FL Notice to Reclaim Abandoned Property ($500 or more)

FL Notice to Reclaim Abandoned Property ($500 or More)

If one of your tenants leaves property valued at or above $500 in one of your rental properties after vacating, you will use this FL Notice to Reclaim Abandoned Property. This document notifies the tenant that they have the right to reclaim valuable abandoned personal belongings before a specified deadline.

If a tenant leaves personal property valued at $500 or more in your rental property, you are required by Florida law to serve them with this notice before disposing of or selling the possessions in question. In this notification, you will not only give notice that you have stored the item(s) in question, but also that the tenant must claim the property at a given address and pay the cost of reasonable storage, if any. If the tenant does not reclaim the property before the given deadline, they may bid on it at an advertised public sale.

Who: As a Florida landlord, you will provide this form to any tenants who have vacated one of your rental properties and have left personal property behind that is valued at $500 or more.

What: The Florida Notice to Reclaim Abandoned Property ($500 or More) allows you to give legal notice to your former tenants that they must reclaim the property within a given timeframe and that they must pay for any applicable and reasonable storage and advertising fees associated with keeping the property. If the deadline specified in the notice passes, then having served the notice, you may sell the tenant’s property at a public sale.

When: Serve this FL Notice to Reclaim Abandoned Property to your tenant as soon as you are aware that they have left behind property valued at or above $500. The sooner you serve them this notice, the sooner they can reclaim it or you can sell or dispose of it.

IMPORTANT: This document only applies to property valued at $500 or more. If you have a tenant who has abandoned property worth LESS than $500, you should refer to the Florida Notice of Right to Reclaim Abandoned Property (less than $500). That document will give you the ability to legally store and then dispose of less valuable items that your tenant has left behind after vacating your rental property.

Related Landlord Resources and Documents:

• Florida Lease Agreement
• Florida Landlord-Tenant Brochure
• Florida 3 Day Notice to Pay Rent
• Florida 7 Day Notice to Vacate

Florida State Specific Documents

• Florida Landlord-Tenant Brochure (Chapter 83 Part II): This brochure was developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to answer frequently asked questions regarding landlord/tenant law.
• Florida 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent: In FL, a 3-day notice must be served before initiating eviction proceedings.
• Florida 7-Day Notice of Noncompliance: This form is used to give a Tenant 7 days to cure a Lease violation.
• Florida 7-Day Notice to Vacate: This form is used when a Tenant breaks the Lease and there is no option for the Tenant to cure the defect.
• Florida Complaint for Eviction and Damages: If a Tenant does not comply after a 3 and 7-Day Notice, Landlords can use this form to initiate eviction proceedings.
• Florida Notice of Right to Reclaim Abandoned Property (less than $500): This form notifies the tenant that they have abandoned property remaining in the rental unit. This notice is used when the property is valued under $500.
• FL Notice to Reclaim Abandoned Property ($500 or more): This form is used if a former tenant has left personal belongings in the rental unit after vacating. The value of such items is estimated to be $500 or more.
• Florida Notice to Impose a Claim on the Security Deposit: This form must be used whenever Landlords withhold a portion of the Tenant’s security deposit.

State-Specific Forms