TAMPA, Fla. — A new Florida law taking effect Oct. 1 will make certain types of rental application fraud a third-degree felony, giving landlords another tool to address fraudulent applications while raising concerns among tenant advocates about the consequences for renters.
House Bill 1293, signed into law in June after passing unanimously in both legislative chambers, makes it a felony to knowingly and willfully use forged financial documents, falsify identity information or impersonate someone else to fraudulently gain possession of a rental home.
The law comes as property managers report increasingly sophisticated fraud, including the use of artificial intelligence to fabricate financial records.
A National Multifamily Housing Council survey conducted between November 2023 and January 2024 found that 93.3% of 75 responding apartment owners, developers and managers had experienced…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.