Florida · Court-readiness

Responding to an eviction (Florida, tenant)

Your landlord filed to evict you. Florida eviction cases move fast, and most rent-related defenses require you to deposit the rent the landlord claims into the court registry by your deadline. This gets you organized and points you to the official resources and free help — quickly.

This is self-help legal information to help you get organized and meet deadlines — not legal advice, and not a filing service. LegalDraft does not file anything for you and is not your lawyer. Confirm every deadline and requirement with the court, and speak with a licensed attorney or legal-aid office before you rely on any of it.

Which court

The county court in the county where you live, named on the eviction papers.

Official forms & resources

Answer / response to an eviction complaint (opens in a new tab)A tenant’s written response to an eviction. Florida requires most rent-related defenses to be raised with rent deposited into the court registry — confirm the deadline and registry requirement immediately.
Florida Courts Self-Help Center (opens in a new tab)The statewide starting point for court forms and self-represented-litigant resources.

Always download the current version from the official source — forms change over time.

Deadlines to verify — do this today

⚠ Eviction deadlines are very short and the registry deposit is often required to raise defenses — verify both with the clerk the same day you are served.
⚠ Failing to deposit rent as required can waive defenses — confirm the amount with the court, not from memory.

Your checklist

9 items

Filing checklist

Serving the other side

Documents to gather

Free and low-cost legal help

You do not have to do this alone. These are real, free starting points — many people qualify for legal aid.

Florida Courts Self-Help Center (opens in a new tab)your stateThe statewide starting point for court forms and self-represented-litigant help.
Florida Law Help (opens in a new tab)your stateFind your local Florida legal-aid organization and free resources by county.
The Florida Bar — Lawyer Referral Service (opens in a new tab)your stateReferral to a lawyer for an initial consultation, and pointers to legal-aid programs.
LawHelp.org (opens in a new tab)Find free legal aid programs and self-help resources in your state and county.
Legal Services Corporation — Find Legal Aid (opens in a new tab)The national directory of LSC-funded legal-aid organizations by location.
American Bar Association — Free Legal Help (opens in a new tab)ABA directory of free and low-cost legal help and pro-bono programs.