Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1224
By the Committee on Judiciary; and Senator Rodriguez
590-02250-26 20261224c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to fraudulent entry of residential
3 dwellings; creating s. 817.537, F.S.; creating the
4 crime of fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling
5 unit; prohibiting a person from entering into and
6 taking possession of a residential dwelling unit under
7 specified circumstances; providing a criminal penalty;
8 amending s. 83.56, F.S.; providing that fraudulent
9 entry of a residential dwelling unit is an act of
10 noncompliance for which a landlord may terminate a
11 rental agreement; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Section 817.537, Florida Statutes, is created to
16 read:
17 817.537 Fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit.—
18 (1) A person may not enter into and take possession of a
19 residential dwelling unit by knowingly and willfully:
20 (a) Making or causing to be made any materially false
21 statement, in writing, relating to the person’s identity in any
22 rental application for a residential tenancy.
23 (b) Presenting forged, fictitious, or counterfeit documents
24 to the landlord of a residential dwelling unit, including, but
25 not limited to, a driver license, an identification card, a bank
26 statement, or a pay stub.
27 (c) Executing a rental agreement, or taking possession of a
28 residential dwelling unit, while impersonating the person in
29 whose name the rental application is submitted to the landlord.
30 (2) A person who violates this section commits the offense
31 of fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit, which is a
32 felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s.
33 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
34 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
35 83.56, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
36 83.56 Termination of rental agreement.—
37 (2) If the tenant materially fails to comply with s. 83.52
38 or material provisions of the rental agreement, other than a
39 failure to pay rent, or reasonable rules or regulations, the
40 landlord may:
41 (a) If such noncompliance is of a nature that the tenant
42 should not be given an opportunity to cure it or if the
43 noncompliance constitutes a subsequent or continuing
44 noncompliance within 12 months of a written warning by the
45 landlord of a similar violation, deliver a written notice to the
46 tenant specifying the noncompliance and the landlord’s intent to
47 terminate the rental agreement by reason thereof. Examples of
48 noncompliance which are of a nature that the tenant should not
49 be given an opportunity to cure include, but are not limited to,
50 destruction, damage, or misuse of the landlord’s or other
51 tenants’ property by intentional act; an act of fraudulent entry
52 of a residential dwelling unit which violates s. 817.537(1),
53 regardless of whether criminal proceedings have commenced; or a
54 subsequent or continued unreasonable disturbance. In such event,
55 the landlord may terminate the rental agreement, and the tenant
56 shall have 7 days from the date that the notice is delivered to
57 vacate the premises. The notice shall be in substantially the
58 following form:
59
60 You are advised that your lease is terminated effective
61 immediately. You shall have 7 days from the delivery of this
62 letter to vacate the premises. This action is taken because
63 ...(cite the noncompliance)....
64
65 Section 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2026.