Florida Just Passed 100+ New Laws - Here Are 3 That Could Affect You
Hundreds of new laws go into effect July 1, 2025, covering everything from fluoride bans to animal cruelty. But in my law firm’s areas of focus, commercial & residential leasing, property tax appeals, and digital communications, three stand out:
HB 615 – Electronic Notifications for landlord-tenant notices
HB 307 – Property Appraiser hiring & retention bonuses
HB 7031 (effective Oct. 1) – Elimination of the Business Rent Tax on commercial leases
The full list, including bills on health, education, criminal justice, and more is available on the Florida Senate’s website under the July 1, 2025 effective date filter or using the links at the end.
1. You Can Now Get Rental Notices by Email (But Only If You Agree)
Law: HB 615 – Electronic Notifications, Effective: July 1, 2025
What’s New: Until now, Florida law required most landlord-tenant notices, like lease violations, rent increases, or notices to vacate, to be delivered by mail or in person. That’s changing.
Starting July 1, landlords and tenants can legally send and receive these notices by email—but only if both sides agree in writing.
What This Means for You:
If you’re a landlord, you can offer your tenants the option to receive notices by email—faster and cheaper than certified mail.
If you’re a tenant, you can agree to get notices in your inbox—but make sure you check it!
Either side can change their mind later and go back to mail, with written notice.
The law still requires proof that the email was sent (so keep records).
Real-World Example: You manage 10 rental units and want to notify everyone of a rent increase. If you’ve signed the proper email notice agreement with your tenants, you can send those updates by email—no printing, mailing, or waiting in line at the post office.
Action Step:
Ask your attorney (or us) to draft a simple Email Notification Addendum for your leases.
2. County Property Appraisers Can Now Offer Hiring Bonuses
Law: HB 307 – Property Appraiser Budget Authority, Effective: July 1, 2025
What’s New: Florida now allows county property appraisers (the officials who set your property’s taxable value) to offer hiring or retention bonuses to staff if their budget is approved by the Florida Department of Revenue.
Why It Matters:
Appraiser offices have struggled with understaffing, which slows down valuations and appeals.
This new law could help counties hire and keep better staff, leading to faster processing and (hopefully) more accurate assessments.
Real-World Example: If your property tax appeal has been delayed in the past due to slow response times, you may see improvements as counties expand their teams.
Action Step: If you plan to file a property tax appeal, know that county timelines might change, especially in larger counties like Broward and Miami-Dade. We’re tracking those shifts for you.
3. Florida is Eliminating the Tax on Commercial Rent
Law: Elimination of Business Rent Tax (BRT). Effective: October 1, 2025 (not July, but still important)
What’s New: Right now, Florida is one of the only states in the country that charges sales tax on commercial leases. If you rent office, retail, or warehouse space, you’ve likely been paying an additional 2%–3.5% tax on your monthly rent.
But that’s changing. Starting October 1, 2025, Florida is repealing this tax entirely, which is expected to save businesses across the state $900 million per year.
Why It Matters
If you’re a commercial tenant, you should see your rent go down, or at least the sales tax portion should disappear.
If you’re a landlord, you’ll no longer be required to collect and remit sales tax on rent, which simplifies invoicing and compliance.
If you’re negotiating a new lease or a renewal, this is an opportunity to ensure you don’t overpay.
What If a Landlord “Baked” Sales Tax Into the Base Rent?
If your lease says something like:
“Tenant shall pay a flat monthly rent of $10,000, inclusive of all applicable taxes,”
then your rent already includes the state sales tax on commercial leases (currently 2–3.5%, depending on local surtax). That means you’ve been covering the tax as part of the total.
After October 1, 2025:
The sales tax no longer applies.
But if the lease amount remains the same, your landlord may continue charging the full $10,000, effectively pocketing the portion that used to go to the state.
Is That Legal?
It depends entirely on how your lease is written:
If rent is stated as “inclusive of all taxes” or says “taxes are the responsibility of the landlord,” the landlord may not be legally required to lower the rent.
If rent is stated as “base rent plus sales tax,” then the sales tax line must drop to zero starting October 1. That should be reflected in your invoices.
If your lease is silent or vague, you may have an opportunity to negotiate a rent reduction, especially if your lease is up for renewal or you have bargaining power.
Why It Matters to You. Let’s say you’ve been paying $300/month in sales tax on top of your rent. After the tax is repealed, if your rent doesn’t change and your landlord keeps billing you the same amount without breaking out the tax, that’s $3,600 per year being kept as pure profit at your expense.
In large multi-tenant buildings, this could result in tens of thousands of dollars being quietly retained by landlords if tenants don’t know to ask the right questions.
Action Step: Check your lease or ask us to review it. If your lease “bakes in” sales tax, you may not automatically benefit from the tax repeal. You could be entitled to a rent reduction, or at the very least, you deserve transparency about how your landlord is handling the savings.
We’re happy to review your lease and help make sure you’re not overpaying once the tax is gone.
Summary Chart
| Law | Effective | Focus | Your Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 615 – Email Rental Notices | July 1, 2025 | Landlord-tenant notices can be emailed (with consent) | Add email notification addenda to leases |
| HB 307 – Appraiser Bonus Authority | July 1, 2025 | Allows counties to offer hiring bonuses for property appraisers | Expect faster responses during appeal cycles |
| HB 7031 – BRT Elimination | October 1, 2025 | Ends sales tax on commercial leases | Review leases and update billing post-Oct 1 |
Final Thoughts
These new laws are a step toward modernizing property rules, saving businesses money, and making Florida’s real estate system more efficient. Whether you own, lease, or manage property, these changes could impact your bottom line, and we’re here to help you navigate them.
If you need help updating your lease forms, checking how these laws apply to your properties, or filing a property tax appeal this year, don’t hesitate to reach out.
LINK TO ALL NEW LAWS
Here is the link to all of the new Florida laws that go into effect July 1, 2025:
LUBIN LAW FIRM