Separate the kind of default
Section 83.20 addresses removal grounds for nonresidential tenancies. It includes holding over, nonpayment following a three-day written rent-or-possession demand, and certain other material breaches. The nonmonetary provision contains a 15-day notice rule that applies when the lease is silent or the tenancy is an oral one at will. Do not automatically use the residential seven-day framework.
Read the agreement as a whole
Collect the original lease, riders, renewals, assignments, guaranties, and notice-address changes. Identify the provisions dealing with defaults, cure periods, service, additional rent, waiver, and remedies. A default paragraph may depend on definitions or exceptions elsewhere in the agreement.
Reconcile the commercial ledger
Break out base rent, operating expenses, reconciliations, taxes, insurance, late charges, and credits for review. Identify the source for each charge. A total balance is less useful than an accounting that can be matched to the lease.
Set the litigation objective
Tell the firm whether the immediate goal is possession, a cure, a negotiated exit, damages, or guaranty enforcement. Disclose prior extensions, payment arrangements, and accepted payments. Consistent instructions help avoid a notice that conflicts with the landlord’s current business plan.
Prepare for your conversation
Sources & further reading
Section 83.20, Florida Statutes ↗Source links checked during preparation on November 4, 2026. Statutes, lease terms, court orders, and the facts of a particular matter must be reviewed together.
