Selling a house as-is in Florida, whatever it needs

Can you sell a house as-is in Florida?

Yes. No Florida law makes you repair a house before you sell it. "As-is" means the buyer accepts the house as it stands and you make no repairs. You still have to disclose what you know.

That holds for a worn-out roof, a bad sewer line, mold, foundation cracks, fire or water damage, or a house full of belongings. What the condition changes is who can buy it. A buyer with a loan needs the appraisal to work and usually needs insurance. So houses with big problems often sell to cash buyers.

Florida once followed "let the buyer beware." That changed in 1985 with Johnson v. Davis. The Florida Supreme Court held that a home seller must disclose known facts that materially affect the value, if the buyer can't readily see them and doesn't know them. Florida Senate staff note that this duty applies even when the buyer agrees to buy "as-is."

What does an as-is contract change, and what doesn't it?

Florida's standard statewide contract, approved by Florida Realtors and The Florida Bar, has an "AS IS" version that puts repairs on the buyer. It does not let you hide known defects, and the buyer can still walk away during the inspection period.

Here is what the current version (form ASIS-7x, revised February 2026) says, in plain terms:

• Inspection period. The buyer gets the number of days written in the contract (15 if left blank) to inspect. If the house is not acceptable to them, in their "sole discretion," they can cancel in writing before the period ends. Their deposit comes back (paragraph 12(a)).
• After that, the buyer takes the condition. If they don't cancel, they accept the physical condition and any code violations, and repairs their lender requires are on them.
• You keep it as it was. You maintain the house, lawn and pool as they were on the contract date, apart from normal wear and tear (paragraph 11).
• You still make statements. You state that you know of no facts that materially affect value, are not readily observable and have not been disclosed. You also disclose known unpermitted work or open permits (paragraphs 10(b) and 10(j)).
• Belongings and trash. Unless the contract says otherwise, you must remove all personal items and trash by closing (paragraph 6(a)). A buyer can agree in writing to take the house with its contents.

What must you disclose when you sell a house that needs work?

Known hidden defects, plus several notices that Florida and federal law require. Selling as-is or to a cash buyer does not remove any of them.

• Known hidden defects that affect value, such as a roof leak, mold behind a wall, foundation movement or a sewer line problem.
• Flood disclosure. At or before signing the contract, give the buyer the state's form (Fla. Stat. 689.302). It asks three yes-or-no questions: did flooding damage the house while you owned it, did you file a flood insurance claim, and did you get flood help, such as from FEMA.
• Radon. A set radon notice must appear on at least one document signed at or before the contract (Fla. Stat. 404.056(5)). The standard AS IS contract includes it.
• Lead paint, for homes built before 1978. Give the buyer a Lead Warning Statement, the EPA pamphlet and any lead reports you have, plus a 10-day chance to test, which the buyer can waive (EPA).
• A paid sinkhole claim. Tell the buyer before closing, and say whether all the money went to repairs (Fla. Stat. 627.7073).
• A pending code case or a known sewer line defect. Florida law requires disclosure of both (Senate staff analysis). See code violations and liens.

Can you sell a house with mold, foundation problems, fire damage or hoarding?

Yes, each one can be sold as-is. Each also has its own rules and risks worth knowing before you call anyone.

• Mold. The EPA says the key to mold control is moisture control, and wet areas should be dried within 24 to 48 hours (EPA). For mold over 10 square feet, Florida licenses the people who assess it and the people who remove it (Fla. Stat. 468.8411). The same company generally can't do both on one house within 12 months (Fla. Stat. 468.8419). Check a license on DBPR's mold page.
• Foundation cracks or settling. In Tampa Bay, cracks can raise sinkhole questions. The Florida Geological Survey says home inspectors and insurance adjusters are not qualified to decide whether there is a sinkhole. That takes a licensed professional geologist (FGS sinkhole FAQ).
• Fire damage. Report the loss to your insurer. Florida bars a new property claim not reported within 1 year of the loss, and a supplemental claim after 18 months (Fla. Stat. 627.70132). In a high-risk flood zone, FEMA says all damage counts toward the 50% substantial damage rule, not only flooding (FEMA). Our 50% rule guide explains what that means.
• Hoarding or a full house. The standard contract has you remove belongings and trash by closing unless the buyer agrees otherwise. Ask every buyer up front what you can leave, and go through papers, photos and valuables first. If the city or county has cited the property, read code violations and liens.

Do you need permits to fix a house before you sell it?

Usually, yes. Florida requires a building permit to build, alter, repair or demolish a building, with limited exceptions. A buyer's inspector or appraiser may notice work done without one.

• The basic rule. Permits are required to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building (Fla. Stat. 553.79).
• Small jobs under $7,500. The owner of a single-family home can ask the building department in writing to exempt work valued under $7,500 (553.79(1)(g)). It does not cover homes in a flood hazard area. It also does not cover electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work, and you can't split a project to stay under the limit. St. Petersburg counts roofing and window and door replacement as structural.
• Doing it yourself. The owner-builder exemption lets you act as your own contractor on a home for your own use. If you sell within 1 year after the work is done, the law presumes it was done to sell (Fla. Stat. 489.103(7)). Pasco County says owner-builder work must be on your primary residence, not a rental.
• Old open permits and unpermitted work. They don't stop a sale, but disclose what you know. Our code violations guide covers closing them out.

Should you fix it up or sell as-is?

Fixing first often pays when repairs are modest, you have the cash and time, and the work adds more to the price than it costs. Selling as-is often makes sense when repairs are large or uncertain, you can't fund them, or you need a firm date.

Run both paths through our cash offer vs. listing calculator, which counts repairs, holding costs, commission and closing costs. To see how a cash buyer gets to a number, read how we calculate our offer.

Where do you get permits and haul away junk in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco?

Permits come from the city if the house is inside city limits, and from the county if it is unincorporated. Each county runs its own disposal sites, with its own rules and fees.

How does Tao Home Buyers buy houses that need work?

We buy houses as-is for cash in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco, including ones with major repairs, hoarding, or fire or water damage. You can leave what you don't want, and we handle the cleanout.

We are the end buyer: Tao Builders LLC buys in its own name and closes at a licensed title company. We do not assign or wholesale contracts. Earnest money goes to the title company the same day you sign (or the next business morning if you sign after hours). Our proof of funds is a letter from our lender. Like any buyer, we still need your disclosures.

We can close in as few as 10 days when the title is clear, and you pick the closing date. Our cash offer will usually be below what the house would sell for repaired. If the repairs are small, fixing them and listing may leave you more. Matan, the owner, has bought houses around Tampa Bay for 4 years and has personally bought more than 50. He is a licensed Florida real estate sales associate with Jay Alan Real Estate. He buys for his own company as a principal, not as anyone's agent.

Sources

Official sources we checked for this page. Rules change, so confirm anything important with the source or a Florida attorney.

1. Florida Senate staff analysis, CS/CS/SB 948 (2025): seller disclosure duties, Johnson v. Davis, 480 So. 2d 625 (Fla. 1985)
2. Fla. Stat. 689.302, flood disclosure in home sales (Florida Legislature)
3. Fla. Stat. 404.056, radon notice (Florida Senate)
4. Real estate disclosures about potential lead hazards (U.S. EPA)
5. Fla. Stat. 627.7073, sinkhole claim disclosure (Florida Senate)
6. Fla. Stat. 553.79, building permits (Florida Legislature)
7. Fla. Stat. 489.103, owner-builder exemption (Florida Senate)
8. Fla. Stat. 468.8411, mold assessment and remediation (Florida Legislature)
9. A brief guide to mold, moisture and your home (U.S. EPA)
10. Fla. Stat. 627.70132, deadlines to report property claims (Florida Legislature)
11. Frequently asked questions: substantial damage (FEMA)
12. Sinkhole FAQ (Florida Geological Survey, Florida DEP)