JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville renter says her “affordable” apartment turned into a legal and financial nightmare after she tried to pay rent and then learned days later that she’d been evicted, a case housing advocates say reflects a broader trend worsening the city’s affordability crisis.
Bekah Apple signed a lease at AVIA Lofts at Liberty Ridge for a studio on Dec. 31, drawn by the price of $899 a month and a pet-friendly policy.
“My first month was great,” Apple said of her Southside apartment. “I told all of my friends about this place. I’m like, this is affordable. I feel safe.”
Within weeks, she said, the problems started: surprise notices to vacate, unanswered calls to the property manager and maintenance issues that went unaddressed.
The first notice to vacate came in April after she says the property management company accused her of having unauthorized people living in her unit. Apple said this was not true and offered evidence from her doorbell camera to prove otherwise.
In July, Apple said she tried to pay rent as usual, but the amount she owed was wrong.
With no resolution from the property management company, she waited until July 4 to make the payment, which was within the grace period outlined in her lease, Apple said.
She told the I-TEAM that her payment was returned, and her online portal was shut off. Days later, she was served with an eviction notice.
“I’ve never missed rent,” Apple said. “They locked me out of the system and then filed for eviction anyway. I definitely think they’re trying to push people out.”
An online listing reviewed by News4JAX a few weeks ago showed Apple’s unit advertised for about $1,175, nearly $300 more than Apple’s current lease.
We checked again on Thursday, and the price of the unit had dropped to $949, still more expensive than the rent Apple originally paid.
Apple believes the higher advertised rent is the motive.
Apple said she continued paying July and August rent through the courthouse after losing access to the tenant portal. The process, she said, has been stressful and time-consuming, and she’s worried about finding another place to live with an eviction on her record.
“I can’t just snap my fingers and have a new place,” Apple said. “Every day I’ve been stressed just about, like, housing and rent. I had to pay my August rent at the courthouse this month, but she keeps filing the motion for default. If I get forced out, then I need a first and last for somewhere else.”
Evicted days after interview
Days after News4JAX interviewed Apple at her home, a review of Duval County court records showed she had been successfully evicted.
Apple told the I-TEAM she had not yet received notice when we called to inform her of the court filing, a gap that housing advocates say is common and can leave tenants with little time to respond.
“If a landlord wanted a tenant to leave because they want to raise the rent, the landlord may try to do things to trigger a default by the tenant,” Mary DeVries said, an attorney with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA).
DeVries said JALA’s housing unit receives roughly 40 eviction-related intake calls each week and that Duval County remains among Florida’s higher-filing jurisdictions.
‘Grace periods’ can be a trap
DeVries said tenants are often tripped up by deadlines, especially when leases mention a “grace period.”
“When tenants think about when rent is due, they might say there’s a grace period, it’s due on the first but not late until the fifth,” DeVries said. “Florida law requires you to deposit the rent on the due date. If your lease says the first and you wait until the fourth or fifth, you’ve opened yourself up to a default.”
Asked how someone can be legally evicted after attempting to pay and depositing rent with the court, DeVries said, “It shouldn’t happen, but it does.”
What renters can do
Housing advocates recommend that tenants:
- Keep detailed records of payments, notices and communications.
- Monitor county court dockets frequently if a dispute is brewing.
- If served, respond within the statutory timeline and deposit rent as required.
- Seek legal help immediately.
News4JAX reached out to the property manager and AVIA Lofts for comment, but we have not heard back as of the time of this publication.
If you believe you’re facing an unfair eviction, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and other nonprofit legal services may be able to assist.