Rentals with tenants · St. Petersburg · Pinellas County
A lease with months left on it, a tenant who is behind, or a house you are tired of managing: what Florida law and the City of St. Petersburg say, and how a sale works with the tenant still living there.
The short answer
Yes, you can sell a St. Petersburg rental with the tenant living in it. Florida law moves the security deposit to the new owner at the sale, says a tenant can’t unreasonably refuse to let you show the house, and sets the notice that ends a month-to-month tenancy at 30 days. The City can’t add its own notice or deposit rules, because the state took those over in 2023. What the City does keep is a public record of code violations and evictions at each address, and a buyer will look at it.
4.9★ on Google · 17 reviews · AL Cakici, owner · 433 Central Ave, 4th Floor, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
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A sale changes the owner. It doesn’t empty the house. When we buy a rented house, the tenant stays and the lease carries on with us as the new owner. The deposit follows the house, and Florida Statutes §83.49(7) spells out how:
At a title company closing this is one line on the closing statement: the deposit is credited to the buyer and the rent is split by the day.
You don’t have to end a tenancy to sell to us. If you decide to, these are the state’s rules, not ours:
An eviction is a lawsuit, and it’s a question for a Florida attorney. Many owners who call us are selling so they don’t have to file one.
Under §83.53, a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter and show the home to a prospective or actual purchaser. The same section says a landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant. In practice a listing means repeated showings in someone else’s home. With us it’s one walkthrough, set up with notice at a time that works for the tenant.
Since 2023, Florida Statutes §83.425 has reserved landlord-tenant rules to the state. It names screening, security deposits, application fees, lease terms, disclosures, fees and notice requirements, so a city can’t set its own version of those. St. Petersburg’s part is the condition of the house:
Fines that aren’t paid can become liens on the house. That path is on our St. Pete code violations page.
The City publishes a Renter’s Map that shows the history of interior code violations or evictions at an address, and its Codes Compliance Assistance Department gives the same history by phone at 727-893-7373. A buyer, a lender or a title company can see what a tenant can see. Look your own address up before you set a price.
Papers that make a tenant-occupied sale faster:
AL buys rentals from the office at 433 Central Ave in downtown St. Petersburg: single-family houses, duplexes and small multi-family, occupied or vacant. We buy many homes with our own cash; on some deals we partner with a vetted local investor, and we tell you upfront, in writing, before you sign. A tenant who is behind, a month-to-month tenancy or a lease with a year left all go into the written offer. A licensed Florida title company transfers the deposits and prorates the rent at closing, typically 7–21 days after the title is clear, or on a date you choose. If the house is in good shape and leased at market rent, listing it to investors may net you more, and AL will say so. We are not real estate agents or attorneys; this page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Yes. A sale changes the owner, not the lease. We buy with the tenant in place, and the lease carries on with us as the new owner.
Florida Statutes 83.49(7) requires security deposits and advance rent to be transferred to the new owner with an accurate accounting. Once the new owner gives a written receipt, the seller is released from holding those funds.
At least 30 days’ written notice before the end of a monthly period, under Florida Statutes 83.57(3). A week-to-week tenancy takes 7 days’ notice.
No. Since 2023, Florida Statutes 83.425 reserves landlord-tenant rules, including notice requirements and security deposits, to the state. The City enforces the condition of the house through its property maintenance codes.
Yes. Tell us where things stand and it goes into the written offer. You don’t have to file an eviction before selling to us.
No. HomeSellerCashOffer is not a real estate agent or broker. We buy houses as Tampete Homes LLC, many with our own cash; on some deals we partner with a vetted local investor, and we tell you upfront, in writing, before you sign. Closings run through a licensed Florida title company.
AL Cakici · Owner, HomeSellerCashOffer (Tampete Homes LLC)
AL buys houses in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Manatee, many with company funds and has personally purchased and assisted with 100+ transactions since 2019 across the country. He is not an attorney; this page is general information drawn from the sources listed above, not legal advice. Facts checked against those sources on the dates listed.
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Straight answers first. If selling isn’t your best move, he’ll say so.
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