Orlando / Move in guide

Moving into an Orlando rental without costly surprises

By Homzora Team · September 26, 2026

Florida gives landlords wide freedom over rents and deposits, and since 2023 local governments cannot add their own renter rules. That makes the lease and the documents you receive at signing especially important. This guide walks through moving into an Orlando rental in order, with a source for every rule.

Know which rules apply

In Florida, the regulation of residential tenancies and the landlord and tenant relationship is reserved to the state. That covers matters such as screening, security deposits, application fees, lease terms and notice requirements.^[1] In practice, this means Orange County's former Tenant Bill of Rights and its fair notice rules no longer apply, although the county's protection against discrimination based on source of income, such as housing vouchers, survives because it sits in its human rights ordinance.^[2]

So the rules that matter are the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and your lease. Read the lease closely, because many questions that other states answer by statute are answered in Florida by the lease itself.

Before you apply

Ask for the total move in cost in writing before you pay anything: application fees, first month's rent, the deposit or any fee in lieu of it, pet charges and administrative or amenity fees. Ask for the screening criteria too, so you can judge whether an application is likely to succeed before paying for it. Never pay a fee or deposit to anyone who has not shown you the inside of the unit, and be cautious about any request for payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency.

The deposit, or a fee in its place

Florida does not limit how much a landlord can charge as a security deposit^[3], but it does regulate how the money is held. The landlord must hold the deposit in a separate account, either non interest bearing or interest bearing, or post a surety bond, and must tell you in writing, in the lease or within 30 days of receiving the money, how and where it is held.^[4] Keep that notice with your lease.

Some landlords offer a nonrefundable fee in lieu of a security deposit. The landlord must tell you in writing that the fee is nonrefundable, that it does not cover damage beyond normal wear and tear, and that you may switch to a regular deposit at any time. The fee may not be raised during the lease.^[5] Before choosing it, add up the fees you would pay over the whole lease and compare them with a refundable deposit.

Disclosures you should receive

Landlord's name and address: At or before the start of the tenancy, the landlord must disclose in writing the name and address of the landlord or an agent authorized to receive notices.^[6] You will need this address for repair requests and any formal notice.
Radon: Every rental agreement for a building, other than stays of 45 days or less, must include a standard notice that radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, has been found in Florida buildings at levels above federal and state guidelines, and that more information is available from the county health department.^[7]
Flood disclosure: For leases of one year or longer, the landlord must provide a flood disclosure at or before signing. It must state that renters insurance does not cover flood damage, and whether the landlord knows of past flooding that damaged the unit, has filed flood insurance claims or has received federal disaster assistance for flood damage.^[8] The requirement took effect on October 1, 2025.^[9]

If you did not receive a flood disclosure and later suffer a substantial flood loss, the law allows you to end the lease by written notice within 30 days of the damage and receive a refund of rent paid in advance for the period after you leave.^[8]

Read the notice clauses

Florida lets a lease require you to give notice before you leave at the end of its term, but the required notice may not be less than 30 days or more than 60 days. If the lease charges a fee for failing to give that notice, the landlord must first remind you in writing of the deadline and the fees, no later than 15 days before the notice period begins.^[10] Put the notice date in your calendar the day you sign.

For a month to month tenancy, either side must give at least 30 days' written notice before the end of a monthly period.^[11] Because Florida has no cap on rent increases^[12], that notice period is often your main warning of a new rent.

Air conditioning and maintenance terms

Florida law requires landlords to comply with building, housing and health codes and to keep structural components and plumbing in good repair. In apartment buildings, it also requires pest extermination, locks and keys, clean common areas, garbage removal, heat in winter, running water and hot water. It does not mention air conditioning.^[13] In a hot climate, that makes the lease wording important. Look for a clause stating who maintains and repairs the air conditioning and how quickly, and if there is none, ask for one in writing before you sign.

In a single family home or duplex, the landlord must install working smoke detection devices at the start of the tenancy.^[13] Leases for single family homes and duplexes can shift some maintenance duties to the tenant, so read those clauses carefully.

Photograph everything at move in

Whatever move in form the landlord uses, your own record is essential. On the day you receive the keys, before any furniture arrives, photograph and film every room. Capture walls, floors, ceilings, windows, screens, blinds, doors, the inside and outside of each appliance, cabinets, closets, bathrooms and any balcony or patio. Take close ups of existing damage with a wider shot showing where it is. Run the air conditioning and note how well it cools. Email the photographs, or a link to them, to the manager with a list of existing problems, so there is a dated record that the landlord received it. The evidence guide explains how to organize these records.

Set up utilities and services

The Orlando Utilities Commission provides electric and water service to the city of Orlando, parts of unincorporated Orange County and St. Cloud.^[14] Ask the landlord which provider serves the home and which accounts must be in your name, and start them before move in day so the power and the air conditioning are on when you arrive.

Insurance before the keys

Many leases require renters insurance. A standard renters policy does not cover flood damage^[8], and there is normally a 30 day waiting period before a new flood policy takes effect^[15], so arrange flood coverage early if the home is in a flood prone area. Buy renters coverage before move in day so your belongings are protected while they are being moved.

Entry and privacy

Once you move in, the landlord may enter to make repairs only after reasonable notice, which the law defines as at least 24 hours, and only between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.^[16] A landlord may not change the locks, cut off utilities or remove your belongings to force you out; a landlord that does so can owe actual and consequential damages or three months' rent, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees.^[17]

If the unit is not ready on move in day

Walk through before you carry anything inside. If the home is not clean, the air conditioning does not cool, an appliance does not work or the previous tenant's belongings remain, photograph the problem, tell the manager in writing that day and ask when it will be fixed. Do not sign a move in form that describes the unit as clean and undamaged if it is not. Write what you actually see, and keep a copy. If a serious problem is not fixed, Florida law allows a tenant to give the landlord written notice of a material failure to maintain the home, and it sets out remedies if the failure is not corrected within seven days of that notice.^[18][19] The inspection guide explains that process.

Pets and roommates

If you have a pet, get the pet terms in writing, including any pet rent, pet deposit, size or breed rules and cleaning charges. If you are moving in with roommates, make sure every adult is named on the lease or approved in writing, and agree among yourselves how rent, utilities and the deposit refund will be divided.

Your first week

Test the smoke alarms and the air conditioning, and report any problems in writing.
Find the water shut off valve and the electrical panel.
Save the landlord's notice address and the maintenance contact.
Look up your hurricane evacuation zone by address.^[20]
Keep your lease, disclosures, receipts and photographs together.

Where to get information

For residents of unincorporated Orange County, the county's Office of Tenant Services provides education about tenant and landlord rights under Florida law and referrals to code enforcement, legal aid and nonprofits, although it does not give legal advice or financial help.^[21] Residents of the city of Orlando can use its referrals and educational material too, but should contact city agencies for code complaints. The Florida Bar also publishes a plain language pamphlet on the rights and duties of tenants and landlords.^[22]

Your completion record

Total move in cost in writing
Deposit holding notice or fee in lieu terms
Landlord notice address
Radon and flood disclosures
Air conditioning repair terms
Move in photographs sent
Utilities started
Renters and flood insurance

Keep this record with your lease. Use the planning tools to test your move in costs, and see the inspection guide for what to check in each room.

Sources and official resources

Use the planning tools · All Orlando guides

Comparing possible destinations? Read Orlando vs. Tampa Cost Of Living for metropolitan price comparisons, illustrative budgets and the limits of the underlying data.

Put your moving payments on a calendar

Organize move documents around decisions that require payment. Keep the accepted estimate, cancellation conditions, lease payment schedule and delivery confirmation together, but share only the information each provider needs. If the timing changes, update the cash schedule before paying for a replacement arrangement.

A dated cash schedule is more useful than one large total

Use the following worksheet after collecting the actual written payment requirements for your home. It is an illustrative planning exercise shared across Homzora editions, not a survey of local prices, a recommended deposit or a statement that every listed charge is permitted. Confirm applicable rules separately. The point is to see what leaves your account before the next reliable income arrives.

Begin with money that is available for the move after setting aside your other commitments. Do not include an expected deposit refund, an unconfirmed reimbursement or a future sale of furniture as though it has already cleared. Enter a future receipt on its expected date and test a second version in which it arrives later. This distinction matters even when your total monthly income looks sufficient.

Hypothetical moving cash schedule starting with $5,000
Timing	Assumed transaction	Cash movement	Balance
Before payments	Available moving funds	$5,000 opening funds	$5,000
Fourteen days before entry	Deposit and moving reservation	$1,000 plus $100 paid	$3,900
Two days before entry	Initial rent and utility allowance	$1,500 plus $200 paid	$2,200
Entry day	Remaining moving balance	$300 paid	$1,900
Three days after entry	Essential household purchases	$200 paid	$1,700
Seven days after entry	Assumed income receipt	$900 received	$2,600

The assumed payments total $3,300. The $100 moving reservation is part of the $400 moving bill, so the delivery day balance is $300, not another $400. The assumed $1,000 deposit uses cash even if it may later be returned. Whether the $200 utility allowance contains a refundable deposit, a fee or both must be established from the real provider documents. These amounts deliberately separate a payment schedule from a final expense calculation.

Find the lowest balance before committing

In this example, the lowest balance is $1,700 before the assumed income arrives. If you want to retain $300 for unexpected needs, the remaining headroom at that point is $1,400. The reserve is still part of your money; do not subtract it as an expense and then count it again as a bill. Keep a separate column showing how much of the balance is committed or deliberately retained.

If opening funds were only $3,000 with every other assumption unchanged, the balance would reach negative $300 before the income receipt. Keeping a $300 reserve would require another $600 available by then, or equivalent agreed reductions or timing changes. A positive balance after payday would not solve the earlier shortage. Do not assume a provider will delay payment unless that change has been confirmed.

Make every row traceable

For your own version, add the payee, written amount, due date, payment reference and refund conditions. Record what a reservation payment will be applied toward. When an estimate changes, preserve the old version and explain which row changed. For a shared household, separate the person who pays the provider from the people who reimburse that person. Otherwise the same expense can appear several times or a funding gap can be hidden inside an informal promise.

Before sending money, verify the property, the person authorized to receive payment and the instructions through a contact method you have independently checked. A payment request arriving in an existing email conversation is not enough by itself to prove that new account details are genuine. Keep evidence of what you agreed and of the payment you actually made.

Connect the budget to the existing guide

Use the local sources and lease questions elsewhere in this guide to establish the actual terms, then enter the confirmed figures into this worksheet. Add storage, extra travel, overlapping housing payments, insurance or other services only when they apply to your move. Existing optional provider links can help you request quotes, but a quote is useful only when its scope matches the arrangement you intend to buy. Recheck the schedule after the first ordinary week in the home.