Florida Repair Request Letter to Landlord (Ordinary Letter)

Most repair problems in a rental start with an ordinary message: something is broken, please fix it. This page explains, in plain words, what a Florida landlord is responsible for maintaining under section 83.51 of the Florida Statutes (2026 edition) [1], and gives a neutral repair request letter. That letter is everyday correspondence. It is not the formal 7-day notice described in sections 83.56(1) and 83.60, which works differently and is explained, but not templated, further down [2] [3].

What a Florida landlord has to maintain

Section 83.51 sets two layers of duties.

The basic duties. The landlord must follow the applicable building, housing, and health codes [1]. Where no such codes apply, the landlord must keep the roof, windows, doors, floors, steps, porches, exterior walls, foundation, and other structural parts in good repair, and keep the plumbing in reasonable working condition [1]. Screens must be in reasonable condition when the tenancy starts, and after that the landlord must repair screen damage once a year when needed [1]. For a single-family home or a duplex, these duties can be changed in writing [1]. The landlord does not have to maintain a mobile home or other structure the tenant owns [1].

For apartments and other units that are not a single-family home or duplex. Unless the parties agreed otherwise in writing, the landlord must also make reasonable provisions for these items [1]:

• Extermination of rats, mice, roaches, ants, wood-destroying organisms, and bedbugs [1].
• Locks and keys [1].
• Clean and safe common areas [1].
• Garbage removal and outside garbage containers [1].
• Working heat during winter, running water, and hot water [1].

If a tenant has to leave temporarily for extermination, the landlord must give 7 days' written notice, the tenant does not have to stay out for more than 4 days, and the landlord must reduce the rent for that time [1].

Smoke detectors. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the landlord of a single-family home or duplex must install working smoke detection devices when the tenancy starts [1].

Damage the tenant causes. The landlord is not responsible under this section for conditions caused by the careless or wrongful act of the tenant, the tenant's family, or a guest [1].

Where to send a repair request

The landlord must tell the tenant in writing, no later than the start of the tenancy, the name and address of the landlord or the person authorized to receive notices and demands [4]. That disclosure is a natural place to look for where to send a request.

Section 83.505 sets a specific e-mail rule for the notices that Part II requires, such as the formal notices described further down: they may be e-mailed only when both sides signed an addendum to the rental agreement agreeing to e-mail delivery, the addendum plainly says the choice is voluntary and can be revoked or the address updated at any time, and each side gave a valid e-mail address for notices [5]. Either side can revoke that agreement or change its designated address by written notice, which takes effect when delivered [5]. The same section says it does not rule out other delivery methods allowed by law [5]. The ordinary repair request on this page is not one of those required notices.

What to gather before writing

• The rental address and unit number, and the landlord's name and address for notices.
• A plain description of each problem: what it is, where it is, and when it started.
• Photos with dates, and copies of any earlier texts, e-mails, or work orders.
• Times when someone can be home to let a repair person in.
• A way to keep proof of sending, such as a mailing receipt or a saved copy.

Letter template: ordinary repair request

The letter below asks for repairs and gives facts. It does not state any intention to end the lease or to stop paying rent, which is what separates it from the formal notices described in sections 83.56(1) and 83.60 [2] [3].

ORDINARY REPAIR REQUEST
This letter is a request for repairs. It is not a notice under section 83.56(1) or section 83.60, Florida Statutes.

[DATE]

[LANDLORD OR AGENT NAME]
[ADDRESS FOR NOTICES FROM THE LEASE OR LANDLORD DISCLOSURE]

Re: Repair request for [RENTAL ADDRESS AND UNIT NUMBER]
Tenant(s): [TENANT NAME OR NAMES]

Dear [LANDLORD OR AGENT NAME]:

I am writing to ask for repairs at the rental listed above.

The problem: [DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM, FOR EXAMPLE THE KITCHEN SINK LEAKS UNDER THE CABINET]
Where: [ROOM OR AREA]
When it started: [DATE OR APPROXIMATE DATE]
Earlier reports: [DATES AND HOW REPORTED, OR NONE]

[REPEAT THE FOUR LINES ABOVE FOR EACH ADDITIONAL PROBLEM]

I have attached [NUMBER] photos. Someone can be home to provide access on [DAYS AND TIMES]. Please contact me at [PHONE NUMBER OR E-MAIL ADDRESS] to schedule the repair.

Thank you,

[SIGNATURE]
[PRINTED NAME]

Sent by: [MAIL, HAND DELIVERY, OR OTHER METHOD] on [DATE SENT]

Keep a copy of the letter, the photos, and the proof of sending.

The separate formal notices (not templated here)

Florida law also has formal written notices about repairs. They carry significant consequences, so this page describes them and links the statute text instead of offering a template or any instructions about rent.

• Section 83.56(1) — ending the rental agreement. If the landlord materially fails to comply with section 83.51(1) or material terms of the rental agreement within 7 days after delivery of a written notice from the tenant that describes the problem and states the tenant's intention to end the rental agreement because of it, the tenant may end the rental agreement [2]. The statute adds separate rules for when the failure is due to causes beyond the landlord's control and the landlord keeps making every reasonable effort to fix it [2]. These notice requirements cannot be waived in the lease [2].
• Section 83.60(1)(b) — a defense in an eviction case for unpaid rent. A tenant can raise the landlord's material noncompliance with section 83.51(1) as a defense only if 7 days have passed after delivering a written notice that describes the problem and states the tenant's intention not to pay rent because of it [3].
• Section 83.60(2) — rent paid into the court. In a landlord's case for possession, a tenant who raises any defense other than payment must pay into the court registry the rent alleged in the complaint, or the amount the court sets, plus rent that comes due while the case is pending [3]. Public housing tenants and tenants receiving rent subsidies have to deposit only the part of the rent they are responsible for under their program [3]. If the tenant neither pays the required rent into the registry nor files a motion asking the court to determine the amount within 5 days after being served, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, the statute treats every defense other than payment as waived, and the landlord is entitled to an immediate default judgment for removal of the tenant [3]. A motion to determine rent must include documentation supporting the claim that the rent stated in the complaint is wrong [3].
• The apartment-type duties and eviction defenses. Section 83.51(2)(c) says nothing in Part II lets a tenant raise noncompliance with subsection (2) — the apartment-type duties listed above — as a defense to an action for possession under section 83.59 [1]. But where the subsection (1) duty, such as a code requirement, is the same as or greater than a subsection (2) duty, subsection (1) sets the landlord's duty, and material noncompliance with subsection (1) is the defense section 83.60(1)(b) addresses [1] [3].

Full text: section 83.56 and section 83.60 on the Florida Senate website.

Questions

Is a repair request letter the same as a 7-day notice in Florida?

No. The notices in sections 83.56(1) and 83.60(1)(b) are written notices that describe the problem and state an intention to end the rental agreement or not to pay rent, with a 7-day period that the statutes attach to them [2] [3]. An ordinary repair request does neither.

What repairs is a Florida landlord responsible for?

Under section 83.51(1), landlords generally must follow the applicable building, housing, and health codes, or where none apply, keep the structure in good repair and the plumbing working [1]. Two limits apply: those duties can be changed in writing for a single-family home or duplex, and the landlord does not have to maintain a mobile home or other structure the tenant owns [1]. For units other than single-family homes and duplexes, the landlord also handles pest extermination, locks and keys, common areas, garbage removal, and heat, running water, and hot water, unless otherwise agreed in writing [1].

Can a lease make the tenant responsible for repairs?

For a single-family home or duplex, the landlord's basic duties under subsection (1) can be changed in writing [1]. The added duties for other unit types apply unless otherwise agreed in writing [1].

Does the landlord have to fix damage the tenant caused?

Section 83.51 says the landlord is not responsible under that section for conditions caused by the careless or wrongful act of the tenant, the tenant's family, or someone on the property with the tenant's permission [1].

Who handles pest control in a Florida apartment?

For units other than single-family homes and duplexes, unless otherwise agreed in writing, the landlord must make reasonable provisions for extermination of rats, mice, roaches, ants, wood-destroying organisms, and bedbugs [1].