Property Management Licensing Requirements In Florida

Updated August 6, 2026

5 min read

Third-party property management in Florida is regulated activity: before a company can lease units, collect rent, or manage properties on behalf of an owner for compensation, it needs to understand exactly who must hold a license, what that license requires, and how client money has to be handled once the business is operating. This guide covers both, with the statute or agency rule behind each requirement.

Who Needs A License To Manage Property

Renting, leasing, or negotiating rentals of another's real property for compensation is broker activity in Florida, licensed by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Salaried onsite leasing employees of apartment communities and salaried condo or co-op managers renting units for a year or less are exempt. Community association management is a separate DBPR license (CAM). Licensees complete 14 hours of CE every two years.

A broker is a person who, for another and for compensation, rents or leases real property, or offers, attempts, or agrees to negotiate its rental, or procures lessors or lessees; performing these services for others requires a Florida real estate license. (Fla. Stat. § 475.01(1)(a))
A salaried employee of an owner, or of a registered broker for an owner, of an apartment community who works in an onsite rental office in a leasing capacity is exempt from licensure. (Fla. Stat. § 475.011(4))
A person employed for a salary as manager of a condominium or cooperative apartment complex is exempt as to renting individual units within that complex, provided rentals arranged by the person are for periods of no more than one year. (Fla. Stat. § 475.011(5))
An apartment complex may pay an unlicensed tenant a finder's fee or referral fee of up to $50 in value for referring a prospective tenant, but the unlicensed person may not advertise or otherwise perform license-required services. (Fla. Stat. § 475.011(13))
Managing a community association (HOA, condo association) with more than 10 units or an annual budget over $100,000 for compensation requires a separate Community Association Manager (CAM) license under Chapter 468, distinct from the real estate license used for rental property management. (Fla. Stat. § 468.431)
After the initial post-licensing education, brokers must complete 14 hours of continuing education each two-year renewal cycle: 3 hours Core Law, 3 hours Ethics and Business Practices, and 8 hours of specialty education. (Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-3.009; DBPR Real Estate Commission education requirements)

Client Trust Account Requirements

Florida brokers who hold rents, deposits, or other funds for others must place them immediately, defined by rule as no later than the end of the third business day, into an escrow account at a Florida bank, credit union, trust company, or savings association, or with a Florida title company or attorney. Escrow accounts require monthly reconciliation statements, and only limited broker funds may sit in them: up to $5,000 in a property management escrow account. Failures to account or deliver funds are punishable by fines up to $5,000 per offense, suspension up to 10 years, or revocation.

A broker must immediately place, upon receipt, any money, fund, deposit, check, or draft entrusted to the broker by a person dealing with the broker as agent, in escrow with a title company, banking institution, credit union, or savings and loan association located and doing business in Florida, or deposit it with an attorney or in a trust account. (Fla. Stat. § 475.25(1)(k))
Per DBPR guidance implementing FREC rules, 'immediately' means placement of a deposit in the escrow account no later than the end of the third business day following receipt; Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays are not business days. (Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-14.010; DBPR Division of Real Estate enforcement FAQ)
Escrow funds held by a brokerage include rents, rental and sales deposits, and money held to cover maintenance, taxes, or mortgage payments for others; escrow accounts may be kept only at Florida banks, trust companies, title companies, credit unions, or savings and loan institutions, not securities firms. (DBPR Division of Real Estate enforcement FAQ; Fla. Admin. Code ch. 61J2-14)
A broker may keep up to $5,000 of personal or brokerage funds in the property management escrow account and up to $1,000 in the sales escrow account, and the monthly reconciliation statement must specifically note the overage amount and purpose. (Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-14.010(2); DBPR Division of Real Estate enforcement FAQ)
Interest-bearing escrow accounts require written permission from all interested parties, a Florida insured institution, and a clearly designated recipient of the interest. (DBPR Division of Real Estate enforcement FAQ; Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-14.014)
Brokers must maintain legible records of all transactions and financial records for five years, and brokerage records are subject to review by DBPR real estate investigators during normal business hours. (Fla. Stat. § 475.5015; DBPR Division of Real Estate enforcement FAQ)
Failure to account for or deliver escrowed funds is a license violation punishable by administrative fines up to $5,000 per offense, suspension up to 10 years, or revocation; on conflicting demands the broker must notify FREC in writing within 15 business days and start a statutory settlement procedure within 30 business days. (Fla. Stat. § 475.25(1)(d); DBPR Division of Real Estate enforcement FAQ)

Holding a license is the entry requirement; keeping client trust accounts clean is what actually determines whether a Florida management company stays in business. A trust shortage is a licensing problem, not just a bookkeeping one, so the habits that keep a company compliant are the same ones that keep it audit-ready: deposit on time, never mix operating and client money, and reconcile every account every month. Our guide to preparing for a trust account audit walks through what examiners actually ask for.

Staying Licensed And Compliant

Requirements change over time, education hours get updated, and license periods renew on a fixed schedule, so this is worth a periodic check against the current rule rather than a one-time read. This guide is a starting point for professional managers, not legal advice. For a specific licensing question, confirm the current requirements directly with the Florida real estate regulator.