Free Checklist · For Florida Personal Representatives
The First 30 Days
Protect first, decide later. Nothing about the property has to be decided this month, but the house has to stay secure, insured, and out of trouble while you get your bearings. This one-page checklist covers what actually needs doing now, and what can genuinely wait.
Secure the house. Collect every key, rekey if you can't account for copies, and arrange for someone to check it weekly, and within a day or two after any named storm.
Locate the will. Florida law requires whoever holds the original to deposit it with the clerk of court within 10 days of learning of the death (Florida Statutes §732.901).
Call the homeowner's insurer. Report the death and ask, specifically, how long the home can sit unoccupied before coverage is affected. Many policies limit coverage after 30 to 60 days of vacancy. That's market practice, not law, so only your insurer can tell you your policy's terms.
Keep the mortgage, utilities, and HOA dues current if estate funds allow. A lender can still foreclose during probate if the loan goes unpaid. Ask the estate's attorney before paying bills from estate funds, and keep receipts for anything you pay personally.
Forward the mail. The mail becomes your map of the estate: bank statements, the mortgage, insurance, the tax bill.
Photograph everything before anything moves. Walk the house with your phone and video every room, closet, and the garage.
Sign up for free property fraud alerts with the clerk of court in the county where the house sits, for the deceased person's name and your own. Every Florida clerk offers this free (Florida Statutes §28.47), and homes of recently deceased owners are a known target for deed fraud. Search "[your county] clerk of court property fraud alert."
Can Wait, Really
Any decision about selling, renting, or keeping the house
Cleaning out belongings
Responding to companies that mail you offers
Most paperwork that isn't court-deadline-driven
Where this checklist comes from
This checklist is one page of The Florida Personal Representative's Property Handbook, a free guide covering the probate process in plain English, what the house costs the estate while you decide, Florida's homestead rules, and every realistic option for the property, compared fairly. Read the full handbook here.