Jupiter, FL Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Chapter 21, Article IV of the Jupiter Town Code establishes minimum housing standards for every dwelling in the town, enforced by the code enforcement officer under § 21-140. Section 21-109 makes it unlawful to occupy, as owner or tenant, or to let for occupancy, any dwelling that does not meet the article's requirements. Section 21-111 places the burden on the owner: a unit cannot be offered for rent unless it meets the minimum standards in §§ 21-164 through 21-171, is clean, sanitary and habitable, is free of infestation, and has suitable wall and ceiling coverings before it goes on the market. Owners must also supply window screens and exterminate common-area or building-wide pest problems in multi-unit buildings.

Section 21-166 sets the baseline equipment every unit must have: a kitchen sink connected to water and sewer, a private bathroom with a flush toilet and lavatory, a bathtub or shower, and a water heater capable of delivering water at not less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, even when the space-heating system is off. Section 21-164 requires at least two wall outlets, or one outlet and one ceiling fixture, in every habitable room, and windows equal to at least eight percent of the room's floor area for natural light.

If the code enforcement officer finds a violation, § 21-140 requires written notice describing exactly what is noncompliant and a deadline to fix it, though the officer may extend that deadline at his discretion. Owners have a right-of-entry obligation to code officers investigating complaints, and a tenant's refusal to allow inspection is treated as evidence the tenant, not the landlord, is violating the article.