Owner Guide · By Paul Raczynski, Florida Broker · Reviewed November 2026

The Out-of-State Owner's Playbook

Owning a Florida rental from another state, or another country, works when three things are in place: a team you trust on the ground, a record of the property you can see from anywhere, and a calendar of the dates that cost money when missed. This is the full playbook, with nothing gated behind a form. It covers the team, inspections, insurance, LLCs, taxes, and hurricane season, the parts most remote owners learn the hard way.

What distance actually changes

Owning from far away does not change the rules. Florida landlord law in Chapter 83 applies the same way whether you live in Kissimmee or Kyoto. What changes is three things you used to get for free.

Your eyes. You cannot drive past and notice the overgrown yard, the stain on the ceiling, or the extra car in the driveway. Your hands. Someone else has to let the plumber in, meet the insurance adjuster, and change the AC filter. Your clock. A problem that starts at 6 p.m. in Orlando may be the middle of the night where you are, and Florida deadlines do not pause for time zones.

Every section below replaces one of those three. If you want the short version of how we do it for owners, see our page for out of state landlords. This guide is the deeper playbook, useful whether you hire us, another manager, or no one.

Step one

Build your remote team

A long distance rental is a small business with no office. These are the six roles it needs. Fill them before you need them, not during the first emergency.

A licensed property manager

Anyone you pay to lease or manage your Florida rental must hold a Florida real estate license under Chapter 475 of the Florida Statutes. Look the license up yourself on the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) site before you sign anything.

A local insurance agent

Not a national call center. You want someone who writes landlord policies in Central Florida, knows how hurricane deductibles work here, and will answer the phone the week after a storm.

A CPA who knows rentals

Ideally one who also understands your home state, or your home country if you live abroad. Rental income crosses borders on paper even when you never do.

A Florida real estate attorney

For the entity question, the deed, and the rare dispute. You will not call often, but you want the name in your file before you need it.

Licensed vendors

Plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, and roofing work in Florida generally requires a contractor licensed under Chapter 489. The same DBPR lookup verifies them. A good manager already has this bench built.

A backup contact

A trusted person who can act if you cannot be reached: a relative, a business partner, or your attorney. Write down who they are and what they are allowed to decide.

Questions to ask any manager before you hire

You are hiring someone you may never meet in person. These answers tell you more than a sales call will.

What is your Florida broker license number, and who is the broker of record?
How do I see my property’s condition without flying in?
Where do I find statements, invoices, and the lease at 2 a.m. my time?
Who answers a tenant emergency on a Sunday night?
What happens at my property before and after a hurricane?
How is the security deposit held, and in which Florida bank?
Can I leave if it is not working, and what does that cost me?

Still deciding whether you need a manager at all? Our guide on hiring a manager or self-managing runs the numbers. Comparing companies? Price the whole package with our Orlando fees guide.

Your eyes

Inspections and documentation

From another state, the record of your property is the property. If it is not filmed, dated, and filed, you will have a hard time proving it later.

What a useful inspection shows

A narrated video of every room, opened cabinets included, plus close ups of the places damage hides in Florida: ceilings under the AC air handler and bathrooms, the water heater, under every sink, window sills, and the roof line from the yard.

It should note the date, the AC filter condition, smoke detectors, and anything the tenant reported. The goal is that you could describe your house to an adjuster without ever having seen it.

When to inspect

At move in and move out, every time, on video. After any major storm. Between tenancies, before the home is listed. Many owners also want a check during a long lease, because a slow leak in Florida humidity does not stay small.

Florida requires at least 24 hours’ notice to the tenant before entering for repairs, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (§83.53). Plan inspections; do not drop in.

Three Florida rules remote owners miss

The deposit lives in Florida. Under §83.49, a security deposit must be held in a Florida banking institution, or covered by a surety bond, and the tenant must get written notice of how and where it is held within 30 days of receiving it. A deposit sitting in your home state checking account does not qualify. After move out, you have 15 days to return it, or 30 days to send a written claim by certified mail.

The tenant needs a Florida address for notices. Under §83.50, the landlord must give the tenant, in writing and at or before the start of the tenancy, the name and address of the landlord or of a person authorized to receive notices and demands for the landlord. If that is you, a notice sent to an address you rarely check can cost you a deadline. Many remote owners name their manager.

Paper outlasts memory. The IRS says records tied to a property should be kept until the period of limitations expires for the year you sell it. For a rental you may own for decades, that means a permanent file.

Your document vault

One shared folder, organized the same way every year, that you, your manager, your CPA, and your backup contact can open:

Deed, closing statement, and title policy
Current lease, every addendum, and the move-in inspection video
Insurance declarations pages: landlord policy, flood, and umbrella
Mortgage statements and the lender’s insurance requirements
Property tax bills and the parcel number
LLC documents and the annual report receipt, if you use an entity
Warranties, permits, and the age of the roof, water heater, and AC
Every repair invoice, with before and after photos

This is general information, not legal advice. If a tenant stops paying, our Florida eviction process guide walks through the court timeline.

Protection

Insurance for an owner who is not there

Insurance is where distance costs the most, because you are the last person to learn something went wrong. Review these with a local agent every year, before June 1.

A landlord policy, not a homeowner policy

A homeowner policy is written for a home you live in. A tenant occupied home needs a landlord (dwelling) policy. Ask whether it includes loss of rent coverage, which can replace rent while a covered loss is repaired.

Liability, and maybe an umbrella

If someone is hurt at the property, the claim lands on the owner. Confirm the liability limit on your landlord policy and ask your agent whether an umbrella policy makes sense for your situation.

Flood is a separate policy

FEMA notes most property policies do not cover flood. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy usually has a 30 day waiting period, so it must be bought well before a storm is named.

The hurricane deductible

Florida insurers must offer hurricane deductible options, including 2%, 5%, or 10% of the dwelling limit, and the deductible applies once per calendar year to hurricane losses under policies from the same insurer (§627.701). Know your number before the season starts.

Claim deadlines

Florida law requires notice of a new property insurance claim within one year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months (§627.70132). From far away, that clock can run before you know there is damage. A post storm inspection closes the gap.

Vacancy and the tenant’s own policy

Many landlord policies limit coverage when a home sits vacant for an extended period. Ask your agent for the exact terms. Your policy does not cover the tenant’s belongings, so many owners ask tenants to carry renters insurance.

Every policy is different. Read your declarations page and ask your agent; this is general information, not insurance advice. Our recorded inspections give your agent the before picture a claim needs.

Ownership structure

LLC basics for a Florida rental

Many out of state investors hold rentals in a limited liability company. The usual reasons are separating the rental’s liabilities from personal assets and making the property easier to pass on or share with partners. An LLC is not a substitute for insurance, and it only protects you if it is kept up properly.

Florida LLCs are governed by Chapter 605 of the Florida Statutes. Two pieces of upkeep matter most to an absent owner. Every Florida LLC must keep a registered agent with a Florida street address to receive legal papers (§605.0113), which an out of state owner cannot do personally. And it must file an annual report with the Florida Division of Corporations on Sunbiz between January 1 and May 1 each year (§605.0212). A late report brings a late fee, and an LLC that never files can be administratively dissolved.

If you already have an LLC in your home state, ask your attorney whether it needs to register in Florida to own and rent property here. And before you deed a property you already own into an LLC, ask about the mortgage, the title insurance, and the transfer taxes. Each can be affected by the move.

Whichever structure you choose, keep it consistent: the deed, the insurance, the bank account, the management agreement, and the lease should all name the same owner. We manage homes held personally and in entities alike. The right structure is a decision for your Florida real estate attorney and your CPA, not your property manager.

Taxes

Taxes for remote and foreign owners

General information to bring to your CPA, not tax advice. Rules change, and your home state or country adds its own layer.

If you live in another state

Florida’s Constitution prohibits a state income tax on individuals (Article VII, Section 5), so Florida does not tax your rent. Your federal return still reports rental income and expenses, usually on Schedule E, and residential rental buildings are depreciated over 27.5 years (IRS Publication 527). Your home state may also tax the income.

Trips to your rental can be deductible when the primary purpose is collecting rent or managing, conserving, or maintaining the property, per Publication 527. Keep the itinerary and receipts.

If you live outside the United States

By default, rent paid to a nonresident alien faces a flat 30% federal withholding on the gross rent, with no deductions. Many owners instead elect to treat it as effectively connected income, give the withholding agent Form W-8ECI, and file Form 1040-NR each year, which allows expenses to be deducted (IRS Publication 515).

At sale, FIRPTA generally requires the buyer to withhold 15% of the amount realized (IRS). Plan for it years ahead, with a US tax professional, not the week before closing.

Florida property taxes

A rental does not qualify for the homestead exemption, which is for a permanent residence. Non homestead residential property does have its own cap: assessment increases are limited to 10% a year for levies other than school taxes (Florida Constitution Article VII, Section 4(g); §193.1554).

Bills go out in the fall. Paying in November earns a 4% discount (§197.162), and unpaid taxes become delinquent April 1 (§197.333). Make sure the county has a mailing address you actually read.

Short stays are taxed differently

Florida charges a transient rentals tax on stays of six months or less (§212.03). A tenant on a bona fide written lease longer than six months is generally exempt. If you are weighing short term rentals against a standard lease, add this to the conversation with your CPA.

Management fees are generally a deductible rental expense too; see the fee questions on our pricing page. Confirm every item here with a CPA before you file.

June 1 to November 30

Hurricane season for an absent owner

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 (NOAA National Hurricane Center). Orlando is inland, so the usual risks are wind, heavy rain, roof damage, falling trees, and local flooding. An absent owner’s work is almost all done before the storm.

Before the season

Review the landlord policy and hurricane deductible. Decide on flood coverage at least 30 days out, and check the property’s flood zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Trim trees near the roof, clear gutters, and get a dated photo record of the roof, fence, and exterior.

When a storm is forecast

Do not book a flight. Make sure the tenant knows who to call and what to do with loose outdoor items. Florida law allows a landlord to enter at any time for the protection or preservation of the premises (§83.53), but the tenant’s safety and evacuation decisions come first.

After the storm

Get an inspection with photos and video as soon as it is safe. Prevent further damage, report the claim promptly, and keep every receipt. Use licensed contractors; storm chasers follow every big storm. If damage substantially impairs the home, §83.63 lets the tenant end the lease.

The best storm plan for a remote owner is a recorded inspection on file before June 1 and a local team that can be at the property the day the roads open. On our full service plans, the move-in video in your owner portal is that before picture.

Your clock

The systems that make long distance ownership work

Remote owners who do well are not the ones who check in the most. They are the ones whose routines run without them.

One place for everything

Statements, invoices, the lease, and inspection video in one portal or shared folder, open at any hour. If you have to email someone to find a document, the system is not finished.

A monthly fifteen minutes

Read the statement every month. Did rent arrive? What was repaired, and why? Anything you do not understand gets one question, in writing. Small patterns are easy to catch early.

Decisions made in advance

Write down what you want to hear about right away, what can wait for the monthly statement, and who decides if you cannot be reached. Clear expectations prevent most remote ownership friction.

Your remote owner calendar

When	What to do
January	Gather the year’s statements and 1099s for your CPA. Note your lease renewal dates for the year ahead.
January 1 to May 1	Florida LLC annual report window on Sunbiz, if your property is held in a Florida LLC.
By April 1	Last year’s Florida property taxes become delinquent on April 1 if unpaid (§197.333).
Before June 1	Insurance review and flood decision. A new flood policy usually takes 30 days to start (FEMA).
June 1 to November 30	Atlantic hurricane season (NOAA National Hurricane Center). Keep your storm plan current.
November	Property tax bills go out. Paying in November earns the largest early payment discount, 4% (§197.162).

Add your own dates: lease end and renewal, insurance renewal, and any HOA meetings.

Where a local manager fits

Full service is the usual fit for a remote owner, because the daily work is exactly what distance makes hard. Our 24 Managed (8% monthly) and 24 Protected (9% monthly) plans include move-in and move-out video inspections, an owner portal with monthly statements, and rent direct deposited by the 10th. Lease Only (0% monthly) places the tenant and hands the home back to you, which suits owners who have someone local.

Every fee is on our pricing page. For how we run remote ownership day to day, see out of state landlords, and if you are still shopping, see how we help investors buy a rental property.

Long distance landlord questions, answered

Can you manage a rental property from out of state?

Yes. Florida does not require a rental owner to live in the state. What you cannot do from a distance is stand in the house, so the job becomes building a team you trust and systems that show you what is happening: a licensed local manager, recorded inspections, a document vault, and a calendar of the dates that matter. This guide walks through each one.

What is the biggest mistake long distance landlords make?

Relying on a friend or relative instead of a system. It works until the favor runs out, the person moves, or a repair needs a licensed contractor. The second biggest is having no record of the property’s condition at move in, which makes a security deposit claim very hard to prove from another state.

Do I need a landlord insurance policy for a rental in Florida?

A homeowner policy is generally written for a home you live in, so a tenant occupied home needs a landlord policy instead. Ask about liability coverage, loss of rent coverage after a covered loss, and how the hurricane deductible works. Flood is a separate policy: FEMA notes most property policies do not cover flood, and a new National Flood Insurance Program policy usually has a 30 day waiting period.

Should an out of state owner put a Florida rental in an LLC?

Many do, for liability separation and estate planning, but it is not automatic. Moving a property into an LLC can affect your mortgage, your title insurance, your insurance policy, and your taxes, and a Florida LLC has yearly upkeep, including an annual report filed between January 1 and May 1. Talk to a Florida real estate attorney and your CPA before you transfer the deed.

Do I pay Florida income tax on rental income if I live in another state?

Florida’s Constitution prohibits a state income tax on individuals, so Florida does not tax your rental income. Your federal return still reports it, usually on Schedule E, and your home state may tax it depending on where you live. Florida does charge county property taxes, and a rental is not eligible for the homestead exemption. Confirm your situation with a CPA.

I live outside the United States. What changes?

By default, rent paid to a nonresident alien is subject to a flat 30% federal withholding on the gross rent. Many foreign owners elect to treat the rent as effectively connected income, give the withholding agent Form W-8ECI, and file Form 1040-NR each year instead (IRS Publication 515). When you sell, the buyer generally withholds 15% of the amount realized under FIRPTA. Set this up with a US tax professional before the first rent payment.

Should I fly to Florida when a hurricane is coming?

Usually no. Your tenant’s safety comes first, and a local team can secure, inspect, and document the home faster than you can get a flight. Your job is earlier: the insurance review, the flood decision, and a current photo record before June 1. After the storm, report damage to your insurer promptly. Florida law requires notice of a new claim within one year of the date of loss (§627.70132).

How often should a remote owner get the property inspected?

At minimum, a recorded inspection at move in and at move out, plus a check after any major storm. Many owners also want a walk through between tenancies and periodically during a long lease, because small leaks and AC issues in Florida humidity grow quickly. Florida law requires at least 24 hours’ notice to the tenant to enter for repairs (§83.53), so inspections are scheduled, not surprise visits.

Sources

Florida Statutes, Chapter 83, Part II (§§83.49, 83.50, 83.53, 83.63), 2025 edition, Florida Senate (flsenate.gov), checked November 2026
Florida Statutes §627.701 (hurricane deductibles) and §627.70132 (notice of property insurance claim), 2025 edition, checked November 2026; Florida Department of Financial Services, “Florida’s Hurricane Deductible,” checked November 2026
Florida Statutes Chapter 605 (Florida Revised LLC Act), including §605.0113 (registered agent) and §605.0212 (annual report), 2025 edition; Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), checked November 2026
Florida Statutes Chapters 475 (real estate licensing) and 489 (contracting), 2025 edition; Florida DBPR license lookup, checked November 2026
Florida Constitution, Article VII, Section 5 (no personal income tax) and Section 4(g) with Florida Statutes §193.1554 (10% non homestead assessment cap), checked November 2026
Florida Statutes §197.162 (early payment discount) and §197.333 (delinquency date), 2025 edition, checked November 2026
Florida Statutes §212.03 (transient rentals tax), 2025 edition, checked November 2026
IRS Publication 527, Residential Rental Property (2025 returns); IRS Publication 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities (2026); IRS, FIRPTA Withholding; IRS, How long should I keep records; all checked November 2026
FEMA, National Flood Insurance Program and FloodSmart.gov, checked November 2026
NOAA National Hurricane Center, Atlantic hurricane season dates, checked November 2026

This guide is general information for Florida rental owners, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Laws and rates change; confirm your situation with a Florida attorney, a CPA, and your insurance agent.

Own in Orlando, live somewhere else? Let’s talk in your time zone.

Tell Paul and his team when works where you live, and we will walk through your property and your plan. Prefer numbers first? Get a free rental analysis, or call (407) 588-9600.

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