Does Florida law require a landlord to install hurricane shutters?

While landlords in Florida must keep the rental premises safe, sanitary, and in good repair, they are not obligated by law to protect the rental property from damage or destruction from weather events such as storm surges, flooding, tropical storms, hurricanes, or heavy winds.

A landlord could include a provision in his lease agreement regarding responsibility for storm preparation duties, such as installing storm shutters, boarding up windows and doors, or taking some other type of protective measures for the rental property. However, most landlords do not address the issue by lease agreement provisions.

If the lease does not require the landlord to protect the property, the landlord declines to protect the property, the tenant must protect his possessions through his own means and measures. However, the tenant may not be able to modify the landlord’s property by installing storm shutters or attachment of any other protective item. A landlord can include a provision in the lease agreement that prohibits the tenant from taking steps to protect the rental premises from hurricane damage.

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