A late rent notice in Florida is a written notice telling the tenant that rent has not been paid and demanding payment. For eviction purposes, the important notice is usually the statutory 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate. This notice must state the amount of rent owed and give the tenant three business days to pay or leave. It should not be casual, vague, or confusing. A friendly reminder or ledger statement may help communication, but it’s not always enough to support an eviction filing. The notice should be served correctly under Florida law. If the tenant does not pay within the notice period, the landlord may then file an eviction lawsuit in county court.
Sources: Fla. Stat. §§ 83.56(3), 83.56(4), 83.59; Bell v. Kornblatt, 705 So. 2d 113 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998).
Case note: Bell supports the idea that the statutory notice matters before an eviction can move forward. Basically, a landlord should not treat a casual reminder like it automatically counts as the required eviction notice.
