Florida SB 142: Permit Fees

Bill Text

142 
Termination of a Rental Agreement by a Victim of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Violence, or Stalking 
2025-10-08T07:48:43Z 
Prohibiting a landlord from terminating a rental agreement or evicting a tenant because the tenant or the tenant’s minor child is a victim of actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking; authorizing a victim of such actual or threatened violence or stalking to terminate a rental agreement under certain circumstances; providing for liability for rent for both the tenant and the perpetrator, if applicable; specifying that a tenant does not forfeit certain money paid to the landlord for terminating the rental agreement under certain circumstances, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 142 

 By Senator Bracy Davis 

 15-00387-26 2026142__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to termination of a rental agreement 
 3 by a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, 
 4 sexual violence, or stalking; creating s. 83.676, 
 5 F.S.; defining terms; prohibiting a landlord from 
 6 terminating a rental agreement or evicting a tenant 
 7 because the tenant or the tenant’s minor child is a 
 8 victim of actual or threatened domestic violence, 
 9 dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking; 
 10 specifying that a rental agreement may not contain 
 11 certain provisions; authorizing a victim of such 
 12 actual or threatened violence or stalking to terminate 
 13 a rental agreement under certain circumstances; 
 14 requiring certain documentation and written notice to 
 15 be provided to the landlord; providing for liability 
 16 for rent for both the tenant and the perpetrator, if 
 17 applicable; specifying that a tenant does not forfeit 
 18 certain money paid to the landlord for terminating the 
 19 rental agreement under certain circumstances; 
 20 requiring a landlord to change the locks of the 
 21 dwelling unit within a specified time period under 
 22 certain circumstances; authorizing the tenant to 
 23 change the locks of the dwelling unit under certain 
 24 circumstances; providing that certain information 
 25 provided to a landlord from a tenant or a prospective 
 26 tenant is confidential; prohibiting certain actions by 
 27 a landlord under certain circumstances; authorizing 
 28 filing of a civil action and an award of damages, 
 29 fees, and costs under certain circumstances; 
 30 prohibiting the waiver of certain provisions; 
 31 providing an effective date. 
 32 
 33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 34 
 35 Section 1. Section 83.676, Florida Statutes, is created to 
 36 read: 
 37 83.676 Early termination of rental agreement by a victim of 
 38 domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or 
 39 stalking; lock changing.— 
 40 (1) As used in this section, the term: 
 41 (a) “Dating violence” has the same meaning as in s. 
 42 784.046(1)(d). 
 43 (b) “Domestic violence” has the same meaning as in s. 
 44 741.28. 
 45 (c) “Sexual violence” has the same meaning as in s. 
 46 784.046(1)(c). 
 47 (d) “Stalking,” as described in s. 784.048(2), means 
 48 willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following, harassing, or 
 49 cyberstalking another person. 
 50 (2) A landlord may not terminate a rental agreement or 
 51 evict a tenant for an incident involving actual or threatened 
 52 domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking 
 53 if the tenant or the tenant’s minor child is the victim of such 
 54 actual or threatened violence or stalking. A rental agreement 
 55 may not include a provision deeming that early termination of a 
 56 rental agreement because of an incident involving actual or 
 57 threatened domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, 
 58 or stalking, in which the tenant or the tenant’s minor child is 
 59 a victim and not the perpetrator, is a breach of the rental 
 60 agreement. 
 61 (3)(a) If a tenant or a tenant’s minor child is a victim of 
 62 actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence, sexual 
 63 violence, or stalking during the term of a rental agreement, the 
 64 tenant may, without penalty, terminate the rental agreement at 
 65 any time by providing the landlord with written notice of the 
 66 tenant’s intent to terminate the rental agreement and to vacate 
 67 the premises because of such incident. The termination of the 
 68 rental agreement is effective immediately upon delivery of the 
 69 written notice and documentation specified in paragraph (b), if 
 70 applicable, to the landlord. 
 71 (b) Unless the landlord notifies the tenant that 
 72 documentation is not needed, a notice of termination from the 
 73 tenant required under paragraph (a) must be accompanied by 
 74 documentation verifying the tenant’s or the tenant’s minor 
 75 child’s status as a victim of actual or threatened domestic 
 76 violence, dating violence, sexual violen