Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1224
Ì809630ÊÎ809630
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
01/27/2026 .
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The Committee on Judiciary (Rodriguez) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 817.537, Florida Statutes, is created to
6 read:
7 817.537 Fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit.—
8 (1) A person may not enter into and take possession of a
9 residential dwelling unit by knowingly and willfully:
10 (a) Making or causing to be made any materially false
11 statement, in writing, relating to the person’s identity in any
12 rental application for a residential tenancy.
13 (b) Presenting forged, fictitious, or counterfeit documents
14 to the landlord of a residential dwelling unit, including, but
15 not limited to, a driver license, an identification card, a bank
16 statement, or a paystub.
17 (c) Executing a rental agreement, or taking possession of a
18 residential dwelling unit, while impersonating the person in
19 whose name the rental application is submitted to the landlord.
20 (2) A person who violates this section commits the offense
21 of fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit, which is a
22 felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s.
23 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
24 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
25 83.56, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
26 83.56 Termination of rental agreement.—
27 (2) If the tenant materially fails to comply with s. 83.52
28 or material provisions of the rental agreement, other than a
29 failure to pay rent, or reasonable rules or regulations, the
30 landlord may:
31 (a) If such noncompliance is of a nature that the tenant
32 should not be given an opportunity to cure it or if the
33 noncompliance constitutes a subsequent or continuing
34 noncompliance within 12 months of a written warning by the
35 landlord of a similar violation, deliver a written notice to the
36 tenant specifying the noncompliance and the landlord’s intent to
37 terminate the rental agreement by reason thereof. Examples of
38 noncompliance which are of a nature that the tenant should not
39 be given an opportunity to cure include, but are not limited to,
40 destruction, damage, or misuse of the landlord’s or other
41 tenants’ property by intentional act; an act of fraudulent entry
42 of a residential dwelling unit which violates s. 817.537(1),
43 regardless of whether criminal proceedings have commenced; or a
44 subsequent or continued unreasonable disturbance. In such event,
45 the landlord may terminate the rental agreement, and the tenant
46 shall have 7 days from the date that the notice is delivered to
47 vacate the premises. The notice shall be in substantially the
48 following form:
49
50 You are advised that your lease is terminated effective
51 immediately. You shall have 7 days from the delivery of this
52 letter to vacate the premises. This action is taken because
53 ...(cite the noncompliance)....
54
55 Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2026.
56
57 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
58 And the title is amended as follows:
59 Delete everything before the enacting clause
60 and insert:
61 A bill to be entitled
62 An act relating to fraudulent entry of residential
63 dwellings; creating s. 817.537, F.S.; creating the
64 crime of fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling
65 unit; prohibiting a person from entering into and
66 taking possession of a residential dwelling unit under
67 specified circumstances; providing a criminal penalty;
68 amending s. 83.56, F.S.; providing that fraudulent
69 entry of a residential dwelling unit is an act of
70 noncompliance for which a landlord may terminate a
71 rental agreement; providing an effective date.