JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 A new Florida law taking effect on October 1st will require landlords to disclose any known flood damage to tenants before signing leases that last a year or more.<\/p>\n
The goal of the law is to give renters the information they need to make informed housing decisions\u2014especially in flood-prone areas like Jacksonville\u2019s San Marco neighborhood\u2014and to hold landlords accountable for transparency.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is a game changer,\u201d said Jacksonville realtor Daly Braxton, who regularly uses social media to educate renters and homebuyers. He believes the new requirement will add a much-needed layer of protection for tenants.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cTenants are usually worried about three things. They are worried about the price, they are worried about the location, and the size of the home. So nobody think about flooding until it\u2019s too late,\u201d Braxton added.<\/p>\n Under the new regulation, if a landlord fails to provide a written disclosure about the property\u2019s flood history and the unit floods during the lease period, tenants will have the right to terminate their lease within 30 days.<\/p>\n However, not everyone expects a smooth rollout. Older properties with limited or incomplete records may present challenges, especially for newer landlords.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if you are a new landlord, now you have to go back and do some research to see if there were ever any issues with homes. I think this is perfect,\u201d said Braxton.<\/p>\n Landlords like Rachel Odell support the change and said it helps foster a stronger, more honest relationship with tenants.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re a good landlord, this shouldn\u2019t be an issue,\u201d Odell said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re trying to build a good relationship build upon honesty between the tenants and a landlord. You want to keep the tenants there for a long time so it\u2019s important to build that trust,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n The law only applies to leases of 12 months or more and will officially go into effect on October 1.<\/p>\n [DOWNLOAD: <\/b>Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks<\/b><\/a>]<\/b><\/p>\n