How Much Does an Eviction Cost in Florida?

How much does an eviction cost in Florida?

For a straightforward, uncontested eviction you handle yourself, expect roughly $300 to $500 in total court and service costs. Add an attorney for an uncontested case and you are usually looking at $500 to $1,500.

The court fees are fixed and modest. What changes the number is whether the tenant fights the case (driving up attorney time) and how long the unit sits unpaid while the process runs.

So the honest way to budget is in two buckets: a few hundred dollars in hard court costs, plus the soft cost of lost rent and any legal help, which is where most of the real expense lives.

Florida eviction cost breakdown

Here is what each line item typically runs in a Florida residential eviction.

Hard court costs alone, filing, service, and the writ, generally total $300 to $500. Everything above that is legal help, which is optional for a clean case but valuable when the tenant fights back.

Eviction cost with vs without a lawyer

You can file a Florida eviction yourself, and for a clear-cut nonpayment case with solid paperwork, many landlords do. That keeps the cost in the $300 to $500 range.

Hiring an attorney adds $300 to $500 for a simple uncontested case, or $1,000 to $2,500 and up if the tenant contests it. The value is error prevention: a defective notice or filing can get the case dismissed and force you to start over, costing far more in lost rent than the attorney’s fee. For more on when counsel is worth it, see our guide on whether landlords need an attorney.

How long does an eviction take in Florida?

An uncontested Florida eviction usually takes about two to four weeks from filing to possession. A contested case runs four to eight weeks, and complex disputes or court backlogs can stretch it to several months.

Time is the real cost here. Every extra week is another week of unpaid rent, so the speed of the process matters more to your bottom line than the filing fee does.

The Florida eviction process, step by step

Florida requires a judicial eviction, meaning you must get a court order; you cannot remove a tenant yourself. The process runs through the county court under Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes.

1. Serve the proper notice. For unpaid rent, that is a 3-day notice to pay or vacate (excluding weekends and holidays); for a lease violation, a 7-day notice to cure; for ending a month-to-month tenancy, a 30-day notice. The notice must be delivered correctly, hand-delivered or posted, not just mailed.

2. File the eviction complaint. If the notice period expires without payment or compliance, you file a complaint in the county court where the property sits, paying the ~$185 filing fee.

3. Serve the summons. The clerk issues a five-day summons that a sheriff or process server delivers to the tenant.

4. Wait for the response. The tenant has five business days to answer. No response lets you request a default judgment with no hearing; an answer sends the case to a hearing. In a nonpayment dispute, the tenant must deposit the contested rent into the court registry to fight it.

5. Get the judgment and writ. If you win, the court enters a judgment for possession and the clerk issues a writ of possession.

6. Sheriff executes the writ. The sheriff posts the writ, giving the tenant 24 hours to leave, then returns to remove them if they have not. Only the sheriff can do this. This part of the process is covered by civil court procedure.

The hidden costs of a Florida eviction

The fees on the court’s invoice are rarely the biggest number. The costs that hurt most are the ones that do not appear on any receipt.

Lost rent leads the list: every week the case runs is rent you are not collecting, often more than the entire filing and service cost combined. After the tenant leaves, add turnover, the vacancy until you re-rent, plus any cleaning, repairs, or damage beyond normal wear.

Then there is the cost of doing it wrong. A defective notice, an incomplete filing, or naming the wrong party can get the case dismissed, adding two to four weeks (and that much more lost rent) before you can refile. Self-help shortcuts are the most expensive mistake of all, which is the next point.

How to reduce your eviction costs

Most eviction overspending comes from delay and error, so the savings are in speed and accuracy.

Serve the correct notice with the exact statutory wording, keep a clean rent ledger and copies of the lease and notices, and file as soon as the notice period ends (filing before noon can get same-day clerk processing in many counties). Accurate paperwork is what prevents the dismissal-and-restart cycle that quietly doubles the cost.

Never attempt a “self-help” eviction. Changing the locks, shutting off utilities, or removing belongings without a court order is illegal under Florida Statute 83.67 and can make you liable to the tenant for up to three times the monthly rent plus their attorney’s fees, a penalty that dwarfs any filing fee. For contested cases, an experienced property or landlord-tenant attorney usually saves more in avoided delays than they cost. Our overview of real estate law and property law covers the wider landlord-tenant framework.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Filing fees, sheriff charges, and procedures vary by Florida county, and only a licensed Florida attorney can advise on your specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to evict a tenant in Florida?

A do-it-yourself uncontested eviction typically costs $300 to $500 in court and service fees. With an attorney, expect $500 to $1,500 for an uncontested case, and $2,000 to $3,000 or more if the tenant contests it.

What is the court filing fee for an eviction in Florida?

The county court filing fee is about $185, though it varies by county. On top of that you pay roughly $7 to $10 per tenant for the summons, $40 to $90 for service, and $90 to $115 for the sheriff to execute the writ of possession.

How long does an eviction take in Florida?

An uncontested eviction usually takes about two to four weeks from filing to possession. Contested cases take four to eight weeks, and court backlogs or appeals can extend that to several months.

Can I evict a tenant in Florida without going to court?

No. Florida requires a judicial eviction with a court order. Self-help measures like changing locks or shutting off utilities are illegal under Florida Statute 83.67 and can make you liable for up to three times the monthly rent plus attorney’s fees.

Do I need a lawyer to evict a tenant in Florida?

Not for a simple, uncontested nonpayment case, which many landlords file themselves. A lawyer becomes worthwhile when the tenant contests the case or when a paperwork error could cause a costly dismissal and restart.

What is the biggest cost of an eviction in Florida?

Usually the lost rent during the two-to-eight-week process, not the filing fee. That is why serving proper notices and filing accurately, to keep the case moving and avoid a restart, saves the most money.