The short answer: done correctly, a straightforward non-payment eviction commonly runs two to four weeks; if the tenant contests it or the county docket is slow, expect longer. Every shortcut adds time, because a defective notice sends you back to the start.
The steps, in order
1. Serve the notice. For unpaid rent, a written 3-day notice (excluding weekends and legal holidays). 2. File the complaint. If the tenant does not pay or leave, you file for eviction in county court. 3. Tenant is served and responds. The tenant has five business days to answer, and to contest non-payment they generally must deposit the disputed rent into the court registry. 4. Judgment. No valid response usually means a default judgment for the landlord. 5. Writ of possession. The clerk issues it, the sheriff posts it, and the tenant has 24 hours to vacate before the sheriff can remove them.
What slows it down
A notice with the wrong number of days, an incorrect amount, or improper service is the most common delay — it can void the whole filing. So can missing the registry-deposit rules. This is why owners hand evictions to a manager or attorney: the process rewards precision and punishes guesswork.
See the underlying landlord-tenant law, or let management handle it.
This is general information, not legal advice. Florida statutes change and every situation is different — confirm the current law or speak with an attorney before you act.