Every Fee an Orlando Apartment Can Charge You

Florida caps nothing an apartment charges you to apply, to keep a pet or to pay rent late. What it regulates closely is the difference between a fee and a deposit, and that distinction decides whether you ever see the money again. Here is every charge an Orlando community can put on your ledger, which ones Florida law reaches, and the arithmetic that turns an advertised rent into a real one.

What Indigo West's published fee schedule says

The schedule. Indigo West's published recurring fee schedule, last checked on 10 September 2026, lists no additional recurring charges. That is the whole of it. Utilities are billed by usage, and deposits and one-time charges are quoted separately by the leasing office. No figure is published for any of them, so none is estimated here — a useful benchmark when another community quotes a monthly trash or technology charge.

The rent board, 13 October 2026. Indigo West showed 36 available homes across 14 published floor plans. One-bedrooms ran $1,387 to $1,602 at 784 to 790 square feet, or $1.77 to $2.04 per square foot; two-bedrooms $1,588 to $1,823 at 967 to 1,227 square feet, or $1.29 to $1.85; three-bedrooms $1,988 to $2,163 at 1,328 square feet; and four-bedrooms $2,241 to $2,356 at 1,456 square feet, or $1.54 to $1.62. The four-bedroom floor plans have their own guide.

The application fee, and the rule Florida does not have

There is no cap. Part II of Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes, the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, runs to 42 sections. Not one limits what a landlord may charge to process an application, requires the fee to reflect the cost of screening, or requires any of it back if you are denied. Florida is simply silent.

And no city can create one. Fla. Stat. 83.425, enacted by chapter 2023-314, preempts residential tenancy regulation to the state and expressly supersedes local rules on "rental agreement applications and fees associated with such applications" and on "fees charged by the landlord".

The one application rule Florida does have. Under Fla. Stat. 83.683(1) a servicemember's application must be processed within seven days, with written notice of approval or denial; section 83.683(3) bars waiver.

Where it compounds. Application fees are normally charged per adult applicant, not per home. On a four-bedroom shared by four adults on one lease, an uncapped fee is paid four times for one apartment. Ask for the per-applicant figure and the total first.

Fee or deposit: where renters lose the most money

What the statute protects. Fla. Stat. 83.43(14) defines security deposits as "any moneys held by the landlord as security for the performance of the rental agreement", and section 83.43(2) defines advance rent as "moneys paid to the landlord to be applied to future rent payment periods". Section 83.49 attaches to those two things and nothing else.

What that protection is worth. Section 83.49(1) requires the money to sit in a separate, uncommingled Florida account, in an interest-bearing account paying you at least 75 per cent of the annualised average rate or 5 per cent simple interest, or under a surety bond plus 5 per cent simple interest, and section 83.49(2) requires written notice of where it sits. Section 83.49(3)(a) gives the landlord 15 days to return it if no claim is made, and 30 days to send written notice of an intended claim and its reason by certified mail or email under section 83.505. Miss that 30 days and the right to claim is forfeited outright. You then have 15 days to object, and under section 83.49(3)(c) the prevailing party recovers costs plus a reasonable attorney's fee.

What a fee is worth. A non-refundable administrative fee is not held as security and is not applied to future rent, so it is neither a deposit nor advance rent. Nothing above attaches: no segregated account, no notice, no deadline, no forfeiture rule, no attorney's fee provision. A $400 deposit and a $400 admin fee look identical at move-in and are worth entirely different things at move-out. Treat "admin fee", "move-in fee" and "community fee" as non-refundable unless the lease says otherwise.

Holding deposits. Part II of Chapter 83 does not define one. If money is genuinely held as security for performance of a rental agreement, it is a security deposit under section 83.43(14) and section 83.49 applies. Hand money over before any agreement exists and the statute does not plainly reach it; what happens if you withdraw turns on the receipt you signed. Get that in writing before you pay.

Browse what is available at Indigo West before you compare fee quotes.

The fee in lieu of a deposit: Fla. Stat. 83.491

What it is. Since 1 July 2023, section 83.491(1)(a) has let a landlord offer a fee instead of a security deposit where the agreement requires one, and section 83.491(5) allows it to recur monthly with rent. Section 83.491(6) states plainly that such a fee is not a security deposit under section 83.43, so section 83.49 does not protect it.

The disclosure to demand. Section 83.491(4)(b) requires written disclosure in substantially prescribed form, headed "FEE IN LIEU OF SECURITY DEPOSIT", stating that "THIS FEE IS NOT A SECURITY DEPOSIT" and that "IF THE LANDLORD USES ANY PORTION OF THE TENANT'S FEE TO PURCHASE INSURANCE, THE TENANT IS NOT INSURED".

Your rights inside it. Section 83.491(3) requires nine written disclosures, including the right to pay a deposit instead at any time; section 83.491(4)(a) freezes the fee for the term; section 83.491(7) forbids using your choice as a factor in approving your application. Multiply the monthly fee by the months you expect to stay: a recurring, non-refundable charge eventually exceeds a one-off refundable deposit.

Pet fee, pet deposit and pet rent are three different things

A pet deposit is refundable. Held as security for performance, it meets the section 83.43(14) definition and section 83.49 governs it in full, deadlines and attorney's fee provision included. A one-off non-refundable pet fee is neither a deposit nor advance rent, so none of section 83.49 applies, and there is no cap on it.

Pet rent may legally be rent. Fla. Stat. 83.43(12) defines rent as the periodic payments due for occupancy "and any other payments due the landlord from the tenant as may be designated as rent in a written rental agreement". If your lease designates pet rent as rent, failing to pay it is failing to pay rent, and under Fla. Stat. 83.56(3) that can support a three-day written demand for rent or possession. Search your lease for the word "rent" and see what has been attached to it.

Assistance animals are not pets

The rule, and its current source. Under the Fair Housing Act at 42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(B) and HUD's regulation at 24 C.F.R. 100.204, refusing a reasonable accommodation in rules, policies, practices or services is disability discrimination. The joint statement issued by HUD and the Department of Justice on 17 May 2004 answers the fee question at Question 11: "No. Housing providers may not require persons with disabilities to pay extra fees or deposits as a condition of receiving a reasonable accommodation." Its second worked example is an assistance animal, and says the provider "may not require the applicant to pay a fee or a security deposit as a condition of allowing the applicant to keep the assistance animal".

One important update. HUD's own assistance-animal notices are no longer in force. In a notice dated 17 September 2025, HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity withdrew FHEO 2020-01 of 28 January 2020 and FHEO Notice 2013-01 of 25 April 2013, saying the withdrawn guidance "should not be enforced or otherwise relied upon" while the review is ongoing. Any article still citing FHEO-2020-01 as live guidance is out of date. The statute and regulation are unchanged, and the 2004 joint statement was not on the withdrawal list.

What a provider may still do. If an assistance animal causes damage, the joint statement allows the provider to charge for the repair where assessing tenants for damage is its practice. The protection is against an upfront charge, not against liability for actual damage.

The recurring stack, and why flat fees hit small homes hardest

What turns up. Beyond base rent, a community may bill an amenity fee, valet or doorstep trash, pest control, a technology or internet package, a renters insurance compliance charge where you have not produced your own policy, parking, and a utility allocation. Florida regulates none by amount; each is a lease term.

RUBS. A ratio utility billing system allocates a building's master-metered water or sewer across apartments by a formula — typically occupancy or square footage — rather than metering each home, and nothing in Part II of Chapter 83 defines or limits it. A RUBS charge is an allocation, not a measurement, so cutting your consumption may not cut your bill. Ask for the formula in writing and three recent months of actual charges on a home your size. The underlying county rates appear in the companion piece on the monthly cost of renting in Orlando.

Flat fees are regressive against square footage. Lay a $100 monthly stack over the Indigo West board as of 13 October 2026. On the 1,227 square foot two-bedroom at $1.29 per square foot it adds about $0.08, reaching $1.37; on the 1,456 square foot four-bedroom at $1.54, about $0.07, reaching $1.61. But on a 784 square foot one-bedroom at $1.77 it adds about $0.13, reaching $1.90 — roughly 57 per cent more per square foot than it costs the largest two-bedroom, and about 86 per cent more than the four-bedroom. Over a year it is $1,200, around 87 per cent of a month's rent at the bottom of the one-bedroom band. Compare on rent plus fees per square foot, never rent alone. The MetroWest rental market and how Orlando rents compare at the lower end are covered separately.

Late fees, and what a Florida lease can and cannot do

No cap, no formula. Nothing in Part II of Chapter 83 limits a late fee. Fla. Stat. 83.46 governs when rent falls due and says nothing about late charges, and Fla. Stat. 83.425 blocks any local ordinance filling the gap. The amount is whatever the lease says.

What the lease cannot do. Fla. Stat. 83.47(1)(a) voids any provision purporting to waive or preclude the rights, remedies or requirements set out in the Act, and section 83.47(1)(b) does the same for provisions limiting either party's liability arising under law. Fla. Stat. 83.45(1) separately lets a court that finds a provision unconscionable refuse to enforce it, enforce the remainder without it, or limit its application.

The eviction link. Under Fla. Stat. 83.56(3), non-payment of rent continuing for three days — excluding Saturdays, Sundays and court holidays — lets a landlord demand rent or possession in writing. Whether a late fee rides along turns on section 83.43(12): if the lease designates it as rent, it is rent.

Three questions, and the arithmetic that gives the real number

Ask these three, in writing. First: what is the total of every charge I must pay before I receive keys, and which are refundable if I am denied or withdraw? Second: list every recurring charge that will appear on my ledger in addition to base rent, with amounts, and say which the lease designates as rent. Third: is any deposit held under Fla. Stat. 83.49, or is it a fee in lieu of a deposit under Fla. Stat. 83.491 — and if the latter, show me the disclosure required by section 83.491(4)(b).

Then do the sum. True monthly cost is advertised rent, plus every recurring charge, plus one-off move-in charges divided by the months in the lease, minus any concession divided by the same number. Run a two-bedroom at $1,588 through it with a placeholder $100 recurring stack and $500 of one-off charges on a twelve-month lease and the real figure is $1,729.67 — 8.9 per cent above the advertised number. Neither placeholder is an Indigo West charge; substitute the community's own.

Check which way a concession runs. Two months free on a twelve-month lease is a sixth off the monthly figure, but only if renewal is priced from the net rent. See current pricing at Indigo West and read what renters should know about the community alongside it.

A note on scope. This is general information about Florida statutes and federal fair housing rules, not legal advice. Statutes, regulations and agency guidance change — as HUD's September 2025 withdrawal shows — and every citation carries the date it was read. Confirm current rules for your jurisdiction and take professional advice before acting.

Indigo West is an AIR Communities property, and this guide is published by the community. Pricing, availability and fees were checked against the community's own published listings on 13 October 2026 and change frequently. Statutory sources were read on 13 October 2026 from the Florida Statutes at leg.state.fl.us and from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including the HUD and DOJ joint statement of 17 May 2004 and HUD's withdrawal notice of 17 September 2025, and the community's published recurring fee schedule was last checked on 10 September 2026. Confirm current terms with the leasing office before making a decision.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a limit on application fees in Florida?

No. Part II of Chapter 83 sets no cap and no requirement to refund on denial, and Fla. Stat. 83.425 preempts local government from regulating application fees.

What is the difference between an admin fee and a security deposit?

A security deposit is money held as security for performance under Fla. Stat. 83.43(14), and Fla. Stat. 83.49 governs how it is held and returned. A non-refundable admin fee is neither, so those protections do not apply.

How long does a Florida landlord have to return a deposit?

Under Fla. Stat. 83.49(3)(a), 15 days from termination if no claim is made. With a claim, written notice of the claim and its reason must be sent within 30 days; missing that deadline forfeits the right to claim.

Can a landlord charge a pet fee for an assistance animal?

No. The HUD and DOJ joint statement of 17 May 2004 states at Question 11 that providers may not require persons with disabilities to pay extra fees or deposits as a condition of a reasonable accommodation; its worked example is an assistance animal.

Is HUD notice FHEO-2020-01 still in force?

No. HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity withdrew it, with FHEO Notice 2013-01, on 17 September 2025. The underlying statute and regulation are unchanged.

What is a fee in lieu of a security deposit?

The alternative created by Fla. Stat. 83.491 for agreements entered into or renewed on or after 1 July 2023. Section 83.491(6) states it is not a security deposit; section 83.491(3) lets you switch to a deposit at any time.

Is pet rent legal in Florida?

Yes, and there is no cap. If the lease designates it as rent under Fla. Stat. 83.43(12), non-payment is non-payment of rent and can support a three-day demand under Fla. Stat. 83.56(3).

What is RUBS on my apartment bill?

A ratio utility billing system allocates a building's master-metered utility cost across apartments by a formula such as occupancy or square footage, rather than metering each home. Florida does not define or limit it, so ask for the formula.

Is there a maximum late fee in Florida?

No. No section of Part II of Chapter 83 caps late fees, and Fla. Stat. 83.425 stops local government capping them. A court may refuse to enforce one it finds unconscionable under Fla. Stat. 83.45(1).

What recurring fees does Indigo West publish?

The published recurring fee schedule, last checked on 10 September 2026, lists no additional recurring charges. Utilities are billed by usage and one-time charges quoted separately; confirm terms with the leasing office.