Palm Beach County, FL Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Palm Beach County, FL, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- State Preempt
- FL §125.0103(2)
- Exceptions
- None since 2023 Live Local Act
- PBC Status
- No rent control
- Notice Increase
- 15 days month-to-month
Summary
Florida Statute §125.0103(2) flatly prohibits rent control in Palm Beach County and every other Florida locality. The 2023 Live Local Act deleted the old housing-emergency referendum exception, so no local rent cap is possible.
125.0103  Ordinances and rules imposing price controls. — (1)(a)  Except as hereinafter provided, a county, municipality, or other entity of local government may not adopt or maintain in effect an ordinance or a rule that has the effect of imposing price controls upon a lawful business activity that is not franchised by, owned by, or under contract with, the governmental agency, unless specifically provided by general law. (2)  A municipality, county, or other entity of local government may not adopt or maintain in effect any law, ordinance, rule, or other measure that would have the effect of imposing controls on rents. (3)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, municipalities, counties, or other entities of local government may adopt and maintain in effect any law, ordinance, rule, or other measure which is adopted for the purposes of increasing the supply of affordable housing using land use mechanisms such as inclusionary housing ordinances.
Full Breakdown
FL §125.0103(2) imposes one of the strongest rent-control preemptions in the United States. Since the 2023 Live Local Act (SB 102), the ban is absolute: the old path, declared housing emergency, voter referendum, one-year sunset, was deleted from the statute. Orange County's 2022 attempt failed in court even under the old rules. PBC has never pursued rent control. Landlord-tenant relations are governed by FL §83 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). Rent increases on month-to-month tenancies require 15-day written notice.
Violations & Fines
Any local rent-control ordinance would be void under state preemption. Tenants seeking rent relief may pursue Section 8, Fair Housing complaints, or bad-faith eviction defenses under FL §83.
Sources & Official References
- [1]FL §125.0103
Other rules in Palm Beach County
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