⚖️

Contest Eviction — Florida Answer Interview

Sign in or create a free account to begin
(Inicie sesión o cree una cuenta gratuita para comenzar)

No account? Create one free  |  Forgot password?
(¿No tiene cuenta? Crear una gratis  |  ¿Olvidó su contraseña?)
Didn't receive it? Resend code (¿No lo recibió? Reenviar código)
⚠️ 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.
Have an account? Sign in (¿Tiene cuenta? Iniciar sesión)
🛡 Sign up for Legal Shield → (Florida)

💳 Access Required

To use the Florida Eviction Answer Interview, please complete payment — or enter an access code if you have one.

⏳ Waiting for payment confirmation Once your payment is complete, you will receive a confirmation code at your registered email from ContestEviction.com. Enter that code below to unlock the interview.

If you need immediate assistance, call (312)330-3133.
OR
Enter your access code or payment confirmation code:
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
●
Introduction Case Information The Complaint Defenses Motion to Determine Rent Motion to Dismiss Wrap-Up
Welcome to the Eviction Answer Form Builder. (Bienvenido al Constructor de Formularios de Respuesta de Desalojo.)
This guided interview will help you create an eviction response for Florida courts. (Esta entrevista le ayudará a crear una respuesta de desalojo para los tribunales de Florida. Tenga a mano sus documentos del tribunal.)
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? (¿Listo?)
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? (¿Vive en vivienda asequible con financiamiento del gobierno?)
Examples of affordable housing that receives funding from the government: (Ejemplos de vivienda asequible con financiamiento del gobierno:)
  • Public housing (Vivienda pública)
  • Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (Programa de Vales de Elección de Vivienda Sección 8)
  • Section 8 project-based housing (Vivienda Sección 8 basada en proyectos)
  • HUD Section 202 housing for the elderly (Vivienda HUD Sección 202 para ancianos)
  • HUD Section 811 housing for people with disabilities (Vivienda HUD Sección 811 para personas con discapacidades)
  • HUD Section 236 multifamily rental housing (Vivienda HUD Sección 236 multifamiliar)
  • HUD Section 221(d)(3) Below Market Interest Rate (BMIR) housing (Vivienda HUD Sección 221(d)(3) a tasa de interés por debajo del mercado)
  • HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) (Programa HOME de Asociaciones de Inversión)
  • Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) (Oportunidades de Vivienda para Personas con SIDA)
  • McKinney-Vento Act homelessness programs (Programas de personas sin hogar de la Ley McKinney-Vento)
  • USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing (Vivienda Rural de Alquiler USDA Sección 515)
  • USDA Sections 514 and 516 Farm Labor Housing (Vivienda para Trabajadores Agrícolas USDA Secciones 514 y 516)
  • USDA Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants (Subsidios de Preservación de Vivienda USDA Sección 533)
  • USDA Section 538 multifamily rental housing (Vivienda multifamiliar de alquiler USDA Sección 538)
  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) (Crédito Fiscal de Vivienda de Bajos Ingresos)
Do you live in a mobile home that you own and rent a lot within a mobile home park? (¿Vive en una casa móvil de su propiedad en un parque con al menos 10 lotes en alquiler?)
*
What county was the complaint filed in? (¿En qué condado se presentó la queja?)
Look at the very top of the complaint. (Mire la parte superior de la queja — debe decir algo como "En el 4to Circuito Judicial en y para el condado de Duval, Florida")
County / Condado *
What is your case number? (¿Cuál es su número de caso?)
Take out your paperwork. You can find the case number usually at the top right of the first page. (Saque su documentación. El número de caso generalmente está en la parte superior derecha.)
Case Number / Número de Caso *
What is the Plaintiff's name? (¿Cuál es el nombre del Demandante?)
In these kinds of cases the Plaintiff is usually the landlord. (El Demandante generalmente es el arrendador o la empresa propietaria de la propiedad que usted alquila.)
Plaintiff's Name / Nombre del Demandante *
What is your name as it appears on the Complaint? (¿Cuál es su nombre tal como aparece en la Queja?)
First / Nombre *
Middle / Segundo Nombre
Last / Apellido *
Now take out the Complaint. (Ahora saque la Queja.)
How many numbered paragraphs does the complaint have? Count all paragraphs beginning with a number. (¿Cuántos párrafos numerados tiene la queja? Cuente los párrafos que comienzan con un número, aunque solo tengan una oración.)
Number / Número *
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 keep going. (Si desea cambiar alguna respuesta, presione Atrás. Si está seguro, continúe.)
The next step is to find out if there are any reasons why you shouldn't be evicted. These are called "defenses." (El siguiente paso es determinar si existen razones por las que no debería ser desalojado. Estas razones se llaman "defensas.")
Are you ready to proceed to the Defenses Section? (¿Está listo para proceder a la Sección de Defensas?)
Did you agree to rent the property from your landlord? (¿Acordó usted alquilar la propiedad de su arrendador?)
Do you have an agreement to buy the property where you are living? (¿Tiene un acuerdo para comprar la propiedad donde vive?) *
Please select all that occurred while you were living in the rental: (Seleccione todo lo que ocurrió mientras vivía en la propiedad:) *
Do you have a copy of the agreement? If yes, attach a copy to the Answer. (¿Tiene una copia del acuerdo? Si responde sí, adjúntela a la Respuesta.) *
Do you have a written agreement or lease to rent the property from the landlord? (¿Tiene un contrato de arrendamiento escrito para alquilar la propiedad al arrendador?)
Is a copy of the written agreement or lease attached to the complaint? (¿Está adjunta una copia del contrato a la queja?) *
Before you received the eviction lawsuit, did your landlord send you a written notice demanding you move? (Antes de recibir la demanda de desalojo, ¿su arrendador le envió un aviso escrito exigiendo que se mudara?)
Is your landlord saying that you violated your lease for something unrelated to rent? (¿Su arrendador dice que usted violó su contrato por algo no relacionado con el alquiler?)
Was the violation something small or minor that you should have been given a chance to correct? (¿Fue la violación algo menor que debería haberle dado la oportunidad de corregir?) *
Did your landlord give you a written notice of the violation? (¿Su arrendador le dio un aviso escrito de la violación?)
Have you fixed the problem? (¿Ha solucionado el problema?) *
Did your landlord accept rent from you after telling you that you violated the lease? (¿Su arrendador le aceptó el alquiler después de notificarle la violación?) *
Do you think your landlord is trying to evict you because you exercised your rights as a tenant? (¿Cree que su arrendador intenta desalojarlo porque ejerció sus derechos como inquilino?)
What rights did you exercise that you believe caused your landlord to retaliate? (¿Qué derechos ejerció usted que cree causaron represalias de su arrendador?)
Please explain what rights you exercised and why you believe the landlord retaliated (Explique qué derechos ejerció y por qué cree que el arrendador tomó represalias) *
Did your landlord file this eviction after not renewing your lease? (¿Su arrendador presentó este desalojo después de no renovar su contrato de arrendamiento?)
Does your lease say how much notice your landlord must give you? (¿Dice su contrato cuánto aviso debe darle su arrendador?) *
Does the notice give you less time than your lease requires? (¿El aviso le da menos tiempo del que requiere su contrato?) *
How much notice does your lease require (in days)? (¿Cuántos días de aviso requiere su contrato?) *
If you don't have a written lease, is your rent due: (Si no tiene contrato escrito, ¿cuándo vence su alquiler?)
Did the notice give you at least 30 days before the end of the monthly period to move out? (¿El aviso le dio al menos 30 días antes del fin del período mensual para mudarse?) *
Are you a member of the armed services, or are you a dependent of a member of the armed services? (¿Es usted miembro de las fuerzas armadas o dependiente de un miembro de las fuerzas armadas?)
Is this eviction being filed while the service member is on active duty? (¿Se presenta este desalojo mientras el miembro del servicio está en servicio activo?) *
Defenses Review (Revisión de Defensas)
You've answered questions about potential defenses. Use the Back button to change anything. (Ha respondido preguntas sobre posibles defensas. Use el botón Atrás para cambiar algo.)
Our next step is to figure out if you should file a "motion to determine rent." (El siguiente paso es determinar si debe presentar una "moción para determinar el alquiler.")
A motion to determine rent tells the judge that you don't agree with the amount your landlord is claiming. (Una moción para determinar el alquiler le dice al juez que no está de acuerdo con la cantidad que reclama su arrendador.)
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? (¿Está en desacuerdo con la cantidad de alquiler que reclama su arrendador?)
What is the amount of rent claimed? (¿Cuál es la cantidad de alquiler reclamada?) *
$
What is the amount of rent you believe that you owe? (¿Cuánto alquiler cree usted que debe?) *
$
What is your reason for disagreeing? (¿Cuál es su razón para no estar de acuerdo?)
Now let's answer some questions to see if you should include a Motion to Dismiss. (Ahora responderemos preguntas para ver si debe incluir una Moción de Desestimación junto con su Respuesta.)
A motion to dismiss asks the judge to dismiss the landlord's case because of something wrong with the complaint. (Una moción de desestimación le pide al juez que desestime el caso del arrendador por algún defecto en la queja.)
Is the person or company listed in the complaint your landlord? (¿Es la persona o empresa indicada en la queja su arrendador?)
Was the complaint filed by an attorney, or did your landlord file it without an attorney? (¿Fue presentada la queja por un abogado o por su arrendador sin abogado?)
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? / ¿Quién presentó la queja? *
Who is the plaintiff? Is it a person or a company? (¿Quién es el demandante? ¿Es una persona o una empresa?) *
Do you want to demand a jury trial in your eviction case? (¿Desea solicitar un juicio con jurado en su caso de desalojo?)
Demanding a jury trial means your case will be decided by six people from your community. (Solicitar un juicio con jurado significa que seis personas de su comunidad decidirán su caso.)
Do you have access to technology that would allow you to attend a video conference in your case? (¿Tiene acceso a tecnología para asistir a una videoconferencia en su caso?)
Preparing to finalize your answers... (Preparando para finalizar sus respuestas...)
You've answered all questions. Use the Back button to change anything. Ready to proceed? Click Continue. (Ha respondido todas las preguntas. Use el botón Atrás para cambiar algo. ¿Listo? Haga clic en Continuar.)
What is your street address? (¿Cuál es su dirección?)
Street / Calle *
City / Ciudad *
State / Estado *
Zip / Código Postal *
Email / Correo Electrónico *
Phone / Teléfono *
Did an attorney assist you in going through this interview? (¿Le asistió un abogado durante esta entrevista?)
Thank you for using the Eviction Defense Form Builder. (Gracias por usar el Constructor de Formularios de Defensa de Desalojo.) 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 (English)

Available formats / Formatos disponibles:
🖨 PDF (for printing / para imprimir)
✏️ DOCX (for editing / para editar)

🇪🇸 Respuesta (Español)

Formatos disponibles:
🖨 PDF (para imprimir)
✏️ DOCX (para editar)
How to File Your Answer (Cómo Presentar su Respuesta)
Follow these steps after downloading your completed Answer document. (Siga estos pasos después de descargar su documento de Respuesta completado.)
1

Print & Sign Your Answer (Imprima y Firme su Respuesta)

Print the Answer you just downloaded. Sign it at the signature line. (Imprima la Respuesta que descargó. Fírmela en la línea de firma. También puede firmarla ante un notario, aunque no es obligatorio.)

↓
2

Make Copies (Haga Copias)

Make 3 copies of the signed Answer — one for the court, one for the landlord/their attorney, and one for your own records. (Haga 3 copias de la Respuesta firmada — una para el tribunal, una para el arrendador/su abogado, y una para sus propios registros.)

↓
3

Deposit Rent into Court Registry (if required) (Depositar Alquiler en el Registro del Tribunal (si se requiere))

If you are raising defenses other than "rent already paid," Florida law requires you to deposit the amount claimed into the court registry within 5 business days of being served. (Si está presentando defensas distintas a "alquiler ya pagado," la ley de Florida requiere que deposite la cantidad reclamada en el registro del tribunal dentro de 5 días hábiles de ser notificado.)

↓
4

File with the Clerk of Court (Presentar ante el Secretario del Tribunal)

Take your original signed Answer to the Clerk of Court in the county where the case was filed. File in person or online at myflcourtaccess.com. (Lleve su Respuesta firmada al Secretario del Tribunal del condado donde se presentó el caso. Presente en persona o en línea.)

↓
5

Serve a Copy on the Landlord (Entregar una Copia al Arrendador)

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. (Envíe por correo o entregue en mano una copia al arrendador o su abogado. Complete el Certificado de Servicio en la última página.)

↓
6

Attend Your Hearing (Asista a su Audiencia)

The court will schedule a hearing. Bring all evidence: rent receipts, photos, repair requests, notices, your lease, and bank statements. Arrive early and dress professionally. (El tribunal programará una audiencia. Traiga todas las pruebas: recibos, fotos, solicitudes de reparación, avisos, su contrato y estados de cuenta. Llegue temprano y vístase profesionalmente.)

↓
7

Seek Legal Help If Possible (Busque Ayuda Legal si es Posible)

Free legal aid is available. Contact Jacksonville Area Legal Aid at 1-800-342-8011 or visit FloridaEvictionHelp.org. (Hay ayuda legal gratuita. Comuníquese con Jacksonville Area Legal Aid al 1-800-342-8011.)

Questions about Filing? (¿Preguntas sobre la Presentación?) If you have any questions on FILING, please contact us at (312)330-3133 (Si tiene preguntas sobre la PRESENTACIÓN, contáctenos al (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.