SB 1224 — Fraudulent Entry of Residential Dwellings

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for SB 1224 By the CommitteesCommittee on CriminalJudiciary; Justice;

and Judiciary;Senator Rodriguez 590-02250-26 20261224c1 A bill to be entitled An act relating to fraudulent entry of residential dwellings;

and Senator Rodriguez 591-02778-26 20261224c2 A bill to be entitled An act relating to fraudulent entry of residential dwellings;

amending s.

83.56, F.S.;

providing that fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit is an act of noncompliance for which a landlord may terminate a rental agreement;

defining terms;

amending s.

83.56, F.S.;

providing that fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit is an act of noncompliance for which a landlord may terminate a rental agreement;

Section 817.537, Florida Statutes, is created to read:

817.537 Fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit.— (1) A person may not enter into and take possession of a residential dwelling unit by knowingly and willfully:

(a) Making or causing to be made any materially false statement, in writing, relating to the person’s identity in any rental application for a residential tenancy.

(b) Presenting forged, fictitious, or counterfeit documents to the landlord of a residential dwelling unit, including, but not limited to, a driver license, an identification card, a bank statement, or a pay stub.

(c) Executing a rental agreement, or taking possession of a residential dwelling unit, while impersonating the person in whose name the rental application is submitted to the landlord.

Page 1 of 3 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for SB 1224 590-02250-26 20261224c1 (2) A person who violates this section commits the offense of fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit, which is a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s.

775.082, s.

775.083, or s.

775.084.

Section 2.

Examples of Pagenoncompliance 1which are of 3a CODING:nature that the tenant should not be given an opportunity to cure include, but are not limited to, destruction, damage, or misuse of the landlord’s or other tenants’ property by intentional act;

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for SB 1224 591-02778-26 20261224c2 noncompliance which are of a nature that the tenant should not be given an opportunity to cure include, but are not limited to, destruction, damage, or misuse of the landlord’s or other tenants’ property by intentional act;

817.537,817.537(1), regardless of whether criminal proceedings have commenced;

YouPage are2 advisedof that3 yourCODING: lease is terminated effective immediately.

You shall have 7 days from the delivery of this letter to vacate the premises.

This action is taken because ...(cite the noncompliance)....

Section 2.

Section 817.537, Florida Statutes, is created to read:

817.537 Fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit.— (1) As used in this section, the terms “dwelling unit,” “landlord,” and “rental agreement” have the same meanings as provided in s.

83.43.

(2) A person may not enter into and take possession of a residential dwelling unit by knowingly and willfully:

(a) Making or causing to be made any materially false statement, in writing, relating to the person’s identity in any rental application for a residential tenancy.

(b) Presenting forged, fictitious, or counterfeit documents Page 2 of 3 CODING:

Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for SB 1224 591-02778-26590-02250-26 20261224c220261224c1 toYou theare landlordadvised ofthat ayour residentiallease dwellingis unit,terminated including,effective butimmediately. not limited to, a driver license, an identification card, a bank statement, or a paystub.

(c)You Impersonatingshall anotherhave person7 indays whosefrom name a rental application is submitted to a landlord for the purposedelivery of executingthis theletter rentalto agreementvacate or taking possession of the residentialpremises. dwelling unit.