Ending a Winter Garden FL Lease: Notice Deadlines for Owners

Many Winter Garden leases signed for a spring or summer move end in the months ahead. If you plan to sell, move back in, or bring in a new tenant, the date you send notice matters as much as the decision. Florida sets firm minimums, and a missed deadline can leave you with a tenant you did not plan to keep or a rule you cannot enforce.

This guide covers the notice rules in Chapter 83 of the 2026 Florida Statutes that apply when a residential lease ends. It is general information for owners. For a specific situation, talk with a Florida real estate attorney.

Leases With an End Date: What Your Lease Says First

A lease with a set term, such as twelve months, ends on its end date. Florida law does not force either side to renew. The question is whether your lease adds a notice clause on top of that.

Under Florida Statute 83.575, a fixed-term lease may require the tenant to give notice before moving out at the end of the term. That clause only works if it also requires the landlord to give notice within the same window when the lease will not be renewed. The window cannot be shorter than 30 days or longer than 60 days, for either side.

Pull your lease and find that section before you do anything else. If it says 60 days, your notice of nonrenewal needs to reach the tenant at least 60 days before the end date. If the lease has no notice clause, the lease still ends on its date, but a written notice is still the cleanest way to confirm everyone's plans.

Month-to-Month Tenancies: The 30-Day Rule

When a lease runs out and the tenant stays with your permission, the tenancy often turns into a month-to-month arrangement. Florida Statute 83.57 sets the notice for ending tenancies without a specific term:

• Month to month: at least 30 days before the end of a monthly period
• Quarter to quarter: at least 30 days before the end of a quarterly period
• Year to year: at least 60 days before the end of an annual period
• Week to week: at least 7 days before the end of a weekly period

The month-to-month rule changed in 2023, when the minimum went from 15 days to 30 days. Older lease forms and older online guides may still show 15 days. If your paperwork predates that change, have it reviewed.

Timing is tied to the end of a rental period. If rent is due on the first, a notice sent on the 10th does not end the tenancy 30 days later on the 9th. It ends at the close of the next full period that falls at least 30 days out.

How to Deliver a Notice That Holds Up

Both statutes point to the delivery method in Florida Statute 83.56(4). Notice must be in writing and delivered by mail or by hand. If the tenant is away from the home, a copy can be left at the residence.

Good practice for Winter Garden owners:

• Put the property address, the tenant names, the lease end date and the date the tenancy ends in the notice.
• Keep a copy and a record of how and when it was delivered, such as a mailing receipt or a dated photo.
• Count backward from the end date and send early. A few extra days protects you if mail runs slow.
• Keep the tone factual. A nonrenewal notice is not the place to raise disputes about repairs or deposits.

When the Tenant Gives Notice, or Does Not

Notice rules run both ways. If your lease has a valid 83.575 clause and the tenant leaves without giving the required notice, the lease may allow liquidated damages. To use that remedy, Florida requires the landlord to send the tenant a written reminder within 15 days before the notice period starts. That reminder must spell out the tenant's notice duties, the lease end date, and every fee or charge that applies.

Most owners skip that reminder and lose the remedy. Put the date on your calendar the day the lease is signed.

If a tenant stays past the end of the lease with your permission and does not give the 30-day notice required for month-to-month tenancies, Florida Statute 83.575(3) makes the tenant liable for one additional month's rent. If a tenant stays without your permission, Florida Statute 83.58 allows a landlord to seek possession and double rent for the holdover period.

Planning a Sale or Turnover Around the Lease End

Winter Garden draws steady rental demand from families near Horizon West and buyers who want to be close to downtown Plant Street. That makes the lease end a natural point to decide your next step. If you plan to list the home, a vacant property is easier to show, stage and repair. If you plan to re-rent, the notice window gives you time to schedule a walkthrough, line up make-ready work and start marketing before the current tenant leaves.

Whatever you choose, set the decision date first and work backward to the notice date. That order keeps you inside the law and avoids an empty month you did not plan for.

Bella Trae Realty manages rentals across Winter Garden, Windermere, Clermont and the rest of West Orange and Lake County. We track lease end dates, send compliant notices and coordinate turnovers, so owners are not counting days on a calendar. If you are weighing a sale against renewing a tenant, Bella Trae Realty can walk you through both paths with numbers for your home.

Contact Bella Trae Realty today to review your lease end dates and plan your next step.