# Florida: Landlord Won't Repair? Your Options | Who Pays the Repair?

> Florida tenants can terminate after 7 days' unremedied notice or withhold rent after 20 days if the unit is wholly untenantable, under F.S. §§ 83.56 and 83.201.

**Who pays:** landlord

In Florida, tenants can terminate the lease after 7 days' unremedied notice, or withhold rent after 20 days' notice if the unit is rendered wholly untenantable, under F.S. §§ 83.56 and 83.201.

**Boundary:** In Florida, a tenant can terminate the lease if the landlord materially fails to comply with maintenance obligations within 7 days after written notice (F.S. § 83.56(1)); separately, if a landlord-duty repair failure renders the unit wholly untenantable, the tenant can withhold rent after 20 days' written notice under F.S. § 83.201.

**Exceptions:** The 20-day rent-withholding remedy under § 83.201 applies only where the failure renders the premises wholly untenantable.

## Sources
- [2026 Florida Statutes § 83.56: Termination of rental agreement](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/83.56) — "If the landlord materially fails to comply with s. 83.51(1) or material provisions of the rental agreement within 7 days after delivery of written notice by the tenant specifying the noncompliance... the tenant may terminate the rental agreement." (accessed 2026-09-13)
- [2026 Florida Statutes § 83.201: Notice to landlord of failure to maintain or repair, rendering premises wholly untenantable; right to withhold rent](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/83.201) — "the tenant may withhold rent after notice to the landlord. The tenant shall serve the landlord... a written notice declaring the premises to be wholly untenantable, giving the landlord at least 20 days to make the specifically described repair or maintenance." (accessed 2026-09-13)

_Last verified 2026-09-16. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/florida-tenant-remedy-landlord-wont-repair/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._