Landlords · November 5, 2026 · 6 min read

Selling a rented house in Florida or Arizona: tenants, notice and showings

Published by BIMINIO Properties, a company that buys houses for cash in Florida and Arizona.

A single-storey Arizona stucco house with a tile roof, a saguaro cactus and a gravel front yard

Selling a house with tenants in it means working around someone else's home. Both Florida and Arizona have rules about when a landlord may enter, and both cover showing the unit to buyers.

What the law says

State	Showing to buyers	Notice
Florida, section 83.53	The tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to entry to show the unit to prospective or actual purchasers.	For repairs, reasonable notice is at least 24 hours, and entry is between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Arizona, section 33-1343	The tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to entry to show the unit to prospective or actual purchasers.	At least two days' notice, and entry only at reasonable times, except in an emergency or when notice is impracticable.

Your lease may add its own terms. Read it before you schedule anything.

When a landlord may enter without the tenant's consent

Florida. Section 83.53(2) lets a landlord enter at any time to protect or preserve the property. For a showing, the landlord may enter with the tenant's consent, in an emergency, when the tenant unreasonably refuses consent, or when the tenant has been away for half the rent period. If the rent is paid up and the tenant gave notice of the absence, the landlord may enter only with consent or to protect the property. Subsection (3) says the landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant.

Arizona. Section 33-1343 allows entry without consent in an emergency. Apart from that, it says the landlord has no other right of access except by court order, under the sections the statute names, or when the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit. The landlord may not abuse access or use it to harass the tenant.

Arizona adds one more rule in section 33-1343(B): when a tenant asks for a repair, that request counts as permission to enter for that repair only, without a separate notice. It does not cover a showing.

In both states, keep a written log of each notice and visit. If a showing goes badly, that record shows you followed the law.

Why showings with tenants are hard

The law lets you show the unit, but a listing can mean many showings over weeks. Each one needs notice, a time that suits the tenant, and a clean, open unit. Some tenants cooperate. Others are home, upset, or worried about losing their place, and buyers notice.

You can also wait for the lease to end and sell an empty unit. That avoids the showings, but it means lost rent, turnover costs and months of bills on an empty house.

Selling with the tenants in place

A buyer who keeps the tenants takes over the lease. In Florida, section 83.49(7) moves the security deposits and advance rents to the new owner when the property is sold. In Arizona, section 33-1321(H) makes the new owner responsible for refunds when each tenancy ends.

What a buyer needs from you:

A copy of each lease, with the rent and the end date.
The security deposit held for each unit.
Any late payments, disputes or notices served.
Known repairs and open issues with the unit.

BIMINIO buys houses and small multifamily buildings, from duplexes to fourplexes, with tenants in place. There are no showings. After you accept the offer, there is one building inspection of under 30 minutes, and you can plan it with your tenant using the notice the law and your lease require.

See our page for tired landlords and the guide on what happens at closing.

What happens to security deposits

Florida. Section 83.49(7) says that when a rental is sold, all security deposits and advance rents move to the new owner, with any interest earned and an accounting for each tenant. Once the money and records are handed over and the seller has a written receipt, the seller no longer has to hold the deposits. The law presumes the new owner received the deposit, but that presumption is limited to 1 month's rent.

Arizona. Section 33-1321(A) caps a deposit, including prepaid rent, at one and one half month's rent. Subsection H says the person who holds the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the refund rules. After a sale, that is the new owner. Within 14 days after the tenancy ends, not counting weekends and legal holidays, the landlord must send the tenant an itemized list of deductions and any amount due (subsection D). Getting this wrong can cost twice the amount wrongly kept (subsection E).

Ending a month-to-month tenancy before a sale

If you would rather sell the house empty and the tenant has no fixed term:

Florida. Section 83.57(3) says either side may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the end of a monthly period.
Arizona. Section 33-1375(B) says either side may end it with written notice at least 30 days before the rent date named in the notice.

A lease with a fixed end date runs to that date unless the lease itself says otherwise. Read it before you give any notice.

In Arizona, if a tenant stays after the lease ends or after a proper notice without the landlord's consent, section 33-1375(C) lets the landlord sue for possession. If the tenant's stay is willful and not in good faith, the landlord may also recover up to two months' rent or twice the actual damages, whichever is greater.

Arizona section 33-1321(C) also requires a landlord to give a new tenant a signed copy of the lease and a move-in form listing existing damage. Give the buyer copies of those forms with the leases. They are the starting point for any deposit deduction later.

A short plan

Read the lease and note its end date and any entry terms.
Tell the tenant early and in writing that you plan to sell.
Give at least the notice the law and the lease require for every visit.
Gather the leases and deposit records for the buyer.
Get a written offer and compare it with selling after the lease ends.

Thinking about selling? BIMINIO buys houses in Florida and Arizona as is. A written offer comes within 24 hours, and you pick the closing date.

Sources

Florida Statutes (2026), section 83.53: landlord's access to dwelling unit, read November 8, 2026
Arizona Revised Statutes, section 33-1343: access, read November 8, 2026
Florida Statutes (2026), section 83.49: deposit money or advance rent, read November 8, 2026
Florida Statutes (2026), section 83.57: termination of tenancy without specific term, read November 8, 2026
Arizona Revised Statutes, section 33-1321: security deposits, read November 8, 2026
Arizona Revised Statutes, section 33-1375: periodic tenancy, read November 8, 2026

Situations this helps with

Tired landlord, problem tenants

Guides

This post is general information. BIMINIO does not give legal, tax or financial advice.

Questions and answers

Can I show my rental to buyers while the tenant lives there?

Yes, within limits. Florida Statutes section 83.53 and Arizona Revised Statutes section 33-1343 both say a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter to show the unit to prospective or actual purchasers. Notice rules apply in both states, and your lease may add its own terms, so read it first.

How much notice must an Arizona landlord give before entering?

Arizona Revised Statutes section 33-1343 says a landlord must give at least two days' notice before entering a rental, with entry only at reasonable times, except in an emergency or when notice is impracticable. Keep a written log of each notice and visit, so you can show that you followed the law.

How much notice does Florida require?

Florida Statutes section 83.53 defines reasonable notice for repairs as at least 24 hours, with entry between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The section does not set a separate number of hours for showings, so check your lease for showings and give at least that much notice. Keep a written log of each visit.

Can I sell a rental without showings?

Yes. BIMINIO buys rentals with tenants in place, so there are no showings. After you accept the offer, there is one building inspection of under 30 minutes, which you can plan with your tenant using the notice the law and your lease require. You send us the leases and we make the offer on that basis.

What happens to the lease when I sell?

The buyer takes over the leases. In Florida, Statutes section 83.49(7) says security deposits and advance rents move to the new owner on sale. In Arizona, section 33-1321(H) makes the new owner responsible for deposit refunds when each tenancy ends. Give the buyer a copy of each lease and the deposit record.

When can a Florida landlord enter without the tenant's consent?

Florida Statutes section 83.53(2) allows entry at any time to protect or preserve the property. For a showing, the landlord may enter without consent in an emergency, when the tenant unreasonably withholds consent, or when the tenant is absent for half the rent period, with limits if the rent is current and the tenant gave notice of the absence.

What happens to tenant deposits when I sell a Florida rental?

Florida Statutes section 83.49(7) says all security deposits and advance rents, with earned interest and an accounting for each tenant, are transferred to the new owner. After the transfer and a written receipt, the seller no longer has to hold them. The title company handles the deposit transfer at closing.

Who refunds the deposit after an Arizona rental is sold?

The new owner does. Arizona Revised Statutes section 33-1321(H) says the holder of the landlord's interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the deposit refund rules, which after a sale is the new owner. Give the buyer the lease, the signed move-in form and the deposit record for each unit.

How much notice ends a month-to-month lease in Florida or Arizona?

At least 30 days in writing in both states. In Florida, Statutes section 83.57(3) requires the notice at least 30 days before the end of a monthly period. In Arizona, Revised Statutes section 33-1375(B) requires it at least 30 days before the rent date named in the notice. A lease with a fixed end date runs to that date.

What is the largest deposit an Arizona landlord may hold?

Arizona Revised Statutes section 33-1321(A) caps a security deposit, including prepaid rent, at one and one half month's rent. A tenant may still choose to pay more rent in advance. Within 14 days after the tenancy ends, not counting weekends and legal holidays, the landlord must send an itemized list of deductions.