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Contest Eviction — Florida Answer Interview

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⚠️ Required Disclosure — Please ReadContest Eviction is a nonlawyer document preparation service. We cannot give legal advice, cannot tell you what your rights or remedies are, cannot tell you how to testify in court, and cannot represent you in court.
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This eviction answer interview is provided by ContestEviction.com as a free public service. The underlying legal interview process for Florida eviction responses was originally developed by Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) using the open-source Docassemble platform (MIT License), built with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. This is an independently rebuilt tool inspired by that work. Visit the original tool →
‹ Back Eviction Answer Interview — ContestEviction.com
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Introduction Case Information The Complaint Defenses Motion to Determine Rent Motion to Dismiss Wrap-Up
What language do you speak?
¿Qué idioma habla?
Welcome to the Eviction Answer Form Builder.
This guided interview will help you create an eviction response for Florida courts. Have your court papers ready — you'll be answering questions about them.
Disclaimer: This is not legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is being created. For free legal assistance, contact Jacksonville Area Legal Aid at 1-800-342-8011 or visit FloridaEvictionHelp.org.
About this tool: This interview was independently built by ContestEviction.com to help Florida tenants respond to eviction complaints. It is inspired by the original Florida Eviction Answer Interview created by Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA), designed by their team and built by Sam Harden with support from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, using the open-source Docassemble platform (MIT License). The legal questions and defenses are based on Florida public law (Fla. Stat. Ch. 83). Use the original JALA tool here →
Ready?
Original interview designed by:
⚓ JACKSONVILLE AREA Legal Aid
Built with support from:
🏛 Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Interview platform:
⚙️ Docassemble (open-source, MIT License — docassemble.org)
Do you live in affordable housing that receives funding from the government?
Examples of affordable housing that receives funding from the government:
  • Public housing
  • Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program
  • Section 8 project-based housing
  • HUD Section 202 housing for the elderly
  • HUD Section 811 housing for people with disabilities
  • HUD Section 236 multifamily rental housing
  • HUD Section 221(d)(3) Below Market Interest Rate (BMIR) housing
  • HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)
  • Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
  • McKinney-Vento Act homelessness programs
  • USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing
  • USDA Sections 514 and 516 Farm Labor Housing
  • USDA Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants
  • USDA Section 538 multifamily rental housing
  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)
Do you live in a mobile home that you own and rent a lot within a mobile home park where there are at least 10 lots offered for rent in the mobile home park?
*
What county was the complaint filed in?
Look at the very top of the complaint - it should say something like "In the 4th Judicial Circuit in and for Duval county, Florida"
County *
What is your case number?
Take out your paperwork. You can find the case number usually at the top right of the first page.
Case Number *
What is the Plaintiff's name?
In these kinds of cases the Plaintiff is usually the landlord or the company that owns the property you are renting.
Plaintiff's name *
What is your name as it appears on the Complaint?
First *
Middle
Last *
Now take out the Complaint.
How many numbered paragraphs does the complaint have? Please count those paragraphs beginning with a number, even if the paragraph has only one sentence. Sometimes the person or company suing you may number the paragraphs in the complaint incorrectly. Count the total number of paragraphs, even if they are numbered incorrectly.
Number *
Read paragraph carefully.

If you agree with everything in the paragraph, you can choose Admit.
If you disagree with part or all of the paragraph, you can choose Deny.
If you are not sure if you agree or disagree, you can choose Deny.
If you do not understand what the paragraph is saying, you can choose Deny.
If you want to change any of these, hit back.
If you're sure about your answers keep going.
The next step is to find out if there are any reasons why you shouldn't be evicted. These reasons are called "defenses." Defenses are reasons for the judge to deny your landlord's case for eviction.
Are you ready to proceed to the Defenses Section?
Did you agree to rent the property from your landlord?
Do you have an agreement to buy the property where you are living? *
Please select all that occurred while you were living in the rental: *
Do you have a copy of the agreement? If you answer yes, you will need to attach a copy to the Answer. *
Do you have a written agreement or lease to rent the property from the landlord?
Is a copy of the written agreement or lease attached to the complaint? *
Before you received the eviction lawsuit, did your landlord send you a written notice demanding you move?
Is your landlord saying that you violated your lease for something unrelated to rent?
Was the violation something small or minor that you should have been given a chance to correct? *
Did your landlord give you a written notice of the violation?
Have you fixed the problem? *
Did your landlord accept rent from you after telling you that you violated the lease? *
Do you think your landlord is trying to evict you because you exercised your rights as a tenant?
What rights did you exercise that you believe caused your landlord to retaliate with this eviction?
Please explain what rights you exercised and why you believe the landlord retaliated *
Did your landlord file this eviction after not renewing your lease?
Does your lease say how much notice your landlord must give you? *
Does the notice give you less time than your lease requires? *
How much notice does your lease require (in days)? *
If you don't have a written lease, is your rent due:
Did the notice give you at least 30 days before the end of the monthly period to move out? *
Are you a member of the armed services, or are you a dependent of a member of the armed services?
Is this eviction being filed while the service member is on active duty? *
Defenses Review
You've answered questions about potential defenses. If you need to change anything, use the 'Back' button.

Ready to proceed? Please click 'Continue' to move to the Motion to Determine Rent & Motion to Dismiss Sections.
Our next step is to figure out if you should file a "motion to determine rent."
A motion to determine rent tells the judge that you don't agree with the amount of past-due rent your landlord is claiming you owe.
This is important because if you don't file a motion to determine rent, you must deposit the amount that your landlord says you owe into the court registry within 5 business days of being served with the complaint.
If you file a motion to determine rent, then you must deposit the lesser amount you can prove you owe into the court registry within 5 business days of being served the complaint.
If you don't, your landlord automatically wins the eviction case.
You should attach any kind of papers you have that support the reason you don't agree with the amount of rent your landlord is claiming. Are you ready to proceed to the Motion to Determine Rent Section?
Do you disagree with the amount of rent your landlord is claiming?
What is the amount of rent claimed? *
$
What is the amount of rent you believe that you owe? *
$
What is your reason for disagreeing?
Now let's answer some questions to see if you should include a Motion to Dismiss along with your Answer to the Complaint.
A motion to dismiss asks the judge to dismiss the landlord's case because of something wrong with the complaint.
Is the person or company listed in the complaint your landlord?
Was the complaint filed by an attorney, or did your landlord file it without an attorney?
Take a look at the complaint again. Look at the last page to see who signed the complaint. If the person signing it uses "Esq." after their name, or puts a "Florida Bar Number" they're an attorney. Usually if a complaint is hand-written, the person isn't an attorney.
Who filed the complaint? *
Who is the plaintiff in the case? Is it a person, or is it a company? *
Do you want to demand a jury trial in your eviction case?
Demanding a jury trial means that your case will be decided by six people from your community. If you don't demand a jury trial your case will be decided by the judge.
Do you have access to technology that would allow you to attend a video conference in your case?
Preparing to finalize your answers...
You've answered all questions about your eviction. If you need to change anything, use the 'Back' button.

Ready to proceed? Please click 'Continue' to move to the Wrap-Up Section and finalize your interview process.
What is your street address?
Street *
City *
State *
Zip *
Email *
Phone *
Did an attorney assist you in going through this interview?
Thank you for using the Eviction Defense Form Builder. Please click on the link below to download your documents and print them.
Filing your Response: Print the Response, sign it, and fill in the Certificate of Service on the last page. Make 2 copies of the Response (one for yourself and one for the landlord). Take the original Response to the courthouse for filing (or file online at: https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/authority/). Mail or take your landlord 1 copy. Note: If you have also been personally served with a 20-day summons for money damages, follow the instructions in the summons for responding to the Complaint.
✅ The following document has been created for you.

Answer

The document is available in the following formats:
🖨 PDF (for printing; click here then use File → Save as PDF in the print dialog)
✏️ DOCX (for editing; requires Microsoft Word or compatible application)
How to File Your Answer
Follow these steps after downloading your completed Answer document.
1

Print & Sign Your Answer

Print the Answer you just downloaded. Sign it at the signature line. You may also have it signed in front of a notary, though it is not required for the Answer itself.

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2

Make Copies

Make 3 copies of the signed Answer — one for the court, one for the landlord/their attorney, and one for your own records.

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3

Deposit Rent into Court Registry (if required)

If you are raising defenses other than "rent already paid," Florida law (Fla. Stat. §83.60) requires you to deposit the amount claimed into the court registry within 5 business days of being served. Ask the clerk how to do this when you file.

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4

File with the Clerk of Court

Take your original signed Answer to the Clerk of Court in the county where the case was filed. File in person, or file online at myflcourtaccess.com. Pay the filing fee (or request a fee waiver if you qualify).

↓
5

Serve a Copy on the Landlord

Mail or hand-deliver one copy of the filed Answer to the landlord or their attorney. Fill in the Certificate of Service on the last page with the date and method of delivery.

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6

Attend Your Hearing

The court will schedule a hearing. Bring all evidence: rent receipts, photos of the unit, repair requests, notices, your lease, and bank statements showing payments. Arrive early and dress professionally.

↓
7

Seek Legal Help If Possible

Free legal aid is available. Contact Jacksonville Area Legal Aid at 1-800-342-8011 or visit FloridaEvictionHelp.org.

Questions about Filing? If you have any questions on FILING, please contact us at (312)330-3133
ContestEviction.com — Florida Eviction Answer Interview
This tool is provided as a free public educational resource for Florida tenants. It does not constitute legal advice.

Acknowledgments & Attribution:
The Florida eviction answer interview process was originally developed by Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. (JALA), designed by their housing attorneys including Mary DeVries and Chief Technology Officer Suzanne Garrow, with staff including Virgil Bachtold, paralegal Aylmar Thompson, and summer intern Jack Ford, and built by Sam Harden with the generous support of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. The original tool is available at FloridaEvictionHelp.org and was created using Docassemble, an open-source guided interview platform developed by Jonathan Pyle of Philadelphia Legal Assistance (MIT License).

This is an independently rebuilt implementation. The legal questions, defenses, and document structure are based on Florida public law (Florida Statutes Chapter 83 — Landlord and Tenant) and publicly available court forms, which are in the public domain. ContestEviction.com does not claim any association with or endorsement by JALA, FloridaEvictionHelp.org, or the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

Legal Help: For free legal assistance, contact Jacksonville Area Legal Aid at 1-800-342-8011 or visit The Florida Bar's tenant resources.

Notice of Independent Development: The interview questions on this site were rewritten independently and are based on Florida statutory law and publicly available legal information, not copied verbatim from any third-party source. Florida law and court procedures are public domain.

© ContestEviction.com.