Jesse Scheckner
Legislation guaranteeing renters flood risk disclosures similar to what is now required for homebuyers is bound for the House floor after coasting through its final House committee.
The House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee voted unanimously to advance HB 1015, which would require landlords to provide flood risk disclosures to prospective tenants at the time, or before, they sign a rental agreement of one year or longer.
If a landlord does not do so and a tenant suffers a substantial loss of personal property due to flooding — where “substantial loss” means that the total cost to repair or replace the property is 50% or more of the property’s market value — the tenant could terminate the agreement by writing within 30 days, and the landlord would have to refund all prepaid rent and/or deposits.
The bill also creates a flood disclosure requirement condo developers would have to provide to buyers.
HB 1015 and its Senate analog (SB 948), filed respectively by Parkland Democratic Rep. Christine Hunschofsky and Fleming Island Republican Sen. Jennifer Bradley, follow legislation (HB 1049) the two passed in 2024 mandating flood risk disclosures in property sales.
The required information today includes whether any insurance claims involving flooding have been filed and if federal assistance was ever given due to flooding.
Before the change, property owners and real estate agents didn’t have to share such information with buyers.
Flooding is one of Florida’s most frequent hazards, according to the Division of Emergency Management, which describes it as a “coast to coast threat that can occur at any time of the year.”
The bills from Hunschofsky, who is slated to lead House Democrats in the 2026-28 term, and Bradley have sailed through their respective chambers this Session. Both now await floor votes.
“This bill goes a long way to give tenants the information they need to assess the risk before they enter into a residential lease and also incentivizes the purchase of flood insurance when they get that material information,” Bradley said of her bill during its first committee stop this month.
The Florida Association of Realtors backs the bills.
