Working families keep Central Florida’s tourism engine running — and deserve their deposits back when the lease ends. We fight for Kissimmee renters with no fees unless we win.
Kissimmee and the U.S. 192 corridor house much of the workforce behind Central Florida’s theme-park economy. Rents in Osceola County have surged, renters outnumber owners in many neighborhoods, and a withheld deposit — often $2,000 or more — can swallow a family’s entire cushion. Landlords here know how badly tenants need that money for the next move, and some use that pressure to keep it.
Hoffman Legal represents renters across Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Poinciana, Buenaventura Lakes, Celebration, and the Four Corners area. Everything is handled by phone, email, and video — in English or Spanish — and every case runs on Florida Statute 83.49, the state law that gives landlords two hard deadlines and severe consequences for missing them.
Osceola’s market has a wrinkle most counties don’t: thousands of former vacation homes converted into long-term rentals. Some owners still run them like hotel rooms — charging “resort cleaning fees” and treating deposits as nonrefundable. Once a property is rented as a residence, the residential statute governs, and those practices are exactly what it prohibits.
A striking share of Osceola rentals are owned by investors who live in another state — or another country — and manage from a distance through changing property managers. When the lease ends, deposits fall into the gap: the manager says the owner has the money, the owner points back at the manager, and nobody mails anything. Under Florida law, that shuffle doesn’t matter. The 30-day notice deadline binds whoever holds the deposit, and blowing it forfeits the claim.
The other pattern is the “resort-style” deduction: departure cleaning fees, linen replacement, pool maintenance — hotel-flavored charges with no place in residential law. Ordinary wear and tear is never deductible, cleaning to re-rent is the owner’s cost of business, and every charge must be itemized in a timely, properly delivered notice. We hold Osceola landlords to each of those requirements.
Here’s how Florida’s deposit statute works for Kissimmee tenants — local court included.
A Kissimmee landlord taking no deductions owes your full deposit back within 15 days of move-out. Keeping any part requires an itemized claim by certified mail (or agreed-upon email) within 30 days.
Kissimmee deposit disputes are filed at the Osceola County Courthouse on Courthouse Square in downtown Kissimmee. Claims of $8,000 or less go through the small claims division.
No properly delivered claim within 30 days — or a vague one — means the landlord forfeits the claim against your deposit, even if the owner lives out of state and “never got the message.”
Prevailing tenants generally recover reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs from the landlord under Florida law — which is why pressing a strong claim costs you nothing.
Tell us what happened — English or Spanish. We review your lease and any deduction notice free, and give you an honest assessment.
We collect your photos, texts, receipts, and payment records, and identify exactly where the landlord or manager broke Statute 83.49.
We send a formal demand letter that reaches the actual deposit holder — owner or manager, in-state or not. Most Kissimmee cases settle here.
If they won’t pay, we’re ready to file at the Osceola County Courthouse and pursue your deposit, interest, and fees.
You pay nothing unless we win. The consultation is always free.
No trips needed — your entire case handled by phone, email, or video, on your schedule.
Speak with a real attorney, not a call center — day or night.
Full representation in English or Spanish — your choice, at no extra cost.
Florida Statute 83.49 sets two deadlines: 15 days to return the full deposit if no deductions are claimed, or 30 days to mail a written, itemized claim by certified mail (or agreed-upon email). Miss both, and the landlord has forfeited the right to keep any portion of your money.
Yes. Once a property is leased as a residence, Florida’s residential tenancy law — including Statute 83.49 — governs the deposit. “Resort fees,” departure-cleaning charges, and nonrefundable-deposit clauses copied from the vacation-rental playbook do not override the statute’s requirements.
The obligation follows the deposit. Whoever holds your money — owner or manager — is bound by the 30-day notice rule, and the landlord cannot escape liability by blaming their agent. We identify the responsible party, direct the demand correctly, and file against the right defendant if needed.
Not lawfully. Cleaning needed to prepare a unit for the next tenant is ordinary turnover cost, not tenant damage. Automatic or flat cleaning fees deducted from deposits are among the most commonly defeated charges — especially when they weren’t claimed in a timely, properly delivered itemized notice.
Yes — all of Osceola County and the Four Corners area where Osceola, Polk, Lake, and Orange counties meet. The statute is identical everywhere; only the courthouse changes, and we sort that out for you. Hablamos español.
A note on how deposit notices may be delivered: since July 1, 2025, a Florida landlord may deliver the deduction notice by email instead of certified mail — but only when landlord and tenant have both signed the electronic-delivery addendum described in Florida Statute 83.505. A landlord who misses the notice deadline forfeits the right to keep your deposit, although the law still allows a separate damages lawsuit after the deposit is returned.
Sources: Fla. Stat. § 83.49 — security deposits • Fla. Stat. § 83.505 — electronic delivery of notices
This page provides general information about Florida law, not legal advice for your specific situation, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your case, contact us for a free consultation.
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