This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state.
The short version#
Florida's 2026 Legislature passed CS/HB 1293, filed as Chapter No. 2026-143, with an effective date of October 1, 2026 (Florida Senate bill page). It does two things: it creates a new crime of fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit, and it adds that fraudulent entry to the examples of noncompliance where a landlord can give a 7-day notice without an opportunity to cure (enrolled bill text). It does not change the 3-day notice for unpaid rent (§83.56, Fla. Stat.) (2025 compilation; Chapter 2026-143's amendment to §83.56(2)(a) is in the enrolled bill linked above).
What changed on October 1, 2026#
1. New crime: fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit (new §817.537). A person may not enter into and take possession of a residential dwelling unit by knowingly and willfully (enrolled bill, Section 1):
- making, or causing to be made, a materially false written statement about their identity in a rental application;
- presenting forged, fictitious or counterfeit documents to the landlord, including but not limited to a driver license, an identification card, a bank statement or a paystub; or
- impersonating another person in whose name a rental application is submitted, in order to execute a rental agreement or take possession of the unit.
A violation is a third-degree felony (enrolled bill, Section 1(3)).
2. Fraudulent entry becomes a no-cure ground under §83.56(2)(a). The bill adds "an act of fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit which violates s. 817.537(2), regardless of whether criminal proceedings have commenced" to the examples of noncompliance that the tenant should not get a chance to cure (enrolled bill, Section 2). In that case the landlord may terminate the rental agreement, and the tenant has 7 days from delivery of the notice to vacate. The notice must be in substantially the statutory form ("You are advised that your lease is terminated effective immediately. You shall have 7 days from the delivery of this letter to vacate the premises…") (enrolled bill, Section 2).
3. Effective date. "This act shall take effect October 1, 2026" (enrolled bill, Section 3; bill page).
What the bill does not say: it doesn't create a new eviction procedure, a new notice type or any self-help remedy. It amends only §83.56(2)(a) and creates §817.537 (enrolled bill). The law took effect October 1, 2026, and we haven't found published court decisions applying the new fraudulent-entry ground yet. How a county court treats a 7-day notice on this ground will depend on the facts and the evidence in each case. Talk to your attorney before relying on it.
Myth check: Florida did not move to a "5-day notice"#
Some property-management blogs say Florida replaced its 3-day pay-or-quit notice with a 5-day notice in 2026. The current statute doesn't say that.
- What the statute says: if rent is unpaid, the landlord may terminate after the default continues "for 3 days, excluding Saturday, Sunday, and legal holidays, after delivery of written demand" (§83.56(3), Fla. Stat.). "Legal holidays" here means court-observed holidays only (§83.56(3)).
- What Chapter 2026-143 changed: only the no-cure examples in §83.56(2)(a). It doesn't touch §83.56(3) (enrolled bill).
- The 5-day proposal: SB 716 (2026) and its identical House companion, HB 811, would have changed the 3-day nonpayment period to 5 days. SB 716 "Died in Judiciary" and HB 811 "Died in Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee," both on March 13, 2026 (SB 716; HB 811). Neither became law.
Also note: notices under §83.56 can't be waived in the rental agreement, and the statute lists how they can be delivered: mailing, delivering a true copy, e-mailing under §83.505, or leaving a copy at the residence if the tenant is absent (§83.56(4)).
What property managers should check in their own process#
These are review prompts, not legal requirements. Take your templates to your attorney.
- Notice templates: does your 3-day nonpayment notice still use the §83.56(3) form, with weekends and court-observed holidays excluded (§83.56(3))? Remove any "5-day" template you picked up from a blog.
- 7-day no-cure template: if you plan to use the fraudulent-entry ground, does your template match the statutory 7-day form (enrolled bill, Section 2)?
- Application records: the new crime turns on written statements in the rental application and on documents presented to the landlord (IDs, bank statements, paystubs) (enrolled bill, Section 1). Ask counsel what records you should keep of what was submitted and when.
- Screening flags: decide internally who reviews suspected forged or impersonated applications, and when counsel or law enforcement gets involved. [Process suggestion, not a statutory requirement.]
- Delivery method: confirm how your team delivers notices, and that any e-mail delivery follows §83.505 (§83.56(4)).
- Dates: the act's only timing language is "This act shall take effect October 1, 2026"; it has no separate transition clause (enrolled bill, Section 3). Ask counsel how it applies to conduct or applications from before that date.
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Sources#
- Florida Senate, CS/HB 1293 (2026), bill page, Chapter No. 2026-143, effective 10/1/2026: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1293
- Enrolled bill text, CS/HB 1293: https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/1293/BillText/er/PDF
- §83.56, Florida Statutes (2025), Florida Senate: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/83.56
- Florida Senate, SB 716 (2026), bill page: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/716
- Florida Senate, HB 811 (2026), bill page: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/811
This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state.
