Guides

Guides, deadlines and protection

Most Florida property outcomes are decided by a deadline someone did not know about. This section collects them in one place, along with the documents that carry real legal weight and the fraud patterns that target property transactions — the reference layer underneath the rest of the site.

Every deadline that ends a right

These are the ones that do not bend. Missing them does not weaken your position; it removes it.

Deadline	Limit	Who it binds	What is lost
Appeal a property tax assessment	25 days^† from TRIM mailing	Owner	The appeal, for that year
Give notice of an insurance claim	1 year^† from the loss	Policyholder	The claim
Give notice of a supplemental claim	18 months^†	Policyholder	The supplement
Insurer must pay or deny	60 days^† from notice	Insurer	Interest accrues
Return a security deposit or claim against it	15 days / 30 days	Landlord	The right to claim at all
Tenant objects to a deposit claim	15 days	Tenant	Silence counts as agreement
Notice to Owner, to preserve lien rights	45 days from first furnishing	Subcontractor or supplier	All lien rights
Record a claim of lien	90 days from final furnishing	Lienor	The lien
End a month-to-month tenancy	30 days^†	Either party	The termination is ineffective
Apply for homestead exemption	March 1	Owner	That year’s exemption

The two most commonly miscounted

The property tax appeal window runs from the date the TRIM notice was mailed, which is printed on it — not from the day it arrived. And the three-day notice for unpaid rent excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, so it is almost never three calendar days.

Protecting yourself

Property transactions attract fraud because the amounts are large, the timing is predictable, and a single transfer to a stranger is entirely normal on the day. Business email compromise alone accounted for $3.04 billion^† in a year.

Wire fraud at closingHow it works, the one rule that prevents it, and what to do in the first hour if it happens.Divorce and the houseThe deed is not the mortgage — and signing one does not touch the other.How to hold titleEntireties, lady bird deeds, and the quit claim that undoes both.Rental scamsOne free check on the property appraiser site defeats most of them.Hurricane preparationThe documentation half, which decides what happens afterwards.Moving to FloridaWhat out-of-state buyers consistently underestimate.Certificates of occupancyWhat they prove, and why the date follows a building for decades.Open permits at closingWho is liable, and the buyer protection most people do not know exists.Does your agent represent you?By default, not in a fiduciary sense — and almost nobody knows to ask.Title defectsThe search reads the record; the policy covers what the record cannot show.Quit claim deedsTransfers whatever the signer has — possibly nothing — and warrants none of it.

The documents that carry weight

The TRIM notice. Not a bill. The only document showing market, assessed and taxable value together, and the thing that starts the appeal clock.
The flood disclosure. A separate written document, required at or before contract since 1 October 2024^† and expanded from 1 October 2025^†. A form printed before that expansion does not satisfy current law.
The wind mitigation report. The cheapest document that changes a number — worth roughly a fifth to a third off a premium, and useful evidence when you sell.
Notices to Owner. They arrive looking like junk mail. Each one is a party who can lien your home, and a name you need a release from.
Lien releases. The only real protection against paying twice for the same building work.
The closing disclosure. Read the wire instructions on it against what you were told by phone, never against what you were sent by email.

Where to go from here

OwningInsurance, property tax, inspections and claims.BuyingInsurability before affordability.SellingDisclosure, costs and what preparation returns.RentingDeposits, notice periods and vouchers.BuildingLicences, permits and liens.Short-term lettingLicensing, local rules and taxes.

Common questions

What is the most important deadline in Florida property?

It depends what you are doing, but the two most commonly missed are the 25-day window to appeal a property tax assessment from the TRIM mailing date, and the one-year deadline to give notice of an insurance claim.

How do I protect myself from real estate fraud?

Never accept wire instructions by email, verify them by voice on a number you obtained independently, and read the account digits aloud. Treat any change of instructions as fraud until proven otherwise, and be more suspicious when it is urgent, not less.

What is a TRIM notice and should I keep it?

The Truth in Millage notice, mailed each August. It is not a bill. It shows market, assessed and taxable value plus proposed levies and hearing dates, and it starts the 25-day clock for appealing your assessment.

Deadlines are statutory and cited on the pages they belong to. Counties administer many of these processes locally, so confirm forms and portals with your own county. General information, not legal advice.