Tampa Eviction Court Steps 2026–27: Hillsborough County Deadlines You Can't Miss
Florida evictions move fast. The most common way tenants lose a case they could have fought is missing a 5-business-day deadline or not putting rent into the court registry. This guide walks through a Tampa eviction in order, from the notice on your door to the sheriff's 24-hour posting. Each step tells you what the law requires and what you can do.
Last checked October 2026. Facts come from Florida Statutes Chapter 83 and section 51.011, the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court, the Florida Supreme Court eviction summons and answer forms, and Bay Area Legal Services. This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a lawyer about your own case.
The Short Version
3-day notice for unpaid rent. Weekends and court holidays don't count.
Court summons gives you 5 days to respond. Weekends and legal holidays don't count.
In those 5 days, you must file a written answer and deposit the rent the landlord says you owe into the court registry. Or you must file a motion asking the judge to decide the rent amount.
If you don't, the landlord can get a default judgment without a hearing.
After a judgment, the sheriff posts a 24-hour notice. Weekends and holidays do not pause that clock.
Bay Area Legal Services warns that if you don't file an answer and raise defenses, you may be evicted in only 12 days.
Step 1: The Notice
Florida law requires written notice before a landlord can file in court. The type depends on the reason.
Unpaid rent: 3-day notice (Fla. Stat. 83.56(3)). The notice demands the rent or possession within 3 days, excluding Saturday, Sunday, and legal holidays. The statute says "legal holidays" here means court-observed holidays only. The notice must state the amount owed, the rental address including the county, and the landlord's name, address, and phone number.
Lease violations: 7-day notice (83.56(2)). For problems that can be fixed, such as an unauthorized pet, the notice gives you 7 days to cure. For serious violations, such as intentional damage, or a repeat within 12 months of a written warning, the notice can end the lease and give you 7 days to move out.
How notices can be delivered (83.56(4)): by mail, by handing you a copy, by email if you've agreed to email notices, or, if you're not home, by leaving a copy at the residence. Your lease can't waive these notice rules.
What to do now:
Count the days yourself. Skip the day it was delivered, weekends, and court holidays.
If you can pay in full within the notice period, get a written receipt.
Partial payments: Under 83.56(5), a landlord who accepts partial rent after posting the notice must do one of three things. They can give you a receipt with the agreed date and remaining balance, put the partial payment in the court registry when they file, or post a new 3-day notice. Keep proof of every payment.
Call for legal help now, not after the summons. Bay Area Legal Services' Legal Aid Line is (800) 625-2257, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
You can't pay rent into the court yet. The Hillsborough Clerk says it can't take registry money for your case until the landlord has filed an eviction.
Step 2: The Landlord Files
If the notice period ends without payment or a move-out, the landlord files a complaint in Hillsborough County Court. The Clerk's guidance says the summons must be served by the sheriff or a certified process server. Bay Area Legal Services notes that service can be in person or by posting.
The Clerk says the whole process can take 3–6 weeks when the paperwork is in order and the tenant doesn't answer. If you answer and deposit rent, the case goes before a judge.
Step 3: The 5-Day Window After You're Served
This is the step that decides most cases. Read your summons the day you get it.
The Hillsborough eviction summons (Form 1.923(b)) says you must do all of the required steps within 5 days, not including Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays, after the papers were given to you or someone living with you, or posted at your home.
What you must do
Write down why you shouldn't be evicted. You can use Florida Supreme Court Form 1.947(b), Answer–Residential Eviction. The form has check boxes for common defenses, including:
the landlord didn't make required repairs after your written notice;
the eviction is retaliation for a complaint to a code agency or to the landlord;
the eviction violates fair housing laws.
File it with the Clerk. The summons lists these drop-off locations:
Customer Service Center, 800 E. Twiggs St., Room 101, Tampa
Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Ave., Room 1071, Plant City
Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Dr., Suite 110, Brandon
Send or deliver a copy of your answer to the landlord at the address on the summons.
Pay the rent into the court registry. This means the rent the complaint says you owe, plus rent as it comes due during the case (83.60(2)).
Paying into the registry: the details
The summons says registry deposits must be made in cash, cashier's check, or money order. No personal checks.
The summons lists a Clerk's fee on top of the deposit: 3% on the first $500 and 1.5% on each additional $100.
If you get a housing subsidy, 83.60(2) says you only have to deposit your share of the rent.
Keep paying. The answer form says you must pay the clerk the rent each time it comes due until the case is over.
If you disagree with the amount
If the complaint overstates the rent, don't just skip the deposit. Under 83.60(2), you must file a motion to determine rent within the same 5 days and include documents showing the amount is wrong, such as receipts, money order stubs, or your lease. The answer form has a box for this.
Why this matters so much
Under 83.60(2), if you raise any defense other than payment but don't deposit the rent or file a motion to determine rent in time, you waive your defenses. The landlord is then entitled to an immediate default judgment and a writ of possession "without further notice or hearing." That includes a defense that the 3-day notice was defective.
Section 83.56(5)(b) adds that the court can't set mediation or a trial until the deposit rule has been met.
Step 4: Hearing or Judgment
If you answered and deposited the rent, the judge decides the case. It may be decided on the paperwork or at a hearing, depending on the defenses. Defenses the law recognizes include:
Payment. You paid, or the landlord accepted the rent.
Repairs (83.60(1)). The landlord materially failed to maintain the unit as required by 83.51(1), and you gave written notice at least 7 days before withholding rent, saying what was wrong and that you wouldn't pay because of it. The statute calls this a complete defense to a nonpayment eviction. The court decides how much to reduce the rent.
Retaliation (83.64) and fair housing violations, both listed on the answer form.
The statute says the landlord must get a chance to fix a defective notice or pleading before the case is dismissed. A bad notice alone may not end the case.
Florida summary procedure (51.011) also sets short post-judgment deadlines:
A motion for a new trial must be filed within 5 days after judgment.
A notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days.
Get a lawyer's help before relying on either one.
Step 5: The Writ and the Sheriff
After a judgment for the landlord, 83.62 says the clerk issues a writ of possession. The sheriff posts it at the unit and the landlord gets possession after 24 hours' notice. Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays do not stop that 24-hour clock.
When the writ is carried out or afterward, the landlord can move your belongings to or near the property line. The statute says neither the sheriff nor the landlord is liable for what happens to them after that. If you see a writ posted, move important papers, medicine, and valuables first.
What Your Landlord Can't Do
Under Fla. Stat. 83.67, a landlord can't:
cut off or interrupt utilities such as water, electricity, gas, or garbage collection, even if the landlord pays for them;
change the locks or use a bootlock to keep you out;
remove doors, windows, or the roof except for repairs;
remove your belongings except after you surrender or abandon the unit, or after a lawful eviction.
A landlord who violates this section owes the tenant actual and consequential damages or 3 months' rent, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney's fees. Only the sheriff, carrying out a court writ, can remove you.
Help Outside of Court
Bay Area Legal Services: Free if you qualify. Legal Aid Line (800) 625-2257, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. You can also apply online anytime for non-emergency matters. Interpreters are free. BALS serves Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
Hillsborough County Housing Stability Program: Run through Bay Area Legal Services. BALS says it works with you and your landlord on a plan outside eviction court. That could be a payment plan or a move-out plan, depending on what you both agree to. Apply through the same Legal Aid Line, and BALS will check eligibility on the call.
2-1-1: Call for current rent help and shelter options in Hillsborough County.
The Clerk: The Clerk's office can explain forms and filing but can't give legal advice.
Checklist: Your First 48 Hours After Being Served
[ ] Write the service date on the summons and count 5 business days on a calendar.
[ ] Call (800) 625-2257.
[ ] Get Form 1.947(b) from the Clerk and fill it in.
[ ] Gather your lease, receipts, texts, repair requests, and photos.
[ ] Get a money order or cashier's check for the rent in the complaint plus the Clerk's fee. Or prepare a motion to determine rent with documents.
[ ] File at 800 E. Twiggs St., Plant City, or Brandon, and keep a stamped copy.
[ ] Send a copy to the landlord.
[ ] Put the next rent due date on your calendar so you keep depositing.
FAQ
How long do I have to answer an eviction in Tampa? 5 days after service, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays.
Do I really have to pay rent into the court to fight the eviction? Yes, if you raise any defense other than payment. Deposit the amount in the complaint, or file a motion to determine rent with documents in the same 5 days. Otherwise you waive your defenses (Fla. Stat. 83.60(2)).
Can I pay the court before my landlord files? No. The Hillsborough Clerk says it can't accept registry money until an eviction case is filed.
How long after judgment do I have to move? The sheriff posts a 24-hour notice. Weekends and holidays don't extend it.
Can my landlord change the locks or shut off my power? No. Fla. Stat. 83.67 forbids both. A landlord who does it can owe at least 3 months' rent in damages plus fees.
Where can I get a free lawyer in Hillsborough County? Call Bay Area Legal Services at (800) 625-2257, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Related Guides
Sources
Fla. Stat. 83.56 (notices): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/83.56
Fla. Stat. 83.60 (defenses, registry): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/83.60
Fla. Stat. 83.62 (writ of possession): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/83.62
Fla. Stat. 83.67 (prohibited practices): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/83.67
Fla. Stat. 51.011 (summary procedure): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/51.011
Hillsborough Clerk, Eviction Process: https://hillsclerk.com/eviction
Hillsborough Clerk, Residential Property Eviction: https://hillsclerk.com/court-services/evictions-and-landlord-tenant-laws/eviction-process/residential-property-eviction
Form 1.923(b) Eviction Summons (Hillsborough Clerk): https://www.hillsclerk.com/documents/d/guest/1-923-b-eviction-summons-residential-1
Bay Area Legal Services, Hillsborough County: https://bals.org/areas/hillsborough-county
Bay Area Legal Services, Housing Stability Program: https://bals.org/hillsborough-county-housing-stability-program
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