ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — While many in Central Florida are worried about getting their homes repaired after Hurricane Ian, some in Orange County are worried about getting evicted. 

It is something dozens of families in the Pine Castle community are dealing with — and it may not be legal. 

This is Judith Montedeoca’s new reality. 

Despite battling cancer and COPD, she didn’t need oxygen full time until after Hurricane Ian. 

“Now I have to be all day with it because of the smell, the humidity, it is difficult for me to breathe,” said Montedeoca.

Her first floor apartment at Cypress Landing Apartments in Pine Castle was one of many that flooded during the storm.  Montedeoca woke up in the middle of the night to take medicine to find the water so high that her oxygen tanks were floating.

“They were just floating in the room,” she said. 

But she had no idea this was only the beginning of her nightmare. 

“It is hurting me, I can’t breathe," said Montedeoca.  "It is hard for me to sleep and these people want to take us out, we don't have no place to go.”

Montedeoca claims days later, her landlords announced in a community meeting that tenants with flood damage would need to move by the end of the month. Montedeoca is still in shock, sharing they can’t find another affordable option. 

“My husband was looking and he says a year in a waiting list, where are we going to go?" she said.

Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe believes this is unacceptable and is trying to do anything she can to help. 

“This just exaggerated what we know is already happening in Orange County, so now it is even worse because we have folks who had somewhere to live, who were in a lease and who were paying and we are talking about 200 families, there is nowhere that I know that they can go,” said Uribe. 

Nowhere to go because of the lack of affordable housing in Central Florida. Ian putting a bigger pinch on the housing market.

Now, on top of her health issues and sharing the couch with her granddaughter for a dry place to sleep at night, she’s worried about what the next month holds. 

“I cant go to the street,” said Montedeoca, tearfully.

Even with most of their belongings, now soggy and piled up outside the front door, she plans to stay in her home until they kick her out. 

“This is my home and I am not planning to get out now,” said Montedeoca.

Spectrum News contacted the offices at Cypress Landing Apartments but have not heard back. 

According to Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, under Florida law, a landlord cannot end a lease to make repairs like this. If the tenant needs to be relocated while necessary repairs happen, the rent needs to be abated or reduced for that portion of time while the tenant is gone.

The landlord cannot charge rent for the period of time the tenant is out due to these repairs. But the landlord is not required to cover the tenant's cost for hotel stays, other accommodations, etc. 

There is the casualty damage provision of Florida landlord-tenant law, which says: “If the premises are damaged or destroyed other than by the wrongful or negligent acts of the tenant so that the enjoyment of the premises is substantially impaired, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement and immediately vacate the premises.” However, this allows applies for the tenant, not the landlord.