Rental Property in College Park

Tenant or unauthorized occupant: why the difference matters in Florida

Nothing in this section describes how the College Park sale was handled. It is general Florida information for any landlord with nonpaying occupants. A tenant is anyone with a rental agreement, written or oral, that the owner authorized, even one who stopped paying or stayed past the lease. Removing a tenant goes through county court under Chapter 83. For unpaid rent, that starts with a written 3-day notice that does not count weekends or court holidays, then an eviction lawsuit and a writ of possession carried out by the sheriff.

Someone who moved in without permission and was never a tenant may fall under section 82.036, created in 2024, which lets an owner ask the county sheriff for removal through a sworn complaint. Every condition has to be met, and a false complaint can make the owner liable for damages. Lockouts and utility shutoffs are not an option with a tenant. Under section 83.67, a landlord who uses them can owe actual and consequential damages or three months’ rent, whichever is greater, plus court costs and attorney’s fees. The page on bad tenants and squatters lists the conditions, and a Florida landlord-tenant attorney can advise on your case.

What are your options for leaving the rental business in Orlando?

You can sell now with the occupants in place, finish an eviction and then sell, or wait for a lease to end and sell vacant. Selling with a tenant in the property means the buyer takes it subject to the lease, and deposits and advance rent move to the buyer at closing under section 83.49(7). A property can also be sold while an eviction is pending, if the contract says who carries the case forward and who receives any unpaid rent or judgment.

Waiting can bring more money, because retail buyers usually pay more for an empty, repaired house. The cost is time: weeks or months without rent, turnover repairs, and the mortgage, taxes, insurance and dues while it sits on the market. To end a month-to-month tenancy, Florida requires at least 30 days’ notice before the end of a monthly rental period.

Put taxes in the comparison too. Depreciation claimed over the years can be taxed on a sale, and a section 1031 exchange has strict deadlines and must be set up before closing. A CPA can run the numbers before you sign.

Checking the records on a College Park townhouse and timing a sale

College Park is on the City of Orlando’s neighborhood map, though many Orlando mailing addresses sit outside city limits, so check the parcel. The area is not one of the city’s six local historic districts. The city has an online lookup for code cases and liens, and a “Conduct a Title Search” request covers open and expired permits, with answers in 3 to 5 business days. Other recorded liens are in the Official Records, because in Orange County the Comptroller, not the Clerk of Courts, keeps recorded documents.

Townhouses add a layer. An owner typically holds the structure and the land beneath it, while any HOA maintains shared elements. An association has up to 10 business days after a request to issue its estoppel certificate.

The 27 days in this record came from one closing, so do not plan around it. The pace of any sale comes down to title, the property, the occupancy paperwork and the date the seller picks. Gather the lease, rent ledger, notices served, court case numbers, deposit records and recent photos. A tenant estoppel letter confirms the rent and deposit in writing. As a direct buyer, Florida Cash For Home purchases as-is and charges no seller commissions or closing costs, but it does not give legal advice on a tenancy.