Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Florida
My Tenant told me the key I gave him for the front door was stolen while he went to Puerto Rico. The lock on my door cost me 397 dollars. He did not replace it and only added a new lock on top of my lock that it cost him 30 dollars. He moved out and I would like to know if he is responsible for replacing my door lock for one of the same value I paid?
3 Answers from Attorneys
I'm not sure why your 397 dollar lock can't still be used. You still have a key, correct? Do you think the missing key will be used to access the premises? Perhaps you don't need to change the lock.
In any case, I think you probably have a viable claim against the former tenant's security deposit. You must give him written notice of your intention to impose a claim against the security deposit, or you waive any claim. Please see a helpful handbook on FL Landlord Tenant Law located at http://www.800helpfla.com/landlord_text.html.
probably not
My first question is how long ago did this happen, since the tenant no longer resides there? If he just lost the key, why did he put on a new lock rather than making a copy of your key? I suppose you could keep a portion of the security deposit to pay for any necessary repairs to the door or restore it to its original state. But you had to put it in writing by certified mail, to the tenant's last known mailing address within 30-days of termination of the rental agreement. Regards,
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