Reviewed by Casa Academy and updated July 29, 2026 using the current DBPR checklist and Pearson VUE scheduling guidance.
Lease Violation
A lease violation is a tenant or landlord breach of lease terms or habitability law, such as unauthorized pets, unpaid rent, or failure to maintain heat, potentially triggering notice, cure periods, damages, or lease termination depending on materiality and local statute.
Exam context
Identify lease violation as breach of lease covenant. Constructive eviction results from landlord violations making premises uninhabitable. Holdover is possession after expiration, not necessarily a covenant breach.
Common tenant violations
Nonpayment is the most frequent default. Other violations include subletting without consent, noise disturbances, unapproved alterations, and occupancy over limits. Landlords must follow statutory notice and cure procedures before eviction; self-help lockouts are illegal in most states.
Landlord violations
Failure to provide essential services, discriminate, or enter without notice violates lease and fair housing duties. Tenants may withhold rent in escrow where allowed or claim constructive eviction. Agents documenting condition at move-in reduce disputes over whether damage exceeds normal wear.
Examples
Unauthorized pet
A lease prohibits pets without written approval. The tenant adopts a dog; the landlord serves a 10-day cure notice to remove the pet or vacate before pursuing termination.
Habitability breach
A landlord fails to restore heat in winter after notice. The tenant documents the violation and may pursue remedies under state habitability statutes beyond ordinary lease clauses.
Keep studying
Related terms
- Lease terminationRemedy that may follow uncured material violations.
- Fair Housing Act of 1968Anti-discrimination rules that override discriminatory lease terms.
Related resources
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- Real estate glossary hub
Browse all published national glossary entries.
- Florida exam topic hub
Florida-specific explainers and question sets for this topic area.
Sources
- Cornell LII: landlord-tenant law(Cornell Legal Information Institute)