Florida's 3-day notice to pay or vacate has to follow the statute's form, and the 3 days don't count Saturdays, Sundays or court-observed holidays. The lease can't waive any of this.
Step by step in Florida
Work out the exact rent owed. The form demands rent, not other charges.
Fill in the statutory wording: "You are hereby notified that you are indebted to me in the sum of" with the amount, the address including county, and the deadline date.
Add your name, address and phone number.
Deliver it by mail, by hand, by email under s. 83.505, or by leaving a copy at the residence if the tenant is away.
Count 3 days excluding weekends and court holidays before filing.
Common Florida mistakes to avoid
Counting weekends or court holidays in the 3 days.
Leaving out the county in the premises address.
Relying on a lease clause that waives the notice.
Accepting rent with knowledge of the default and then going ahead anyway.
This is general information, not legal advice. The verified rule and official sources above control. Check the source or a local attorney for your situation.
Related Florida rules
Eviction court process & timeline
The landlord files a complaint in county court under summary procedure, and the tenant has 5 days to answer. A tenant raising any defense other than payment must deposit the alleged rent into the court registry within 5 business days of service or loses those defenses. After judgment, the sheriff posts 24 hours' notice before executing the writ.
Banned. A landlord may not cut off or interrupt utilities (water, heat, electricity, gas, garbage and so on), change locks or use bootlocks, remove doors, windows or locks except for repairs, or remove the tenant's belongings except after surrender, abandonment or lawful eviction.
Yes. A landlord may not discriminatorily raise rent, cut services, or bring or threaten an eviction or other suit mainly to retaliate against a tenant acting in good faith. Protected acts include complaining to a code agency or the landlord, joining a tenant organization, and exercising fair housing rights. Retaliation is a defense to eviction.
If the tenant stays after the rental agreement expires without the landlord's permission, the landlord may recover possession under § 83.59 and may also recover double the rent for the holdover period.
A tenant may withhold rent for the landlord's material failure to meet the building-code and maintenance duties in § 83.51(1), but only once 7 days have passed after written notice naming the problem and saying rent will be withheld. In an eviction, the court may reduce the rent, and a tenant raising any defense other than payment must pay the rent into the court registry.
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