Florida Crackdown On Resident Referrals - 5/19/2009

Attorney General's Office On The Look-out

REFERRAL OR FINDERS FEES TO CURRENT RESIDENTS
FS 475.011 specifically allows the payment of a referral fee or finder’s fee to a current resident for referring a new resident to the apartment community. The law exempts “Any property management firm or any owner of an apartment complex for the act of paying a finder's fee or referral fee to an unlicensed person who is a tenant in such apartment complex, provided the value of the fee does not exceed $50.00 per transaction”. This means that no license is required by either party to give or receive this finder’s fee or referral fee. The amount given cannot exceed anything valuing more than $50.00 so a $100.00 reduction of rent off to the referring resident, a $100.00 gift certificate to a local restaurant or anything that exceeds $50.00 in value is clearly prohibited. Examples the law gives include a “fee paid, credit towards rent, or some other thing of value provided to a person for introducing or arranging an introduction between parties to a transaction involving the rental or lease of an apartment unit”. The penalty for paying a referral fee in excess of $50.00 is severe, and the person making the payment could be charged with a third degree felony, and the person or corporation making the payments fined up to $5000.00 per occurrence.
Source Above: Evict.com

The 2008 Florida Statutes
475.011 (13) Any property management firm or any owner of an apartment complex for the act of paying a finder's fee or referral fee to an unlicensed person who is a tenant in such apartment complex provided the value of the fee does not exceed $50 per transaction. Nothing in this subsection authorizes an unlicensed person to advertise or otherwise promote the person's services in procuring or assisting in procuring prospective lessees or tenants of apartment units. For purposes of this subsection, "finder's fee" or "referral fee" means a fee paid, credit towards rent, or some other thing of value provided to a person for introducing or arranging an introduction between parties to a transaction involving the rental or lease of an apartment unit. It is a violation of s. 475.25(1)(h) and punishable under s. 475.42 for a property management firm or any owner of an apartment complex to pay a finder's fee or a referral fee to an unlicensed person unless expressly authorized by this subsection.

475.42 Violations and penalties.— (2) PENALTIES.--Any person who violates any of the provisions of subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, or, if a corporation, it is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.083, except when a different punishment is prescribed by this chapter. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the prosecution under any other criminal statute of this state of any person for an act or conduct prohibited by this section; however, in such cases, the state may prosecute under this section or under such other statute, or may charge both offenses in one prosecution, but the sentence imposed shall not be a greater fine or longer sentence than that prescribed for the offense which carries the more severe penalties.