Jupiter Landlord Tenant Attorney

A landlord-tenant dispute in Florida moves faster than almost any other civil case, and the notice that starts it is often the most important document in the file. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team handles landlord and tenant matters as part of its business and real estate litigation practice, representing property owners, investors, and tenants in Palm Beach County and Broward County. If you need a Jupiter landlord tenant attorney, you are likely holding a notice, a lease, or a stack of unpaid rent records and wondering what comes next.

Jupiter sits in northern Palm Beach County, and its rental market is a mix of single-family homes, condominium units, townhomes, and commercial space along the Indiantown Road and U.S. 1 corridors. Many owners here are investors, some of whom live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut and manage property from a distance. That distance makes procedural mistakes more likely, and in Florida a defective notice can force a landlord to start the entire process over.

Whether you are the owner trying to recover possession and unpaid rent or the tenant trying to keep a home or recover what you are owed, the first question is almost always the same: was the notice done correctly, and what does the lease actually say? We read both before recommending anything.

Why Choose the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team for Landlord and Tenant Disputes

The Andrew M. Founder Andrew M. Schwartz was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989, earned his law degree from the University of Miami, and has spent 37 years in litigation. The firm serves clients in Jupiter, throughout Palm Beach County, in Broward County, and beyond, including out of state owners who hold South Florida property and need local counsel to appear in court on their behalf.

Andrew is joined by Senior Counsel Sundeep Nath, a Northwestern-trained litigator with years of experience in business and real estate cases in state and federal courts. The firm works as a true legal team, so everyone handling your matter knows the file, and a strict 24 hour return call policy applies when an attorney is in court.

That background matters in lease disputes because many of them are not simple. A landlord-tenant fight can sit on top of a commercial lease worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, a failed sale, a partnership that owns the building, or a co-owner who is collecting rent and not sharing it. The firm’s work in contract litigation, partnership disputes, injunctions, and real estate litigation means we see the whole picture rather than just the eviction. In November 2024 the firm announced a final judgment, issued after a 5-day bench trial in Broward County Circuit Court, awarding its client specific performance of a commercial real estate contract.

We also look for the resolution that fits the client’s goals and budget. Some disputes end with a negotiated move-out date, a payment plan, or a mediated settlement. Others need a courtroom. We are experienced in both.

Landlord and Tenant Situations We Handle for Jupiter Property

• Nonpayment of Rent: The most common dispute. Florida requires a written demand for payment or possession, and the tenant has 3 days to cure, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, and court-observed legal holidays. Errors in the amount demanded or the delivery method can undo the whole case.
• Lease Violations Other Than Rent: Unauthorized occupants, pets, subletting, or property damage. Many of these are curable, which means the landlord’s notice must give the tenant 7 days to correct the problem before termination.
• Noncurable Violations: Intentional destruction of property, fraudulent entry into a unit, or repeated unreasonable disturbance can support a notice giving the tenant 7 days to vacate with no chance to cure.
• Month-to-Month and Holdover Tenancies: A tenancy with no fixed end date is ended by written notice delivered the way Florida’s landlord-tenant statute requires, and holdover situations after a lease expires raise their own possession and rent issues.
• Landlord Failure to Maintain the Property: A tenant who sends written notice of a material failure to meet the landlord’s maintenance duties may terminate the rental agreement if the landlord does not fix it within 7 days.
• Commercial Lease Disputes: Retail and office tenants in Jupiter often face personal guaranties, percentage rent, common-area charges, and default clauses that the residential statute does not govern.
• Disputes Among Co-Owners of Rental Property: One owner collects rent and keeps it, or tenants are placed without agreement. These cases can involve accountings, partition, and emergency relief.
• Security Deposits and Unpaid Rent Claims: Money claims after a tenancy ends, including damages, back rent, and deposit disputes, which may belong in small claims or county court depending on the amount.

What to Do When a Rent or Lease Notice Arrives

Start with the paper. Whether you gave the notice or received it, gather the lease, every amendment, payment records, texts and emails with the other side, and any photographs of the unit. The dates matter as much as the words. The statutory clock runs from delivery of the notice, so write down exactly when and how it was delivered.

If you are a landlord, do not change the locks, shut off utilities, or remove belongings. Florida does not allow self-help eviction, and doing so can expose you to a claim from the tenant. The lawful path runs through the court. Be careful with partial payments too. If you accept part of the rent after posting a nonpayment notice, you must either give the tenant a dated receipt that states the amount received and the balance due, place the partial payment in the court registry when you file, or serve a fresh 3-day notice for the new amount. Accepting partial rent does not by itself waive your right to terminate, but handling it wrong can weaken your case.

If you are a tenant, do not ignore a notice, and do not assume that a verbal promise from the landlord changes anything. A tenant who believes the unit is unsafe or unfit should put the complaint in writing, since the 7-day repair window starts from the written notice. Keep paying rent as the lease and statute require while the dispute is sorted out, because stopping payment can hand the landlord a clean nonpayment case.

Cases in Jupiter are filed in Palm Beach County, which is part of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. Possession cases and money claims within the county court limit are heard in County Civil Court, with the main courthouse in West Palm Beach and a north county courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens. Claims of up to $8,000 fall under small claims rules, and larger money disputes move through county or circuit court depending on the amount in controversy. Commercial matters that combine possession with larger damages, injunction requests, or partnership issues may belong in circuit court. If the same dispute touches property in Broward County, that county sits in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which has its own complex business division for larger commercial cases.

The most common mistakes we see are a notice that states the wrong amount, a notice delivered in a way the statute does not permit, a landlord who waits months and then acts as if nothing happened, and a tenant who stops responding once a case is filed. A default judgment for possession can be entered quickly against a tenant who does nothing. Speak to an attorney before the deadline in your notice runs out.

When a Lease Dispute Becomes a Larger Business or Property Fight

Not every rental problem is a standalone eviction. Investors in Jupiter often hold rental property through an LLC with partners, and a dispute over rent collection can expose a deeper problem among the owners. Under Florida’s LLC statute, a court may dissolve a company when members are deadlocked and irreparable injury is threatened, when assets are being misappropriated or wasted, or when it is no longer reasonably practicable to operate under the operating agreement. A court can also appoint a receiver or custodian after notice and a hearing, or order a purchase of a petitioning member’s interest. When the dispute involves missing rental income, we pursue accountings, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and recovery of funds.

Co-owners who simply want out of a shared rental property may turn to a partition action. Florida courts handle partition in chancery, and when the property cannot fairly be divided, the court can order a sale and split the proceeds among the owners according to their interests. Where the owners are relatives who inherited the property, a separate set of statutory protections for heirs property may apply.

Commercial tenancy disputes also raise remedies beyond possession. When a tenant is about to strip a space, move inventory, or divert funds, or when a landlord is threatening to lock out a tenant without legal grounds, the firm is experienced in seeking temporary and permanent injunctions, including emergency relief. Contract claims on a written lease generally have a five-year limitations period in Florida, while claims on an oral agreement have four years, so older arrears should still be evaluated promptly rather than assumed lost.

Questions Jupiter Landlords and Tenants Ask

How long does a landlord have to give a tenant to pay rent before eviction?

For unpaid rent, the landlord delivers a written demand for payment or possession. If the default continues for 3 days after delivery, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and court-observed legal holidays, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement and proceed to court.

What is the notice period for a lease violation that is not about rent?

If the violation can be fixed, the landlord must give written notice stating that the tenant has 7 days to correct it or the rental agreement will be terminated. If the violation cannot be cured, or repeats within 12 months of a written warning, the landlord can give a notice of intent to terminate with 7 days to vacate.

Can a landlord keep a tenant’s belongings or change the locks?

No. Florida requires landlords to go through the court process for possession. Locking a tenant out or removing property without a court order can create liability for the landlord.

If I accept partial rent after sending a notice, do I lose my right to evict?

Not automatically. Accepting partial rent does not waive the right to terminate or sue, but you must handle it correctly: issue a receipt with the date, amount, and agreed balance, deposit the partial rent in the court registry when you file, or post a new 3-day notice for the reduced amount.

How can a month-to-month tenancy be ended?

A tenancy with no specific duration ends by written notice given in the manner the landlord-tenant statute requires. Your lease or rental history will determine the type of tenancy and the proper notice.

Can a tenant leave early if the landlord will not make repairs?

If the landlord materially fails to meet maintenance obligations or the lease and does not fix the problem within 7 days after the tenant’s written notice, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement. The notice should be in writing and carefully documented.

Which court hears a Jupiter eviction or rent case?

Jupiter is in Palm Beach County, so cases are filed with the Palm Beach County courts in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. Possession actions and money claims up to the county court limit are heard in County Civil Court, small claims cover amounts up to $8,000, and larger or more complex disputes can go to circuit court.

My co-owner is collecting rent from our Jupiter property and not paying me my share. What can I do?

You may have claims for an accounting, breach of fiduciary duty, and recovery of funds, and in urgent situations a court can issue injunctive relief to stop money from being moved or spent. If the relationship cannot be repaired, a partition action or a buyout may be the way to separate.

I own rental property in Jupiter but live in New York. Do I have to travel to court?

Generally not. We regularly represent clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with South Florida property, handling local hearings and court filings while keeping you informed at each stage.

Is it worth hiring an attorney for a small rent dispute?

It depends on what is at stake. A single missed payment may resolve with a short conversation, but defective notices, possession fights, commercial leases, and cases involving co-owners tend to get more expensive when handled without counsel. A short review of the lease and notice often tells you whether the case is worth pursuing and by what route.

Do landlord-tenant disputes always end up in court?

No. Many are resolved through negotiation, a payment arrangement, an agreed move-out, or mediation. We look for the outcome that serves your goals efficiently, and we are prepared to litigate when the other side will not move.

Serving Landlords and Tenants Across Jupiter and South Florida

Our landlord and tenant work starts in Jupiter and reaches throughout Palm Beach County. We represent owners and tenants in Jupiter Inlet Colony, Tequesta, Juno Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, Lake Park, Riviera Beach, and Singer Island. Farther south and west we serve clients in West Palm Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton.

The firm also represents property owners and tenants in Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, and neighboring communities. Many of our clients live in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and own rental or investment property here. For them we handle court appearances in South Florida so they do not need to travel for each hearing.

Speak With a Jupiter Landlord Tenant Lawyer Before the Deadline Passes

Landlord-tenant deadlines are short, and the notice you send or receive often decides how the case goes. If you need a Jupiter landlord tenant lawyer to review a notice, lease, or rent dispute, the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team is ready to discuss your situation and recommend a practical path. Call us today to schedule a consultation.