Which action is listed as a penalty under Florida Fair Housing violations?

• A. Charging extra fees for damages
• B. Returning a security deposit when there is a damage claim
• C. Forgiving the debt
• D. Reducing the deposit after damages

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is how security deposits are supposed to be handled when there are damage claims. In Florida, when a tenant leaves damages, a landlord may legitimately keep part of the security deposit to cover those repairs and must provide an itemized statement of the damages. Returning the entire security deposit despite a damage claim signals improper handling and can be treated as a penalty under fair housing enforcement because it shows a failure to follow lawful procedures and protections that apply in housing practices. The other options describe actions that either reflect normal or allowable practices or aren’t penalties tied to fair housing violations.