What Jacksonville, FL Landlords Must Know About Florida's New Flood Disclosure Law

What does Florida's new flood disclosure law require of rental property owners in Jacksonville, FL — and what happens if you don't comply?

Effective October 1, 2025, Florida Senate Bill 948 created Florida Statute §83.512, requiring residential landlords to provide a separate written flood disclosure to prospective tenants before signing any lease of one year or longer. This is not optional and it is not part of the lease — it is a standalone document.

What the Law Requires

Every landlord in Duval, Clay, and St. Johns counties entering a one-year or longer lease must disclose three specific things in writing before the lease is signed: whether the landlord has knowledge of any flooding that damaged the property during their ownership; whether any flood-related insurance claims have been filed; and whether the landlord has received federal assistance — including FEMA funds — for flood damage to the property. The disclosure must be a separate document, not a clause buried in the lease agreement. The statute provides the required form language that landlords must use, or substantially follow. A signed copy should be retained with lease records.

The penalty for non-compliance is significant. If a landlord fails to provide the disclosure and flooding subsequently causes a tenant substantial loss — defined as damage equaling 50% or more of the market value of their personal property — the tenant has the right to terminate the lease with 30 days' written notice. The landlord must then refund all prepaid rent from the termination date forward. For owners in flood-prone areas around Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, and along the St. Johns River corridor, that exposure is real.

Why This Matters Specifically in Northeast Florida

Jacksonville sits at the confluence of the St. Johns River and the Atlantic coast. Flooding from hurricanes, tidal surges, and prolonged rainfall is a documented risk across many neighborhoods in Duval, Clay, and St. Johns counties. Properties in Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fleming Island, and portions of Middleburg all carry varying degrees of flood zone exposure. Owners who purchased properties with prior flood history — or who have filed claims they may not have disclosed — face the greatest compliance risk.

Standard renters insurance does not cover flood damage. The new law requires landlords to inform tenants of this explicitly in the disclosure, giving tenants the opportunity to purchase separate flood coverage before moving in.

CrossView Has Already Updated Our Process

CrossView Property Management updated our lease documentation and disclosure process before the October 1, 2025 effective date. Every new lease executed across our Northeast Florida portfolio includes the required flood disclosure as a standalone signed document. Owners who self-manage or work with companies that haven't updated their paperwork are exposed.

Don't let a compliance gap cost you a lease termination and a rent refund. CrossView Property Management keeps your documentation current at CrossViewPropertyManagement.com