What Florida’s new rental fraud law means for multifamily housing

Florida’s new rental fraud legislation raises the stakes for applicants who deliberately use false information to access secure housing. It also draws attention to the wider operational question facing multifamily operators: whether their leasing processes are equipped to identify fraudulent information before it results in occupancy.

For years, rental fraud has been a persistent concern for multifamily operators, but the problem has become more complex. Fraudulent applications can involve forged identification documents, manipulated income records, identity theft, and digital tools that make convincing fake documents easier to produce and harder to detect during a manual review.

What is Florida HB-1293?

Effective October 1, 2026, Florida’s HB-1293 introduced new legal consequences for residential rental application fraud. Under the legislation, individuals who deliberately provide fraudulent information to obtain a tenancy may face felony charges. The law also allows landlords to terminate a fraudulently obtained tenancy with seven days’ notice and without providing an opportunity to correct the breach. Florida is reported to be the first state to make residential rental application fraud a standalone criminal offense.

The legislation is aimed at deliberate deception, including the use of forged documents, impersonation, or other fraudulent efforts to secure possession of a rental property.

For multifamily operators, the legislation places greater weight on the records and controls used to identify suspected fraud. Clear records of what an applicant submitted, how the information was reviewed, and where discrepancies were identified can help operators manage suspected fraud more consistently.

Why this matters beyond Florida

HB-1293 applies in Florida, but the application fraud it addresses will be familiar to multifamily operators in markets across the country.

Property managers are under pressure to balance application volumes and leasing speed with thorough applicant verification. The scale of the issue is reflected in research compiled by Docuverus, citing NMHC survey findings that 93.3% of rental housing providers experienced fraud during the previous 12 months. Effective verification therefore has a direct bearing on leasing risk and operational performance.

Leasing teams must make thorough checks without creating unnecessary delays for legitimate applicants. Maintaining that balance becomes harder when teams are processing high application volumes or reviewing information across disconnected systems.

A fraudulent application can create financial and operational consequences after occupancy begins. The cost to evict someone typically runs from about $6,000 to $11,000, and can exceed $10,000 per incident. The total includes lost rent and eviction-related expenses, while the legal process of vacating a property where rent remains unpaid can take six months or longer. For operators, that can mean extended revenue loss as well as legal, administrative, and property-related costs.

The growing challenge of application fraud

Many multifamily organizations already screen applicants as part of their apartment leasing fraud prevention efforts. Unfortunately, those screening processes may depend heavily on manual review or separate verification systems, making discrepancies harder to identify consistently.

A forged pay stub, altered bank statement, or stolen identity can be difficult to detect through manual review alone. Leasing teams often need to process applications quickly, making it challenging to investigate every discrepancy in detail. Reliable leasing decisions depend on confidence in the information behind an application. Operators should consider how an applicant’s identity and income are verified, how screening criteria are applied, and how exceptions are documented.

A layered approach enables applicant information to be checked at several points in the leasing process. Identity verification, income verification, and screening address different areas of risk, while a connected workflow can help operators apply those checks consistently and retain a clearer record of each decision.

Technology’s role in strengthening verification and reducing risk

Technology can help multifamily operators apply verification requirements consistently, particularly when application volumes make detailed manual review difficult to sustain. Bringing ID check software, income verification software, and applicant screening software capabilities together can help leasing teams identify discrepancies earlier, apply consistent checks, and retain clearer records of how an application was assessed.

MRI Software’s multifamily CRM and resident engagement solution brings all three processes together into a unified workflow. Qualified applicants can progress through the verification process, while exceptions can be identified for closer examination. This gives leasing teams a connected way to manage different stages of verification and focus their attention where further review is needed.

For operators managing multiple properties, a connected verification process can support greater consistency across teams and locations. It can also provide a clearer way to review exceptions and record the information used to support a leasing decision.

The strongest verification processes also account for resident experience. Qualified applicants should be able to progress without avoidable delays, while applications containing discrepancies can be directed for closer review. Together, identity verification, income verification, and screening give operators a fuller view of the information behind an application.

Preparing for what’s next

Although HB-1293 applies in Florida, multifamily operators elsewhere may also want to monitor its implementation across the U.S. and the industry response. It is too early to know whether other jurisdictions will take a similar approach, but the legislation has brought wider attention to verification standards, documentation, and accountability in the leasing process.

Multifamily organizations can prepare by reviewing the level of assurance their current leasing processes provide. This includes examining how applicant identities and income are verified, how exceptions are handled, and whether records are retained consistently across the portfolio.

Strengthening these practices can help operators detect questionable information earlier, reduce exposure to fraudulent occupancy, and make leasing decisions on a more consistent basis.

HB-1293 brings the consequences of rental application fraud into sharper focus, but the operational response begins much earlier in the leasing process. Sound decisions depend on how effectively applicant information is checked, how consistently exceptions are reviewed, and how clearly those decisions are documented. For multifamily operators, reviewing these processes now can strengthen fraud prevention while supporting a smoother and more consistent experience for legitimate applicants.

See how our multifamily property management software can support a more connected approach to applicant verification.