Last updated: April 2026
St. Petersburg renters are protected by Florida state law on security deposits, habitability, eviction notice, and landlord retaliation — but there is no local or state rent control. Here is what every renter in St. Pete needs to know.
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St. Petersburg is Florida's fourth-largest city, home to roughly 260,000 residents in Pinellas County. The city has experienced significant rent increases in recent years, driven by population growth, coastal desirability, and an influx of new residents across the Tampa Bay region. As a result, tenant rights questions — particularly around rent increases, security deposit returns, and eviction procedures — are among the most common concerns for St. Petersburg renters.
All tenant-landlord relationships in St. Petersburg are governed exclusively by Florida state law, specifically the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Fla. Stat. §§ 83.40–83.682). The City of St. Petersburg has not enacted any local tenant protection ordinances beyond what state law provides. Florida banned local rent control in 2023, meaning neither the city nor Pinellas County can cap how much landlords may raise rent.
This page summarizes the key legal protections available to St. Petersburg renters under Florida law, including deposit rules, habitability requirements, eviction procedures, and anti-retaliation rights. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Renters facing urgent housing issues should contact a local legal aid organization.
St. Petersburg has no rent control, and no Florida city or county may enact it. In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed HB 1431, which explicitly prohibits local governments — including cities and counties — from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance that controls the amount of rent charged for private residential property. This law is codified at Fla. Stat. § 125.0103 (for counties) and Fla. Stat. § 166.043 (for municipalities).
The 2023 law overrode a voter-approved rent stabilization measure in Orange County and made clear that no future local rent control efforts would survive legal challenge. Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg have never had a rent control ordinance, and both are now legally barred from creating one. This means a landlord in St. Petersburg can raise rent by any amount at the end of a lease term, with no statutory cap or percentage limit.
In practice, St. Petersburg renters have no protection against large rent increases as long as the landlord provides proper notice before a new lease term begins. If you are on a fixed-term lease, your rent is locked at the agreed amount until that lease expires — but once it ends or converts to month-to-month, your landlord may propose any new rent amount. Your only protection at that point is to negotiate or choose not to renew.
While rent control does not exist, Florida law provides several important protections for St. Petersburg renters under the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Fla. Stat. §§ 83.40–83.682).
Habitability (Fla. Stat. § 83.51): Landlords must maintain rental units in a condition that complies with applicable building, housing, and health codes, and must provide functioning plumbing, heat, hot water, and weatherproofing. If your landlord fails to maintain habitability, you have specific legal remedies available under Fla. Stat. § 83.56.
Repair Remedies (Fla. Stat. § 83.56): If your landlord fails to make essential repairs after receiving proper written notice, you may — after giving a 7-day written notice — terminate the lease or pursue other statutory remedies. The 7-day notice must describe the problem and demand that it be corrected.
Notice to Terminate Tenancy (Fla. Stat. § 83.57): For month-to-month tenancies, either party must give at least 15 days written notice before the end of any monthly period to end the tenancy. Week-to-week tenants are entitled to at least 7 days written notice. These minimums cannot be waived in a lease.
Anti-Retaliation (Fla. Stat. § 83.64): A landlord may not raise rent, reduce services, threaten eviction, or take any retaliatory action against a tenant for complaining to a government agency about housing conditions, organizing or joining a tenant association, or exercising any legal right. If a landlord takes adverse action within one year of protected activity, retaliation is presumed.
Lockout and Utility Shutoff Prohibition (Fla. Stat. § 83.67): Self-help eviction is illegal in Florida. A landlord cannot remove doors, windows, or locks; disconnect electricity, water, or other utilities; or remove your belongings in order to force you out. Violations entitle the tenant to actual damages or three months' rent — whichever is greater — plus attorney's fees and court costs.
Security deposit rules for St. Petersburg rentals are governed by Fla. Stat. § 83.49. Florida law does not cap the amount a landlord may collect as a security deposit — a landlord may request any amount they choose, though market norms typically range from one to two months' rent.
Return Deadline: If the landlord intends to make no deductions, the deposit must be returned within 15 days after you vacate the unit. If the landlord intends to make deductions, they must send you written notice of the claim — by certified mail to your last known address — within 30 days of you vacating. That notice must state the specific reasons and amounts being withheld.
Your Right to Object: After receiving the landlord's deduction notice, you have 15 days to object in writing. If you do not object within 15 days, you waive the right to dispute those deductions. If you do object, the landlord must either return the disputed amount or file a lawsuit to recover it.
Penalty for Non-Compliance: A landlord who fails to provide the required written notice within 30 days forfeits their right to make any deductions at all and must return the full deposit. If a landlord wrongfully withholds your deposit after losing that right, you may sue for the deposit amount, court costs, and attorney's fees under Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(c).
Holding Requirements: Landlords who collect a deposit must hold it in a separate non-commingled Florida bank account, or post a surety bond. They must provide written notice within 30 days of receiving the deposit specifying where it is held and whether it earns interest (Fla. Stat. § 83.49(1)).
Evictions in St. Petersburg are governed by Florida law, specifically Fla. Stat. §§ 83.56–83.625. A landlord must follow every step of the legal process; there are no shortcuts.
Step 1 — Written Notice: Before filing with the court, a landlord must serve a written notice on the tenant. The type and length of notice depends on the reason for eviction:
Step 2 — Court Filing: If you do not comply with the notice, the landlord may file an eviction complaint in Pinellas County Court. You will be served with a summons and have 5 business days to file a written response (Fla. Stat. § 83.60). Failure to respond may result in a default judgment against you.
Step 3 — Hearing: If you file a response, the court will schedule a hearing. If you are disputing the eviction due to failure to pay rent, you must deposit the disputed rent amount into the court registry when you file your response, or you may lose your right to contest (Fla. Stat. § 83.60(2)).
Step 4 — Writ of Possession: If the court rules for the landlord, a Writ of Possession is issued. The Pinellas County Sheriff will post a 24-hour notice before executing the writ and physically removing you if you have not left.
Self-Help Eviction is Illegal: A landlord who changes locks, removes doors, shuts off utilities, or removes your belongings to force you out — without a court order — violates Fla. Stat. § 83.67. You may sue for actual damages or three months' rent (whichever is greater), plus attorney's fees.
No. St. Petersburg does not have rent control, and neither does any other city or county in Florida. In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed HB 1431, which is codified at Fla. Stat. § 125.0103 and § 166.043 and explicitly bans local governments from enacting or enforcing any form of residential rent control. This law even overrode voter-approved rent stabilization measures. There is no cap on how much a landlord can raise your rent in St. Petersburg.
There is no legal limit on rent increases in St. Petersburg or anywhere in Florida. If you are on a fixed-term lease, your rent is locked at the agreed amount for the duration of that lease. Once your lease expires or you are on a month-to-month tenancy, your landlord may propose any new rent amount. For month-to-month tenants, the landlord must provide at least 15 days written notice before the end of a rental period to change the terms, including rent, under Fla. Stat. § 83.57.
Under Fla. Stat. § 83.49, if your landlord makes no deductions, the deposit must be returned within 15 days after you vacate. If the landlord intends to make deductions, they must send you written notice by certified mail within 30 days of your move-out date specifying the reasons and amounts. Failure to send that notice within 30 days causes the landlord to forfeit the right to make any deductions and they must return the full deposit.
The required notice depends on the reason for eviction. For nonpayment of rent, the landlord must provide a 3-day written notice (excluding weekends and legal holidays) to pay or vacate under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3). For a curable lease violation, a 7-day notice to correct or vacate is required under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(2)(b). To end a month-to-month tenancy without cause, the landlord must provide at least 15 days written notice before the end of the rental period under Fla. Stat. § 83.57.
No. Self-help eviction is illegal in Florida under Fla. Stat. § 83.67. A landlord cannot change your locks, remove doors or windows, disconnect electricity or water, or remove your belongings to force you out without a court order. If your landlord does any of these things, you are entitled to sue for actual damages or three months' rent — whichever is greater — plus attorney's fees and court costs. Contact Bay Area Legal Services or local law enforcement if this happens to you.
Under Fla. Stat. § 83.51, landlords in St. Petersburg must maintain rental units in compliance with housing and health codes and provide essential services like plumbing, heat, and weatherproofing. If your landlord refuses to make required repairs, you must first serve a written 7-day notice describing the problem and demanding it be fixed, as required by Fla. Stat. § 83.56. If the landlord still does not act, you may be entitled to terminate the lease or pursue other legal remedies. Also note that under Fla. Stat. § 83.64, a landlord cannot retaliate against you for reporting code violations to the city or county.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Tenant-landlord laws can change, and individual circumstances vary. RentCheckMe makes no guarantee that this information is current, complete, or applicable to your specific situation. If you are facing an eviction, security deposit dispute, or any other housing legal matter, you should consult a licensed attorney or contact a local legal aid organization such as Bay Area Legal Services or Gulfcoast Legal Services. Do not rely solely on this page when making legal decisions.
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