Miami, Florida Room Rental: Tenant Mostly Moved Out but Left Belongings & Keys

Miami, Florida
General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Miami, Florida Room Rental: Tenant Mostly Moved Out but Left Belongings & Keys

Cecilia Piquero-Figueiredo
Member since 2026 · 1 post · 0 votes

Hi everyone — first post here.

I’m looking for advice from anyone familiar with owner-occupied room rentals in Florida, especially Miami-Dade.

I own and live in my home and rented a furnished bedroom to someone referred by a person I knew. The arrangement was handled through text messages rather than a formal lease.

I served a 7-day termination notice in September and followed with a written holdover demand on September 30.

She has since removed most of her belongings and is no longer staying here, but some personal items remain, the room is locked, and she has not returned the house key or bedroom key. I texted asking when she would be completely moved out, but she has not replied.

I’m trying to avoid the cost of a formal eviction/possession case if there is a lawful alternative.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? At what point did you consider possession surrendered or abandoned, and what did you do next? Thank you !

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  • Harrison C.
    Member since 2017 · 58 posts · 25 votes
    2d

    not a lawyer and im not in Florida, so take this as one landlord to another.

    the thing I wouldnt do is decide on my own that shes gone. most of her stuff out but a locked room, a few things left and both keys still with her is the messy middle. if you change the lock or toss her things on a guess and it turns out she hadnt given the room up, that can cost more than filing would have.

    what id do first is get it in writing from her. one text or email: "please confirm you moved out as of [date]. you can pick up whats left by [date] and leave the house key and room key." if she says yes, save it. thats your clean ending and you dont need a judge for it.

    if she stays silent, id pay a Miami landlord tenant attorney for one hour before touching the room. a room in a house you live in can get treated different from a regular lease, and you want to know which side youre on. an hour is cheap next to an eviction, and a lot cheaper than a lockout claim.

    for the next one, even a friend of a friend: one page, signed, with an end date and what happens to things left behind. and a keypad lock on the bedroom and the front door so theres no key to get back.

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  • Ming Yi
    Investor · San Francisco · Member since 2026 · 39 posts · 19 votes
    2d

    Leaving belongings, a locked room, and the keys means this is not a surrender, so do not change the locks yet. In Florida, locking someone out of a space they still occupy can become an illegal lockout claim, even when they have clearly moved on.

    What I would do: photograph everything with timestamps, save the unanswered texts, and send one final written demand by email and certified mail giving a firm short deadline to collect the belongings and return both keys. State clearly that after the deadline you will treat the remaining items under Florida's abandoned property rules.

    If the deadline passes with no response, file the formal eviction or unlawful detainer action rather than self-helping. A text-message room rental with no written lease is still a tenancy in Florida, not a guest situation, so the shortcuts people suggest online do not apply here.

    This is exactly the kind of situation worth a consult with a Florida landlord attorney. One hour of legal advice beats a wrongful-eviction headache.

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  • Richard F.
    Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2d

    A tenant is a tenant. Check for Boarding house laws in your locale, they can vary, but operating by text is just foolish. Sorry, Lesson 1 has commenced.

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  • Divin KanyamaBusiness Member
    Accountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 421 posts · 167 votes
    2d

    @Cecilia Piquero-Figueiredo , this is one of those situations where the facts may suggest she has moved out, but the locked room, remaining belongings, and unreturned keys make it risky to assume possession has been surrendered. Before changing locks or removing anything, it may be worth documenting the room and property, sending a final written request for a move-out date and key return, and speaking with a Miami-Dade landlord-tenant attorney or local housing resource about the proper possession and abandoned-property process. A brief legal consultation could cost far less than an improper lockout or disposal claim.

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  • Marc Winter
    Real Estate Broker · Northeast PA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    1d

    Another approach--send the absent tenant a letter addressed to them at your property address.

    On the envelope print: "Address Service Requested" The USPS will provide the recipient's new address (if they filed a change of address) and generally forward the mail or return it with the new address information, depending on timing and mail class.

    If they did register a change of address, that's a pretty good indication they have left the building.

    Good luck!

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  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    1d

    How well do you understand your liability exposure?

    If you touch her stuff, she could sue, claiming you stole cash, jewelry, etc. and demand thousands in compensation.

    Weigh that against the time & cost of a formal eviction.

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