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Cocoa Beach is a small coastal city in Brevard County on Florida's Space Coast, home to roughly 11,000 residents and a significant transient and seasonal renter population drawn by tourism, Kennedy Space Center employment, and beachfront living. Renters in Cocoa Beach make up a substantial share of the city's households, and many questions from local tenants center on deposit returns, lease terminations, and what landlords are legally required to maintain in a rental unit.
All landlord-tenant relationships in Cocoa Beach are governed by the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, found at Fla. Stat. §§ 83.40–83.682. The City of Cocoa Beach has not enacted any local tenant protections beyond what the state requires, so state law is the full extent of renters' legal rights here. Florida's framework covers key protections including habitability, security deposit procedures, eviction notice requirements, and an outright ban on self-help eviction tactics like lockouts or utility shutoffs.
This page summarizes the laws that apply to Cocoa Beach renters as of April 2026. It is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws can change, and individual situations vary — if you have a specific legal problem, consult a licensed attorney or contact a local legal aid organization.
There is no rent control in Cocoa Beach, and no Florida city or county may enact it. In May 2023, the Florida Legislature passed HB 1431, which amended Fla. Stat. § 125.0103 (for counties) and Fla. Stat. § 166.043 (for municipalities) to explicitly prohibit local governments from adopting or maintaining any ordinance that caps or controls residential rents. The law took effect immediately and invalidated a voter-approved rent stabilization measure that had passed in Orange County in November 2022, before it could be implemented.
In practical terms, this means your landlord in Cocoa Beach can raise your rent by any amount, at any time, as long as they provide proper advance notice before a new lease term or renewal. For a month-to-month tenancy, that notice must be at least 15 days before the end of the monthly period (Fla. Stat. § 83.57). There is no cap on how large the increase can be, and there is no requirement that your landlord justify or explain any rent hike. Your only protection is the notice period itself — you cannot be charged a higher rent mid-lease without your agreement, but at renewal, the landlord sets the new rate.
Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Fla. Stat. §§ 83.40–83.682) establishes the core rights of all renters in Cocoa Beach. Key protections include:
Habitability and Repairs (Fla. Stat. § 83.51 & § 83.56): Landlords must maintain rental units in compliance with applicable building and housing codes, and must keep the roof, windows, plumbing, heating, and electrical systems in good working condition. If your landlord fails to make a required repair, you must serve a written 7-day notice specifying the problem. If the issue is not corrected within 7 days, you may terminate the lease or, in some cases, pursue a rent reduction or repair-and-deduct remedy — though Florida's repair-and-deduct option is limited and must be applied carefully. Do not withhold rent without legal guidance.
Notice to Terminate a Tenancy (Fla. Stat. § 83.57): A landlord must give at least 15 days' written notice before the end of a monthly period to terminate a month-to-month tenancy. Week-to-week tenants are entitled to 7 days' notice. Annual leases typically terminate at the end of the lease term without additional notice unless the lease provides otherwise.
Anti-Retaliation Protection (Fla. Stat. § 83.64): A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant for complaining to a government agency about housing conditions, organizing or joining a tenant union, or exercising any legally protected right. Prohibited retaliatory acts include rent increases, threats to evict, or reducing services. If your landlord takes adverse action within one year of a protected activity, retaliation may be presumed.
Prohibition on Self-Help Eviction (Fla. Stat. § 83.67): It is illegal for a landlord to remove your doors or windows, change your locks, or deliberately cut off electricity, water, heat, or other essential utilities in order to force you out of the unit. If your landlord does any of these things, you are entitled to sue for actual damages or three months' rent (whichever is greater), plus court costs and attorney's fees.
Security deposit rules in Cocoa Beach are set entirely by Fla. Stat. § 83.49. Florida does not cap the amount a landlord may charge for a security deposit — it is whatever the parties agree to in the lease.
Return deadline: If the landlord makes no deductions, the full deposit must be returned within 15 days after you vacate and provide your forwarding address. If the landlord intends to make any deductions, they must send you a written notice of their claim — by certified mail to your last known address — within 30 days of your departure. The notice must describe each item of damage or charge being claimed.
Tenant's right to object: Once you receive the landlord's 30-day deduction notice, you have 15 days to send a written objection. If you object, the landlord cannot apply the deposit to those charges without filing a lawsuit or obtaining your agreement.
Penalty for non-compliance: A landlord who fails to give the required written notice within 30 days — or who fails to return the deposit within 15 days when no deductions are claimed — forfeits the right to retain any portion of the deposit and may be liable to the tenant for the full deposit amount. Courts may also award attorney's fees under Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(c).
Practical tip: Always provide your forwarding address in writing when you move out, and keep a copy. The clock on the landlord's deadlines generally starts when they receive your forwarding address.
Evictions in Cocoa Beach follow the procedures established by Fla. Stat. §§ 83.55–83.625. Florida does not require a landlord to have "just cause" to end a tenancy at the expiration of a lease — they simply must give proper notice. However, the formal eviction process requires court involvement; landlords cannot remove tenants on their own.
Step 1 — Written Notice: Before filing in court, the landlord must serve one of the following written notices depending on the reason for eviction:
Step 2 — Filing in County Court: If the tenant does not comply with the notice, the landlord may file an eviction complaint in Brevard County Court. The tenant is served with a summons and has 5 business days to respond.
Step 3 — Hearing and Judgment: If the tenant contests the eviction, the court schedules a hearing. If the landlord wins, the court issues a judgment for possession. The clerk then issues a Writ of Possession, and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office enforces it — typically giving the tenant 24 hours to leave after posting.
Self-Help Eviction is Illegal: A landlord who locks you out, removes your belongings, cuts utilities, or otherwise attempts to force you out without a court order violates Fla. Stat. § 83.67. You may sue for damages of three months' rent or actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees.
This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The tenant rights information presented here reflects Florida law as understood in April 2026, but laws and local ordinances can change. Individual circumstances vary significantly, and the information on this page may not apply to your specific situation. If you have a legal problem involving your landlord, lease, eviction, or security deposit, consult a licensed Florida attorney or contact a qualified legal aid organization in Brevard County. RentCheckMe is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation or legal counsel.
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