Florida
Who pays for biohazard cleanup?
It depends on what happened and where. Here are the usual sources, in plain terms. The cleanup company will tell you its price; who pays it is a separate question.
After a violent crime: victim compensation
Florida's Attorney General runs a compensation program for innocent victims of crime (Division of Victim Services). Its rule counts crime scene cleanup as a loss it can repay: removing and disposing of biohazardous material after a violent crime in the victim's own home or vehicle, done by a government-authorized provider (Rule 2A-2.2001).
- The crime must have been reported to police within five days, unless there was good cause (s. 960.13).
- For crimes since 1 October 2019, the claim is due within three years (s. 960.07).
- The program pays last, after insurance and other sources.
- Keep the company's invoice and paperwork, and the police case number.
To apply or ask a question, call the program at 1-800-226-6667. In Port St. Lucie, the police department's Victim Assistance Unit helps with the forms: (772) 873-6354 (PSLPD).
Home, renter and auto insurance
Policies differ a great deal. Some cover cleanup after certain events and some do not, and only your policy and your insurer can say which applies. Read the policy, then ask your agent or insurer what it covers and what records they want before work starts.
Keep photos of damaged items and the receipts for anything you pay. If you have a general question about how insurance works in Florida, the state Department of Financial Services runs a consumer helpline at 1-877-693-5236 (DFS).
Other situations
A rental home
The landlord owns the unit and usually arranges and pays for cleanup of the building itself. The tenant's own belongings are a separate matter.
An estate
When the person who died owned the home, cleanup is often paid from their estate. The personal representative, or a family member acting for them, approves the work.
A condo or villa
If fluids reached a shared wall, floor or ceiling, the association may need to be involved. Tell it early.
Nobody else
If no program or policy applies, the cost falls to the owner. Ask the company to explain what drives the price: how many rooms, how much has to be removed, and how long since it happened.
Read next
- Crime scene cleanupAfter a homicide, an assault or another violent crime, once police release the home.
- For landlords and managersA death or a biohazard in a rental unit in Florida.
- Checking a cleanup companyWhat to ask before you sign, and the state list you can check.
- After a death at homePolice, the District 19 medical examiner and what happens in what order.
Ready when you are
Call when the police and the medical examiner have finished and you are ready to talk about the cleanup. A company will ask what happened and where, then explain what it would do.
Talk to a cleanup company
An independent company that works in the Port St. Lucie area. You decide whether to hire it.
Call (772) 918-9847Picked up day and night, seven days a week
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