Tenant Move-In Checklist for Florida Landlords: 20 Items From Signed Lease to Keys

Owner Guide · Leasing and Move-In · Palm Beach County, FL

By Jean Taveras, Broker-Owner, Atlis Property Management · Updated October 2026

Most landlord disputes start at move-out, but they are usually won or lost at move-in. The disclosures you gave, the way you held the deposit, and the condition report you and the tenant signed are the record you will rely on months or years later.

This checklist is for Palm Beach County owners of single-family homes, townhomes, and condos signing a new annual lease. It assumes the applicant has been approved; if you are still screening, start with our guide to tenant background and credit checks. It also assumes your lease is current; our article on compliant Florida lease agreements covers the lease itself.

Before Signing: The Disclosures Florida and Federal Law Require

• Landlord name and address. Under §83.50, the landlord, or a person authorized to enter into the lease for the landlord, must disclose in writing, at or before the start of the tenancy, the name and address of the landlord or a person authorized to receive notices and demands. Notices of changes may be delivered to the residence, to another address the tenant specifies in writing, or by e-mail under §83.505.
• Flood disclosure. Under §83.512, a landlord must complete and give a prospective tenant a flood disclosure at or before signing a lease of 1 year or longer, in a separate document. The form states that renters' insurance does not cover flood damage and discloses whether the landlord knows of flooding that damaged the home during their ownership, has filed a flood claim, and has received flood assistance such as from FEMA.
• Radon notice. Under §404.056(5), a radon gas notice in the statute's wording must appear on at least one document executed at or before the lease.
• Lead-based paint. For most homes built before 1978, the EPA disclosure rule requires landlords to disclose known lead-based paint and hazards and give tenants the federal lead pamphlet before they sign a lease.

The flood disclosure deserves extra care in Palm Beach County. If a landlord violates §83.512 and the tenant suffers substantial loss or damage to personal property from flooding, which the statute defines as repair or replacement costing half or more of the property's market value, the tenant may terminate the lease by written notice no later than 30 days after the loss and surrender the home, and the landlord must refund rent paid in advance for the period after termination. Answer the questions truthfully and keep a signed copy.

Deposits and Advance Rent: The §83.49 Rules at Move-In

Move-in money is where small mistakes become large ones. As of October 7, 2026, PBP Real Estate reported a $3,900 median asking rent in Palm Beach Gardens. A tenant paying first month's rent plus a deposit equal to one month would bring $3,900 + $3,900 = $7,800 to move-in, and adding last month's rent in advance would make it $3,900 × 3 = $11,700. Florida law treats the deposit and the advance rent as money held for the tenant.

• Where it is held. Section 83.49(1) requires the landlord or agent to hold the money in a separate non-interest-bearing or interest-bearing account in a Florida financial institution, or post a surety bond, and not to commingle it with the landlord's other funds.
• The written notice. Section 83.49(2) requires notice in the lease or within 30 days after receipt, delivered in person, by mail, or by e-mail under §83.505. It must state the name and address of the depository or that a surety bond was posted, state whether the tenant is entitled to interest, and include the disclosure printed in the statute.
• The small-landlord exception. The statute says subsection (2) does not apply to a landlord who rents fewer than five individual dwelling units. The account rules in subsection (1) still apply, and giving the notice anyway costs nothing.
• Advance rent. Section 83.49(3) lets the landlord or agent move advance rent to the landlord when the period it covers begins, without notice to the tenant.

Collect move-in funds in a form that cannot be reversed after keys are released, and record each amount separately: rent, deposit, advance rent, and any pet deposit. At move-out, §83.49(3) gives you 15 days to return the deposit if you have no claim, or 30 days to send a written notice of claim by certified mail or by e-mail under §83.505. For the move-out side in detail, see our guides to Palm Beach Gardens security deposit laws and West Palm Beach security deposit rules.

Association Approvals and Community Access

In many Palm Beach County communities, the association has to approve the tenant before move-in.

• Condominiums. Under §718.112(2)(k), a condominium may charge a lease approval fee of no more than $150 per applicant, adjusted for inflation, may not charge a fee to renew with the same tenant, and, if its governing documents allow, may require a security deposit of up to one month's rent, held in an association escrow account.
• Homeowners associations. Under §720.306(1)(h), an HOA may amend its governing documents to prohibit or regulate leases shorter than 6 months and to prohibit renting a parcel more than three times in a calendar year, and those amendments apply to all owners.
• Access items. Gate codes, fobs, parking decals, pool keys, and mailbox keys often run through the association. Order them early and list each one on the key receipt.

Prepare the Home Before Keys Change Hands

A home that is ready on day one saves a week of service calls. Section 83.51 says screens must be in reasonable condition at the start of the tenancy, and that for a single-family home or duplex the landlord must install working smoke detection devices at the start of the tenancy, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Beyond the statute:

• Rekey or change the locks between tenants, and count every key, remote, and fob.
• Replace the air conditioning filter and confirm the system cools; note the filter size for the tenant.
• Locate and label the main water shutoff and the electrical panel, and show the tenant both.
• Test every appliance, faucet, toilet, and drain, and fix what fails before move-in day.
• If the home has shutters or panels, confirm they are present and explain who installs them before a storm. Our 2026 hurricane prep guide covers the plan.

The Move-In Inspection: Your Future Deposit Evidence

The condition report is the document you will compare against at move-out, so treat it as evidence. Walk the home room by room, ideally with the tenant, and record the condition of walls, floors, doors, windows, fixtures, appliances, and systems. Use plain words, such as "two small nail holes, living room east wall," rather than ratings nobody can interpret later.

Take dated photos or video of every room, including the inside of the refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, and cabinets, plus the exterior, the garage, and any pool area. Both parties sign the written report, and the tenant gets a copy. Our guide to property inspections covers later inspections, and our article on monitoring a tenancy after move-in covers what comes next.

Keys, Utilities, and the First Week

• Utilities. Confirm which accounts the tenant must open and that service transfers on the move-in date.
• Key receipt. The tenant signs for every key, remote, and fob. This list becomes the move-out return list.
• How to request repairs. Explain the maintenance request process, what counts as an emergency, and who to call after hours.
• Access rules. Explain that under §83.53 the landlord may enter for repairs with at least 24 hours' notice between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and in emergencies.
• E-mail notices. If the lease allows notices by e-mail, confirm the address in writing. See our article on Florida's e-mail notice rule.

The 20-Item Move-In Checklist

Common Mistakes Florida Landlords Make at Move-In

• Skipping the flood disclosure or burying it in the lease instead of giving a separate document.
• Depositing the security deposit into an operating account instead of a separate Florida account.
• Forgetting the §83.49(2) notice, or sending it without the statute's required disclosure.
• Releasing keys before funds clear or before association approval arrives.
• A thin condition report with a few photos and no signatures.
• No key receipt, which turns every missing fob at move-out into a dispute.
• Leaving the tenant without a repair process, which means small leaks go unreported until they are large ones.

How Atlis Handles Move-Ins

Atlis handles marketing, tenant screening, and leasing as part of full-service management, and new tenants are set up with the tenant portal and maintenance request process, backed by 24/7 AI-assisted maintenance triage. Results include a 21-day average lease-up, a 74% renewal rate, and 98%+ of rent collected monthly. Management is full service only at 5 to 9 percent of collected rent with a $200 monthly minimum, no management fees on vacant units, and a fee rate locked for the life of the partnership. See our residential property management services, our eight written guarantees, and our Palm Beach Gardens property management page.

Frequently Asked Questions

A careful move-in takes a few extra hours and saves many more over the life of the lease. If you would like help with your next move-in, or want Atlis to handle leasing from listing to keys, we are glad to talk.