Florida's New Fraudulent Entry Law Takes Effect October 1: Fake IDs on a Rental Application Are Now a Felony

A new Florida law aimed squarely at rental application fraud takes effect October 1, 2026, and it gives property owners a faster path to reclaim a unit when someone lies their way into it.

HB 1293, signed into law as Chapter 2026-143, creates a new criminal offense called fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit. Under the law, a person commits the crime by knowingly and willfully taking possession of a rental home using a materially false written statement about their identity on a rental application, by presenting forged, fictitious, or counterfeit documents to the landlord — a fake driver license, for example — or by impersonating someone else in whose name an application is submitted. The Senate's bill summary notes the offense also covers false financial documents, and classifies fraudulent entry as a third-degree felony. Florida Realtors, which backed the legislation, summarized it as making it a felony to move into a rental property using forged documents or a false identity. The measure cleared the House on a 110-0 vote.

The part that matters most day to day for owners is the civil side. The law amends Florida Statute 83.56, the termination statute, to list fraudulent entry among the types of noncompliance a tenant does not get an opportunity to cure. In practical terms, that means a 7-day notice of termination requiring the occupant to vacate rather than the usual cure-or-quit sequence. The statute also specifies that this applies regardless of whether criminal proceedings have begun, so an owner is not stuck waiting on a prosecutor before moving forward. It builds on the 2024 law that created a sheriff-assisted removal process for unauthorized occupants under Section 82.036.

What should Central Florida owners do with this? Three things.

First, tighten and document your screening. This law only helps you if you can show what the applicant submitted. Keep the full application, copies of the ID, and income documentation in your file for every approved resident — not just the ones who go bad.

Second, verify independently. Call the employer from a number you looked up yourself, and treat mismatched names, addresses, or edited PDFs as red flags worth a second look. Fraud rings that recycle stolen identities tend to target owners who screen by email only.

Third, don't improvise. A 7-day non-curable notice is a legal document, and a defective notice restarts the clock. Apply your screening criteria consistently to every applicant to stay on the right side of fair housing rules, and get a Florida landlord-tenant attorney involved before serving notice.

If you own rentals in Orlando or Kissimmee and haven't reviewed your application process since last year, this is a good reason to do it before October.