Florida residents are being coerced against their will to remain in environments that are inconducive to their personal safety due to the current laws governing Landlord-Tenant relationships. Stricter laws must be implemented and enforced that require landlords to obtain extensive background checks on employees whose duties entail the gaining of permissible access into residential dwellings.

Currently, Landlords are free to:

• Gain access to tenants’ dwellings with notice as little as only 12 hours;
• Evict tenants for reporting safety and security complaints;
  Unrestrictedly update tenants’ record with derogatory marks, which negatively impacts the tenant's credit and rental history implicating the tenant’s inability to secure future residence;
• Avoid criminal penalty when employees use apartment issued resources to commit crimes against tenants, and
• Hire employees and give them master key access without proper background checks.

On September 24, 2021, Miya Marcano was murdered by a maintenance worker who gained access to her apartment using a master key issued by his employer.

Miya’s Law: Expecting Safety and Security

What is Miya’s Law?

Miya’s Law is proposed bi-partisan legislation in the State of Florida (HB426/SB426) that endeavors to ensure an elevated expectancy of residential security and personal safety on residential properties in the State of Florida. In this light, strict governance on the implementation of higher levels of background checks, limitations on the use of master keys, will ensure the protection of all tenants and aid in strengthening the relationships between landlords and tenants.

Who Miya’s Law Will Protect?

Miya’s Law will ensure the safety and protection of our most vulnerable population, including:

• our students
• our young-adult children,
• our single mothers
• our elderly, and
• 2.8 million Florida renters

Why is Miya’s Law Needed?

Miya’s Law is critically needed to provide greater personal security and enhanced expectation of safety to students and other vulnerable populations (e.g. elderly) who live in multi- or single-unit residential properties in the State of Florida.