Florida Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
Florida rules on privacy, guests & animals for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No landlord-specific statute. Secretly recording a person dressing, undressing, or privately exposing the body where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is the crime of digital voyeurism; Fla. Stat. §§ 810.145; 934.03; 83.53
The rules in Florida
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific statute. Secretly recording a person dressing, undressing, or privately exposing the body where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is the crime of digital voyeurism; intercepting oral communications without all parties' consent is generally a crime under Florida's wiretap law (audio recording). The landlord may enter only as allowed by § 83.53 and may not abuse access or use it to harass the tenant. Section 810.145 was renamed and amended in 2024 (ch. 2024-132). Visible cameras in common areas are not specifically regulated by state statute. Wiretap statute: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/934.03 |
|---|---|
| Guests & occupants | No statute — the lease governs guest limits, occupancy, and roommates. Chapter 83 defines 'transient occupancy' (temporary by intent of the parties) but does not set guest rules or a roommate right. Unauthorized occupants who are not tenants may be removed under the separate unlawful-occupant procedure in § 82.036. Occupancy limits come from local codes and federal fair-housing standards, not Chapter 83. The landlord is not liable for conditions caused by persons on the premises with the tenant's consent (§ 83.51(4)). Source: Fla. Stat. § 83.43(18); § 82.036 |
| Service & support animals (state law) | Florida's ESA law (2020) requires housing providers, to the extent federal law requires, to allow emotional support animals as a reasonable accommodation without extra compensation. If the disability or need is not readily apparent, the provider may request reliable information (e.g., from a health care practitioner or telehealth provider with personal knowledge; out-of-state practitioners only if they provided in-person care at least once), may require proof of licensing and vaccination, and may not demand diagnosis, medical records, a specific form, or a notarized statement. Internet ESA registrations/ID cards alone are not sufficient. Tenants are liable for damage caused by the animal. Falsifying ESA documentation or misrepresenting a need is a second-degree misdemeanor plus 30 hours of community service; misrepresenting a service animal is likewise penalized. Service animals: no extra compensation may be required, tenant is liable for damage, and proof of vaccination may be requested (§ 413.08(6)(b)). Misrepresentation statute: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/817.265 |
Related questions
- Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental?
- Can a landlord limit overnight guests or roommates?
- Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal?
Florida vs. neighboring states
| State | Cameras & privacy | Guests & occupants | Service & support animals (state law) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | No landlord-specific statute. Secretly recording a person dressing, undressing, or privately exposing the body where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is the crime of digital voyeurism; intercepting oral communications without all parties' consent is generally a crime under Florida's wiretap law (audio recording). The landlord may enter only as allowed by § 83.53 and may not abuse access or use it to harass the tenant. Fla. Stat. §§ 810.145; 934.03; 83.53 | No statute — the lease governs guest limits, occupancy, and roommates. Chapter 83 defines 'transient occupancy' (temporary by intent of the parties) but does not set guest rules or a roommate right. Unauthorized occupants who are not tenants may be removed under the separate unlawful-occupant procedure in § 82.036. Fla. Stat. § 83.43(18); § 82.036 | Florida's ESA law (2020) requires housing providers, to the extent federal law requires, to allow emotional support animals as a reasonable accommodation without extra compensation. If the disability or need is not readily apparent, the provider may request reliable information (e.g., from a health care practitioner or telehealth provider with personal knowledge; out-of-state practitioners only if they provided in-person care at least once), may require proof of licensing and vaccination, and may not demand diagnosis, medical records, a specific form, or a notarized statement. Internet ESA registrations/ID cards alone are not sufficient. Tenants are liable for damage caused by the animal. Falsifying ESA documentation or misrepresenting a need is a second-degree misdemeanor plus 30 hours of community service; misrepresenting a service animal is likewise penalized. Fla. Stat. §§ 760.27; 817.265; 413.08(6), (9) |
| Alabama | No landlord-specific statute. General criminal laws apply: using a device to overhear or record private communications without the consent of at least one party is criminal eavesdropping (Class A misdemeanor); installing an eavesdropping device in a private place without permission of the owner and any tenant is a Class C felony; secret surveillance while trespassing in a private place is a crime; and photographing or filming a person's intimate areas without consent where they expect privacy is voyeurism. Ala. Code §§ 13A-11-30 to 13A-11-33, 13A-11-41, 13A-11-42; § 35-9A-303 | No statute — lease governs. Alabama law sets no guest-versus-tenant rule, state occupancy limit, or roommate right. The tenant must make guests on the premises behave so they do not disturb the neighbors, and the tenant is responsible for damage guests cause. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-301(6)-(7), 35-9A-204(f) | Alabama's Assistance and Service Animal Integrity in Housing Act lets a landlord with a no-animals policy ask for reliable documentation, from the person's medical provider, of a disability and the disability-related need for an assistance animal, but only when these are not readily apparent or known. Documentation must be kept confidential. Misrepresenting a disability or need, making false statements to obtain documentation, creating or providing false documents, or putting a vest or sign on a pet to pass it off as an assistance or service animal is punishable by a $500 civil penalty or a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense, and a Class B misdemeanor after that. A tenant may not be charged extra for a service animal but is liable for damage it causes; the landlord may ask for proof of vaccinations. Ala. Code §§ 24-8A-1 to 24-8A-5; § 21-7-9(c) |
| Georgia | No landlord-specific statute. Georgia's criminal surveillance law makes it unlawful to use a device to observe, photograph, or record activities in a private place and out of public view without the consent of all persons observed, to secretly record private conversations originating in a private place, or to go onto another's premises to eavesdrop or secretly observe. An owner or occupier may use security devices on the property or its approaches only in areas where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-62(1)–(3) | No statute — the lease governs guests, occupancy, and roommates. Whether a person is a tenant or only a guest depends on the agreement and the parties' conduct (e.g., paying rent, primary residence, belongings, length of stay). Leases commonly include house rules on guests. Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), pp. 3, 9 | Georgia has no state statute specific to emotional support animals in housing (no state ESA documentation rule or ESA misrepresentation penalty identified). By statute, blind, visually or physically disabled, and deaf persons with a trained guide or service dog are entitled to full and equal access to housing and may not be charged extra for the dog, but are liable for damage it causes. Requests for ESAs and other assistance animals are handled under federal and state fair-housing reasonable-accommodation rules. O.C.G.A. § 30-4-3; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 4 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Compare privacy, guests & animals in all 50 states and DC →
Florida Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules FAQ
Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental in Florida?
No landlord-specific statute. Secretly recording a person dressing, undressing, or privately exposing the body where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is the crime of digital voyeurism; intercepting oral communications without all parties' consent is generally a crime under Florida's wiretap law (audio recording). The landlord may enter only as allowed by § 83.53 and may not abuse access or use it to harass the tenant. (Fla. Stat. §§ 810.145; 934.03; 83.53)
Can a landlord limit guests or roommates in Florida?
No statute — the lease governs guest limits, occupancy, and roommates. Chapter 83 defines 'transient occupancy' (temporary by intent of the parties) but does not set guest rules or a roommate right. Unauthorized occupants who are not tenants may be removed under the separate unlawful-occupant procedure in § 82.036. (Fla. Stat. § 83.43(18); § 82.036)
Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal in Florida?
Florida's ESA law (2020) requires housing providers, to the extent federal law requires, to allow emotional support animals as a reasonable accommodation without extra compensation. If the disability or need is not readily apparent, the provider may request reliable information (e.g., from a health care practitioner or telehealth provider with personal knowledge; out-of-state practitioners only if they provided in-person care at least once), may require proof of licensing and vaccination, and may not demand diagnosis, medical records, a specific form, or a notarized statement. Internet ESA registrations/ID cards alone are not sufficient. Tenants are liable for damage caused by the animal. Falsifying ESA documentation or misrepresenting a need is a second-degree misdemeanor plus 30 hours of community service; misrepresenting a service animal is likewise penalized. (Fla. Stat. §§ 760.27; 817.265; 413.08(6), (9))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.