Florida law doesn’t ban evictions during the holiday season. Landlords often assume they must wait until January to file against non-paying tenants, but this hesitation only increases financial loss. The real challenge isn’t a legal moratorium. It’s the calendar.
Accurate Serve® of Sarasota helps property managers navigate these schedule changes to prevent unnecessary delays. When the courts close and government offices shut down, understanding the specific rules for notice delivery becomes critical for protecting your investment.
How Holidays Change the Notice Timeline
You can legally serve an eviction notice in December, but the clock ticks much slower than usual. Florida Statute § 83.56 governs the timing for eviction notices. This law explicitly excludes weekends and court-observed legal holidays from the three-day count. This means a “Three-Day Notice” rarely lasts just three calendar days during the holiday season.
For December 2025, the timeline is particularly tricky because Christmas falls on a Thursday. The Sarasota County Clerk of Court and 12th Judicial Circuit typically observe an extended holiday break.
Here is a real-world example for 2025: If you serve a notice on Friday, December 19th (the Friday before Christmas), the timeline stretches significantly:
- Saturday & Sunday (Dec 20–21): Excluded (Weekend).
- Monday (Dec 22): Count as Day 1.
- Tuesday (Dec 23): Count as Day 2.
- Wednesday (Dec 24): Excluded (Court Holiday).
- Thursday (Dec 25): Excluded (Christmas Day).
- Friday (Dec 26): Excluded (Court Holiday).
- Saturday & Sunday (Dec 27–28): Excluded (Weekend).
- Monday (Dec 29): Count as Day 3 (Final day to pay).
In this scenario, you cannot legally file your lawsuit until Tuesday, December 30th. If you file too early because you counted the holidays, the judge will likely dismiss your case. You would have to start over from scratch, wasting weeks of potential rental income.
Our team ensures the correct delivery of a Three-Day Notice so your legal timeline is indisputable. We provide the proof you need to show the court exactly when the tenant received the paperwork.
Why Private Process Servers Are Faster
Relying on the Sheriff’s office during the holidays often leads to disappointment. The Sheriff’s Civil Bureau follows the court holiday schedule. This means service attempts stop completely on days the courts are closed—which, for Sarasota in 2025, includes December 24–26 and January 1–2. This creates a backlog that can delay your case well into the new year.
Private process servers operate differently. We can legally serve documents on most holidays, except Sundays. This keeps your process moving even when government offices lock their doors.
A Note on Email Notices (New for 2025)
Effective July 1, 2025, HB 615 allows landlords to send eviction notices via email, but there is a catch: you must have a written agreement signed by the tenant explicitly opting into email service. Most older leases do not contain this specific addendum. Without it, physical posting remains the only legal requirement. Do not rely on email unless your lease specifically complies with the new Statute § 83.505.
Don’t Let the Calendar Beat You
Waiting until January to move your papers creates a backlog that sets your year off to a slow start. While the Sheriff might be off the road, our team is ready to go. Send your rush files now to ensure they are served before the court doors lock for the holidays.
For reliable service that works around the clock, contact Accurate Serve® of Sarasota at (941) 586-7897 for Sarasota or (941) 677-7208 for Bradenton. You can also send us your work request online to get started immediately.
