Did your Orlando landlord keep your security deposit? We fight to get it back — with no fees unless we win.
Orlando runs on renters. The hospitality and theme-park economy keeps thousands of workers moving between apartments, and the universities — UCF chief among them — bring a steady stream of students who sign year-to-year leases. In a city built on turnover, security deposits change hands constantly, and too many landlords treat that money as theirs to keep. When a deposit disappears behind vague “cleaning” charges or repairs you never agreed to, Hoffman Legal helps tenants from Downtown Orlando and Winter Park to Lake Nona, Baldwin Park, College Park, and Dr. Phillips push back and recover what they are owed.
Our office sits in Dania Beach in South Florida, but we represent Orlando tenants remotely — by phone, email, and video — and your case is filed and decided right here in Orange County. Wherever you signed your lease, the same law protects you: Florida Statute 83.49. We handle the legal work so you don’t have to face your landlord alone.
Florida’s security deposit rules are statewide, but here is how they play out for Orange County tenants.
If your Orlando 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 typically filed in the Orange County Court. Claims of $8,000 or less go through the small claims division — a faster, tenant-friendly process.
If your landlord blows the 30-day notice window or sends a vague claim, Florida law says they forfeit the right to keep 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 Orlando landlords 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 in Orange County Court and pursue every dollar you’re owed.
You pay nothing unless we win. The consultation is always free.
Full bilingual representation for Orlando’s English- and Spanish-speaking renters.
Speak with a real attorney, not a call center — day or night.
We’re based in South Florida and serve Orlando remotely. Handle your entire case by phone, email, or video — you never have to travel.
The statewide rule applies in Orlando: under Florida Statute 83.49, a 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.
Most Orlando deposit disputes are filed in the Orange County Court. Claims of $8,000 or less are handled in the small claims division, which is faster and designed to be navigable. In practice, the vast majority of our cases settle before a courtroom is ever needed.
Yes. Florida Statute 83.49 protects residential tenants regardless of whether you signed a 12-month lease, a short-term lease, or shared a unit with roommates. Students near UCF and seasonal hospitality workers have the same right to a timely, itemized accounting of any deductions — and the same right to object within 15 days of receiving the landlord’s notice.
Absolutely. Our office is in Dania Beach, and we represent Central Florida tenants remotely. We handle Orlando cases by phone, email, and video, and your dispute is filed and litigated in Orange County under the same Florida law that applies statewide. You never need to come to us.
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