Florida Statutes 475.453 – Rental information; contract or receipt; refund; penalty
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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(1) Each broker or sales associate who furnishes a rental information list to a prospective tenant, for a fee paid by the prospective tenant, shall provide such prospective tenant with a contract or receipt, which contract or receipt contains a provision for the repayment of any amount over 25 percent of the fee to the prospective tenant if the prospective tenant does not obtain a rental. If the rental information list provided by the broker or sales associate to a prospective tenant is not current or accurate in any material respect, the full fee shall be repaid to the prospective tenant upon demand. A demand from the prospective tenant for the return of the fee, or any part thereof, shall be made within 30 days following the day on which the real estate broker or sales associate has contracted to perform services to the prospective tenant. The contract or receipt shall also conform to the guidelines adopted by the commission in order to effect disclosure of material information regarding the service to be provided to the prospective tenant.
(2) The commission may adopt a guideline for the form of the contract or receipt required to be provided by brokers or sales associates pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1).
(3)(a) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
Attorney's Note
Under the Florida Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| misdemeanor of the first degree | up to 1 year | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 475.453
- Broker: means a person who, for another, and for a compensation or valuable consideration directly or indirectly paid or promised, expressly or impliedly, or with an intent to collect or receive a compensation or valuable consideration therefor, appraises, auctions, sells, exchanges, buys, rents, or offers, attempts or agrees to appraise, auction, or negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, or rental of business enterprises or business opportunities or any real property or any interest in or concerning the same, including mineral rights or leases, or who advertises or holds out to the public by any oral or printed solicitation or representation that she or he is engaged in the business of appraising, auctioning, buying, selling, exchanging, leasing, or renting business enterprises or business opportunities or real property of others or interests therein, including mineral rights, or who takes any part in the procuring of sellers, purchasers, lessors, or lessees of business enterprises or business opportunities or the real property of another, or leases, or interest therein, including mineral rights, or who directs or assists in the procuring of prospects or in the negotiation or closing of any transaction which does, or is calculated to, result in a sale, exchange, or leasing thereof, and who receives, expects, or is promised any compensation or valuable consideration, directly or indirectly therefor; and all persons who advertise rental property information or lists. See Florida Statutes 475.01
- Commission: means the Florida Real Estate Commission. See Florida Statutes 475.01
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- real estate: means any interest or estate in land and any interest in business enterprises or business opportunities, including any assignment, leasehold, subleasehold, or mineral right; however, the term does not include any cemetery lot or right of burial in any cemetery; nor does the term include the renting of a mobile home lot or recreational vehicle lot in a mobile home park or travel park. See Florida Statutes 475.01
- Sales associate: means a person who performs any act specified in the definition of "broker" but who performs such act under the direction, control, or management of another person. See Florida Statutes 475.01
(b) In addition to the penalty prescribed in paragraph (a), the license of any broker or sales associate who participates in any rental information transaction which is in violation of the provisions of subsection (1) shall be subject to suspension or revocation by the commission in the manner prescribed by law.