Florida county rules

St. Johns County, Florida landlord rules

What changes, and what doesn't, when your rental is in St. Johns County (St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, Ponte Vedra, Fruit Cove). Most rules come from Florida state law. See the Florida page first.

Beginner tip: start with the Florida state rules. A county only adds a few local extras.

General info, not legal advice. Verify the statute or ask a local attorney. Details

Florida state baseline

Florida's statewide landlord-tenant law (Fla. Stat. ch. 83, Part II) is the main rulebook in St. Johns County. Start with our Florida page, then use this page only for local extras.
Florida state rules →

Source: Fla. Stat. ch. 83, Part II · Checked 2026-10-30

HB 1417 preemption (2023)

Since July 1, 2023, the State of Florida alone regulates residential tenancies and the landlord-tenant relationship. Any county or city rule on screening, security deposits, applications and application fees, lease terms, landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, disclosures, landlord fees, or notice requirements is superseded. The same law raised the month-to-month termination notice from 15 to 30 days.

Source: Fla. Stat. §§ 83.425, 83.57; Ch. 2023-314, Laws of Fla. · Checked 2026-10-30

Who's protected everywhere in Florida

Federal law and the Florida Fair Housing Act already ban housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status and religion.

Source: Fla. Stat. § 760.23 · Checked 2026-10-30

Local tenant ordinance (after 2023 preemption)

Check with your county. We haven't confirmed this local rule from the official code yet, so we don't state it here. Rules can differ by city too. St. Johns County official site → · Florida local codes (Municode) →

Rental registration, licensing and inspections

Local fair-housing protected classes

Short-term rental rules

Cities and towns in St. Johns County

St. Johns County's incorporated municipalities are the cities of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach, plus a small part of the Town of Marineland (most of Marineland is in Flagler County). Hastings is no longer an incorporated town: it is part of unincorporated St. Johns County, as are Ponte Vedra, Fruit Cove and Vilano Beach. A city can have its own codes, so check both the city and the county.

Source: Florida EDR: 2025 population estimates by county and municipality · St. Johns County: Your Government · Checked 2026-10-30

Security deposits

The state rules apply. Fla. Stat. § 83.49 sets no maximum deposit. Hold the money in a separate Florida bank account (interest-bearing or not) or post a surety bond with the circuit court clerk. When the tenancy ends, return the deposit within 15 days if you aren't making a claim. If you are, send written notice of the claim within 30 days, by certified mail or by email under § 83.505. If you rent five or more units, § 83.49(2) also requires a written deposit notice within 30 days of receiving the deposit. Local deposit rules are preempted by § 83.425.

Source: Fla. Stat. §§ 83.49(1)-(3), 83.425 · Checked 2026-10-30

Eviction process

Florida's statewide process applies. For unpaid rent, deliver a written 3-day notice (not counting Saturdays, Sundays and court-observed legal holidays). If the tenant doesn't pay or move out, the landlord files a complaint for possession in the county court of the county where the rental is. Landlords can't lock a tenant out or cut off utilities themselves (self-help eviction). The St. Johns County Clerk's Civil page explains the steps: once the notice period runs out, bring a copy of the notice to the Clerk's office with the filing fee and file the eviction complaint. The eviction forms can be printed free from the Clerk's website.
Official site →

Source: Fla. Stat. §§ 83.56(3), 83.59(2), 83.67 · St. Johns County Clerk: Civil (evictions) · Checked 2026-10-30

Housing authority

St. Johns County's affordable housing page sends Section 8 voucher questions for the county to the Jacksonville Housing Authority.

Source: St. Johns County: Affordable Housing · Jacksonville Housing · Checked 2026-10-30

Related tools and pages

Florida landlord-tenant law · Florida lease agreement · Late fee calculator · Rent increase calculator · Security deposit kit · Duval County rules (nearby) · Clay County rules (nearby)

Sources are official state, county and court sites. Federal rules also apply.

← Back to Florida landlord-tenant law

General information only. Not legal advice. RentToolkit is not a law firm. Laws and local ordinances change, so check the official source and talk to a licensed Florida attorney before acting.