Lighthouse Point Landlord Tenant Attorney

Florida’s residential eviction process runs on written notices and short deadlines, and a single defective notice can send a landlord back to the starting line. That is the central reality behind any Lighthouse Point landlord tenant attorney engagement, and it applies to tenants as much as to owners. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team handles landlord and tenant disputes as part of its business and real estate litigation practice, serving owners, investors, and tenants in Lighthouse Point, throughout Broward County, and across neighboring Palm Beach County.

Lighthouse Point is a small, largely residential Broward community, and many of its rental situations involve single-family homes, canal-front properties, and condominium units held by individual investors or by families who inherited a house. Those owners usually have no property manager and no standing lease template tested in court. The disputes that reach a lawyer tend to turn on paperwork: what the lease actually says, what notice was delivered, how rent was accepted, and whether the landlord or tenant kept to the deadlines Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes sets out.

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

The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team is a business and real estate litigation firm serving clients in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and throughout Palm Beach County and Broward County. Founder Andrew M. Schwartz has spent 37 years in litigation and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989. He earned his undergraduate degree at Emory University in 1986 and his law degree at the University of Miami in 1989. Senior Counsel Sundeep Nath, a Northwestern-trained litigator, brings years of experience in business and real estate cases in state and federal courts.

Landlord and tenant work sits inside the firm’s broader real estate transactions and litigation practice, which includes failed closings, purchase and sale contract disputes, partition actions, quiet title actions, and commercial and residential landlord and tenant matters. That breadth matters here. A rental dispute often has a second layer: co-owners who disagree about whether to evict, a property held through an LLC with a deadlocked membership, or a lease that is really one piece of a larger commercial deal. The firm is used to untangling those layers, not just filing a possession complaint.

The firm practices as a true legal team, so everyone working on a matter knows the file, and it keeps a strict 24 hour return call policy. The firm also pursues the resolution that fits the client’s goals and budget, including negotiation, mediation, or arbitration where those make sense, rather than drawing out a case for its own sake. In November 2024, the firm announced a 32-page final judgment from the Broward County Circuit Court, issued after a 5-day bench trial, awarding its client specific performance of a commercial real estate contract. It is a useful marker of the firm’s comfort with document-driven real estate trials.

Landlord and Tenant Disputes We Handle in Lighthouse Point

• Nonpayment of Rent: The most common dispute. A landlord may terminate when rent stays unpaid for 3 days after written demand for payment or possession, and Saturdays, Sundays, and court-observed legal holidays do not count toward those days.
• Lease Violations Other Than Rent: Unauthorized occupants, pets, or property misuse. Curable violations require a notice giving the tenant 7 days to correct; certain violations, such as intentional destruction of property, allow a 7-day notice to vacate with no chance to cure.
• Month-to-Month and Holdover Tenancies: A tenancy with no fixed term ends by written notice delivered as the statute requires, and disputes often arise over whether the notice was adequate or timely.
• Tenant Claims for Landlord Noncompliance: When a landlord materially fails to maintain the premises as required, a tenant who gives written notice and waits 7 days may be entitled to terminate the rental agreement.
• Partial Rent Acceptance Problems: Taking a partial payment after serving a notice can undermine a case unless the landlord follows the statute’s receipt, court registry, or new-notice options.
• Investor and Co-Owner Rental Conflicts: Owners who share a rental house or condominium and disagree about eviction, rent levels, or sale, which can lead into partition or an accounting of rental income.
• Commercial Lease Disputes: Retail and office tenants and landlords in the Lighthouse Point and wider Broward market, including default, rent claims, and lease interpretation.
• Disputes Tied to a Failed Sale or Title Issue: Occupants who stay after a contract collapses, or competing ownership claims that cloud who may collect rent.

How a Florida Eviction Actually Unfolds, and What to Do at Each Stage

Everything starts with the notice, and the notice dictates the case. For unpaid rent, the landlord delivers a written demand for payment or possession, and the tenant has 3 days, not counting weekends or court-observed holidays, to pay or leave. For a non-curable violation, the landlord delivers a written notice of intent to terminate, and the tenant has 7 days to vacate. For a curable violation, the notice must state that the problem must be fixed within 7 days or the agreement will be terminated. A notice that miscounts the days, names the wrong amount, or skips a required statement gives a tenant a defense and costs the landlord time.

If the tenant neither pays nor leaves, the landlord files for possession. Because Lighthouse Point is in Broward County, cases are heard in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, and possession claims paired with modest money damages ordinarily belong in county court. County court handles claims up to a statutory ceiling that is adjusted periodically, and small claims handles the lowest tier; larger claims go to circuit court. Landlords should gather the signed lease, the rent ledger, a copy of the notice with proof of how and when it was delivered, and any photographs or correspondence about the violation. Tenants should keep rent receipts, texts, emails, and a record of repair requests, and should respond to a summons promptly, since silence can lead to default.

The mistakes we see repeatedly are avoidable. Landlords accept partial rent without a receipt or a fresh notice. They change locks or shut off utilities to force a tenant out instead of using the court process. They send a notice that does not match the lease or the statute. Tenants withhold rent without first giving the required written notice, or assume that a verbal complaint counts. Talking with counsel before sending the first notice, or immediately after receiving one, is usually cheaper than correcting a defective filing later. Many disputes also settle: an agreed move-out date, a payment plan, or a mutual release can end a case faster than a hearing.

When a Rental Dispute Reaches Beyond the Lease

Some rental problems are really ownership problems. A house in Lighthouse Point inherited by siblings may be rented to a tenant while the owners fight over who controls the income or whether to sell. Florida law lets a co-owner petition the court for partition, either dividing the property or ordering a sale and splitting the proceeds. Where the siblings acquired title by inheritance, the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act can change how that case proceeds, including a requirement that the court consider certain factors before ordering a sale. Rental income, repairs, and who paid carrying costs become part of that accounting.

Similar issues arise when a rental is held in an LLC. If the members are deadlocked over evicting a tenant or selling the building, or one member is diverting rent, the dispute may implicate the operating agreement, a claim for an accounting, or judicial dissolution. The firm’s experience in business divorce and partnership disputes lets it address the lease dispute and the ownership dispute together, instead of winning a possession judgment against a tenant while the owners fight over the proceeds.

Lighthouse Point Landlord and Tenant Questions Answered

How many days does a tenant have after a notice for unpaid rent?

The tenant has 3 days after delivery of a written demand for payment or possession. Saturdays, Sundays, and court-observed legal holidays are excluded from the count. If the default continues past that period, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement.

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

For a violation that can be corrected, the landlord must give a notice stating that the tenant has 7 days to fix it or the agreement will be terminated. For violations that cannot be cured, the landlord delivers a written notice of intent to terminate, and the tenant has 7 days to vacate.

Can a landlord accept partial rent and still evict?

Yes, but the landlord must handle it correctly. Accepting partial rent does not waive the right to terminate or sue, provided the landlord gives a receipt showing the date, amount received, and balance due, places the funds in the court registry when filing, or serves a new 3-day notice reflecting the reduced amount.

How do I end a month-to-month tenancy?

A tenancy with no fixed term is ended by written notice delivered in the manner the statute prescribes for termination notices. The required notice period depends on how rent is paid, so the lease terms and timing should be checked before anything is sent.

Can a tenant terminate if the landlord will not make repairs?

A tenant may be able to, but only after giving written notice of the problem. If the landlord materially fails to meet its obligations within 7 days of that notice, the tenant may terminate. A verbal request does not satisfy the requirement.

Which court hears an eviction for a Lighthouse Point rental?

Lighthouse Point is in Broward County, which is covered by the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Possession cases with limited money claims are typically heard in county court, with larger or more complex claims in circuit court.

What if my tenant is also my business partner or co-owner?

That overlap changes the strategy. The occupancy dispute may be tied to claims over distributions, capital contributions, or control of the property. Resolving the eviction in isolation can create problems in the ownership dispute, so the two should be evaluated together.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a single-family rental eviction?

Often yes. A defective notice or a mishandled partial payment can force a landlord to start over, adding weeks of lost rent. A lawyer reviewing the notice before service usually costs less than refiling.

How long do I have to sue over an unpaid lease balance?

A claim founded on a written lease generally must be brought within five years. A claim on an oral or implied agreement has four years. Waiting makes evidence harder to assemble, so earlier action is usually better.

Can I lock out a tenant or shut off utilities myself?

No. Self-help measures like changing locks or cutting off utilities are not a substitute for the court process and can expose a landlord to liability. Possession should be obtained through a notice and, if necessary, a court judgment.

Do you represent out-of-state owners of Lighthouse Point rental property?

Yes. The firm regularly represents clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with business or real estate interests in South Florida, handles local court appearances, and keeps owners informed without requiring them to travel for hearings.

Serving Landlord and Tenant Clients Across Broward and Palm Beach Counties

The firm’s work for Lighthouse Point clients begins in Broward County and extends along the coast. We represent owners and tenants in Lighthouse Point itself and in neighboring Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hillsboro Beach, and Oakland Park, as well as Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Margate, Tamarac, Plantation, and Hollywood. Across the county line in Palm Beach County, we serve clients in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and Royal Palm Beach.

Many of our landlord and tenant clients own a rental in one community and live in another, or out of state, so the firm is set up to handle court filings and appearances locally while keeping the owner informed. Whether the dispute involves a single-family rental, a condominium unit, or a commercial space, the same attention to notices, leases, and deadlines applies in both counties.

Talk With a Lighthouse Point Landlord Tenant Lawyer

If you are a landlord holding a tenant’s unpaid rent, a tenant served with a notice, or a co-owner whose rental has become a fight over the property itself, the right first move is usually a review of the lease and the notice before anyone files or responds. A Lighthouse Point landlord tenant lawyer at the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team can read the documents, explain the deadlines that apply, and lay out the practical options, from negotiated resolution to a possession action. Call the firm to schedule a consultation about your rental dispute.