Did your Fort Lauderdale landlord keep your security deposit? Our office is right up the road in Dania Beach — and we fight to get it back with no fees unless we win.
Hoffman Legal isn’t a firm parachuting in from across the state — our office sits in Dania Beach, just minutes south of downtown Fort Lauderdale. We drive the same I-95 and US-1 you do, and we appear in the Broward County courthouse regularly. That proximity matters: we already know the local landlords, the larger property-management companies along Las Olas and Flagler Village, and the way Broward judges tend to handle deposit cases. When a landlord in Victoria Park, Rio Vista, or a high-rise on the New River decides to keep your money, you want someone who works this territory every week.
From Wilton Manors and Sunrise to Plantation, Davie, Pompano Beach, and Hollywood, we help renters across the Fort Lauderdale area recover deposits that should have been returned. The protection you rely on is Florida Statute 83.49, and we put it to work so you don’t have to argue with your former landlord on your own.
Florida’s security deposit rules are statewide, but here is how they apply to Fort Lauderdale tenants — and why being based in Broward gives us an edge.
If your Fort Lauderdale landlord makes no deductions, your full deposit is due back within 15 days. If they want to keep any of it, they must mail you an itemized claim by certified mail within 30 days.
Deposit disputes are filed at the Broward County Court in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Claims of $8,000 or less go through the small claims division — a venue we’re in constantly.
If your landlord blows the 30-day notice window or sends a vague claim, Florida law says they forfeit the right to impose a claim on your deposit — even if the unit truly needed work.
When a tenant prevails, Florida law generally requires the landlord to pay the tenant’s reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs — which is why we can take strong cases at no cost to you.
Tell us what happened. We review your lease, your move-out, and any deduction notice — at no cost — and tell you honestly whether you have a strong claim.
We gather your photos, texts, receipts, and payment records and pinpoint exactly where your landlord violated Statute 83.49.
We send a formal demand letter that Broward landlords and property managers take seriously. Most disputes settle here — quickly and in your favor.
If the landlord won’t do the right thing, we’re ready to file at the Broward County Court — just a short drive from our office — and pursue every dollar you’re owed.
You pay nothing unless we win. The consultation is always free.
Our Dania Beach office is minutes from Fort Lauderdale and the Broward County courthouse.
Speak with a real attorney, not a call center — day or night.
Handle your entire case by phone, email, or video — or stop by if you prefer. Whatever works for you.
Under Florida Statute 83.49, a Fort Lauderdale landlord who makes no deductions must return your full deposit within 15 days of move-out. If they intend to keep any portion, they must send written, itemized notice by certified mail within 30 days. Miss either deadline and they forfeit the right to impose a claim against your deposit.
Fort Lauderdale deposit disputes are filed in the Broward County Court downtown. Claims of $8,000 or less are handled in the small claims division, which is faster and built to be navigable. Because our office is in nearby Dania Beach, this is a courthouse we work in regularly — though most of our cases settle long before a hearing.
Usually not. Landlords cannot deduct for ordinary wear and tear — routine cleaning, faded paint, and carpet worn from normal living are the landlord’s cost of doing business, not yours. A landlord may only charge for genuine damage beyond normal use, and only with a proper itemized notice sent on time.
All of it. Our office in Dania Beach puts us minutes from Fort Lauderdale, and we represent renters throughout Broward — Las Olas, Victoria Park, Flagler Village, Rio Vista, Wilton Manors, Sunrise, Plantation, Davie, Pompano Beach, and Hollywood included. Wherever you rent in the area, we’re close by and ready to help.
Hoffman Legal represents tenants across Florida. Explore our other service areas: