Orange County Adopts Rental Notice Ordinance

Requires Landlords to Notify Tenants for Increases over 5%

Orange County, Fla. – Orange County’s Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously today to put in place a Rental Notices Ordinance to protect tenants by requiring landlords to give a 60-day written notice for rent increases of more than 5%. The ordinance will take effect throughout all of Orange County, including all 13 municipalities.

The ordinance also provides protections for those residents and landlords who may not have a written lease agreement in place and pay rent on a quarterly or monthly basis. Either party can terminate these residential arrangements, by giving the other party no less than 60 days written notice.

“The 60-day notice is critical. Having this ordinance in place gives tenants time to prepare and seek alternative housing in the event that they do not wish to stay where they are currently living,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings.

“We’ve seen similar measures adopted in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and as a Board we are confident that this ordinance will further protect our Orange County residents.”

Renters can file a complaint against a landlord or property owner who has raised the rent by more than 5% without giving the 60 days written notice by calling 3-1-1. Orange County staff stands ready and prepared to educate, verify and enforce this ordinance.

The Rental Notices Ordinance will become effective once filed with the Florida Department of State, which can take up to 10 days.