they are and a landlord decided to not require a deposit but raised the rent they wanted from new renters by $200, that would be legal under the existing law as I read it. What’s the real difference then? Perhaps there is some strange category that shields a fee from being recouped but Florida law already allows for a judge to nullify any payment to a landlord, even if it is legal, if the judge finds it unreasonable in that particular case.

Rent in Florida has grown the fastest rates in the country. While the state is a minimum wage service economy. Rent control is prohibited. People are literally living in tents in the swamp. The number of homeless seniors is predicted to double next year. Yet DumbSantis priority is kill woke.

Why does he always look like surprise anal when he announces the latest shit-bag thing he’s done?

Make America A 3rd World Country aka Florida.

What a foolish, stupid man. I'm gonna checked on this 'bill' to make sure, though. Just caint believe he could be so ridiculously stupid -- but then he's in FLORIDUH. I keep wanting to forget that: FLORIDUH. Arrrrrggggh!

The problem, Anthony, is that it incentivizes the landlord´s profit-taking at the tenant´s expense. Your posts suggest a pro- landlord bias, which is quire unfortunate. This new law is of no value to the tenant. Peace out.

Oh you legal eagles. I live in Florida and this is simply bullshit legislation to allow slumlords to make the rent even more exorbitant than it already is, and tenants have no way to recover these "junk fees" like they would a security deposit. Just more bullshit. People are already paying 2k per month to practically live in a carport.

r5 he killed a rent control bill, what this does is let the landlord add in a "fee" per month with no set cap on the fee. So lets say you have to pay first and last 2000 dollars as a deposit. You can get that back when you leave. This "fee" has no requirement to be paid back. Never mind that it is large corporations that are buying up housing driving up the costs in Florida. Now when they rent them out they can charge a "leaselock" fee instead of a deposit and just keep it.

R19 Anytime there is a thread of posts that even hints at tenants "rights" or God forbid "affordable housing" the property owner shills descend on it. Tiresome and predictable. The Fl legislature is a Repug DeSantis rubber stamp bought and paid for by the developers and insurance industries. Most of the members are real estate associated .Even the impotent Democratic house leader's family is one of the largest property developers in New Jersey. Within the last few post covid years 70% of all rental properties in the state are now owned by out of state corporations. Dade county rents are now on par with SFO. Even the once housing of last resort the notorious Flawduh trailer parks are being bought up and bulldozed. The homeless population of Miami and Orlando may soon rival LA.

I’m sorry, I just don’t care what he does to the people of Florida. They voted for him overwhelmingly and they got what they voted for.

I would guess that many more of his followers are tenants than landlords.

Flawduh has always been a corrupt cesspool in a swamp. I remember as a kid my dad use to call the Governor Claude Kirk a headline grabbing fool.. Only in the 80's under Bob Graham did the leadership of the state have a modicum of responsibility. DumbSantis is just a continuation in a long line of clowns.

I read today that this creep Desatan was a worker at Guantanamo Bay?