Florida Homestead Exemption & Portability: 2027 Update

Florida's homestead exemption helps reduce the annual property tax on your primary home. It can apply to a house or a condominium, provided the ownership and permanent residence requirements are met.

When you move, portability may let you preserve part of your accumulated tax benefit. A law passed in 2026 expands this mechanism starting with the 2027 tax roll. Here is how the exemption works, what changed and where to apply.

Information checked as of October 1, 2026. Figures for 2026 and changes first applying in 2027 are identified separately.

Florida homestead: three different benefits to understand

Benefit	What it does
Homestead exemption	Reduces the value used to calculate taxes on your permanent home.
Save Our Homes — SOH	Limits annual increases in the home's protected assessed value.
Portability	Allows an eligible accumulated SOH assessment difference to transfer to a new permanent home in Florida.

After moving, you need to apply for homestead on the new property and request portability as well. Buying a home or updating your address does not replace these applications. See the Florida Department of Revenue's homestead guide and its SOH and portability guidance.

Who can qualify for the homestead exemption?

In a typical case, you must hold a qualifying ownership interest and use the property as your permanent home on January 1 of the relevant tax year. The law also covers certain homes occupied by a dependent. The county Property Appraiser determines eligibility.

A primary house or condominium may qualify.
A vacation home or an ordinary rental investment generally does not.
A Florida driver's license alone is not enough; the county considers the facts establishing permanent residence.
Residency-based benefits in another state can prevent you from qualifying for Florida homestead.

For example, a December 2026 purchase may qualify for the 2027 exemption if all requirements are met on January 1, 2027. If you buy on January 2, 2027, the first eligible year would generally be 2028. See Florida Statutes §196.031 and the residency evidence described in §196.015.

How much can you save in 2026?

Homestead reduces taxable value. The maximum exemption is not an amount refunded to the owner.

Exemption component	2026 amount	Where it applies
Basic exemption	Up to $25,000	All applicable property taxes, including school taxes.
Additional exemption	Up to $26,411	Non-school taxes only, on assessed value above $50,000.
Combined reduction	Up to $51,411	The non-school tax base, where assessed value is sufficient.

The additional exemption is adjusted for inflation. The $26,411 amount is confirmed in the official 2026 adjustment table.

Example. With an assessed value of $400,000 before exemptions, the school tax base after homestead would be $375,000, and the non-school base would be $348,589. At hypothetical rates of 7 mills for school taxes and 13 mills for other taxes, these two exemptions would save about $843.34 a year. One mill is $1 of tax for each $1,000 of taxable value.

Those rates are illustrative. Actual savings depend on the property's address and local rates. Separate assessments, such as solid waste charges, generally are not reduced by homestead. See the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser's official explanation.

Why Save Our Homes matters over time

A home's market value can rise faster than its protected assessed value. SOH limits ordinary annual assessment increases to the lower of 3% or the applicable CPI change. The limit for 2026 is 2.7%. Protection generally starts in the year after homestead is first granted.

This can create a growing difference between just / market value, the county's market valuation, and assessed value, which reflects applicable assessment limits. That difference is the basis of portability and can be much larger than the basic homestead exemption.

SOH does not cap increases in the entire tax bill. Rates, special assessments, new construction and other statutory changes are considered separately. After a typical sale, the seller's protected assessment generally resets on January 1 of the following year. Sources: the SOH table and Florida Statutes §193.155.

What can transfer to a new home?

Portability allows you to transfer up to $500,000 of an eligible SOH assessment difference to another permanent home in Florida, including a move from Broward to Miami-Dade or Palm Beach. The amount reduces the new property's assessment. It is not a cash payment or a transfer of the old tax bill.

Portability can apply when moving to a higher-value or lower-value home. The comparison uses the relevant Property Appraiser market values, not simply the purchase prices.

Suppose the previous home had a just value of $600,000 and an assessed value of $400,000. Its accumulated difference is $200,000.

New home	Transfer in this example	New assessed value before homestead exemptions
Just value: $800,000	$200,000 — the full eligible difference	$600,000
Just value: $300,000	$100,000 — a proportional amount: $200,000 × $300,000 ÷ $600,000	$200,000

This simplified example assumes one owner and that all requirements are met. Ownership shares, divorce or combining two previous homesteads can affect the result. Use the Broward estimator for an initial estimate and the Palm Beach Property Appraiser's guidance for the calculation rules.

What changed: expanded portability starting in 2027

A 2026 law expanded the portability rules. HB 7031E became Chapter 2026-239. It removed language restricting the portability calculation to the immediately preceding homestead. The change first applies to the 2027 ad valorem tax roll.

Period	Which previous property can be considered?
Before the change applies	The calculation is tied to the immediately preceding homestead.
Starting with tax year 2027	An eligible prior homestead within the applicable three-year period can be used, even if it was not the most recent one.

Who might benefit? An owner who has changed permanent homes several times in a short period. If an earlier eligible property had a larger SOH difference, ask the Property Appraiser to check whether it can be used. The law does not mean that benefits from all previous homes are added together. The $500,000 cap and other portability conditions remain.

Portability itself already existed. This change concerns which prior homestead can be used in the calculation. The governor approved the law on June 29, 2026; the expansion first applies to the 2027 tax roll.

Official sources: HB 7031E's legislative status, the conference report, page 7, and sections 3–4 of the enrolled text, pages 10–11. §193.155 also notes that the amendment first applies to the 2027 tax roll.

Why both January 1 and March 1 matter

The general portability rule looks at homestead in one of the three preceding tax years. It is not a freely rolling 36-month period after a sale.

For example, if you abandoned your previous homestead in September 2026, the new one must qualify as of January 1, 2027, 2028 or, at the latest, 2029. Buying after January 1, 2029 would generally miss that window. See the Florida Department of Revenue's guide.

What to check for 2027	Date
Qualifying ownership and permanent residence	As of January 1, 2027
Standard homestead and portability application deadline	March 1, 2027
Review the assessment, exemptions and transfer on the TRIM Notice	When the notice arrives, usually in August

The standard March 1, 2027 deadline applies in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. If you miss it, check late-filing eligibility separately. The general homestead procedure requires an application by the 25th day after TRIM Notices are mailed and evidence supporting the circumstances of the missed deadline. Do not assume that another county’s calendar date applies to your property. Sources: Florida Statutes §196.011 and the official instructions for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

Where to apply and which documents to prepare

Apply to the Property Appraiser in the county where the new home is located. The Tax Collector handles tax payments, not homestead approval.

County	Official portal
Broward	BCPA: property search and File for Homestead; forms and portability.
Miami-Dade	Homestead Exemption; portability and applications.
Palm Beach	Homestead Exemption and E-File; SOH portability.

What is statewide, and what varies by county?

The basic homestead, SOH and portability rules are established by state law. Eligible benefits can transfer between Florida counties. Each county has its own portal, document procedures and notice calendar. Actual savings depend on local tax rates and the property’s address. Some additional exemptions, such as those for eligible low-income seniors, depend on county or municipal adoption. They do not automatically transfer with SOH. The legal basis for those local exemptions is Florida Statutes §196.075.

For a home in another county, find its Property Appraiser through the Florida Department of Revenue’s official directory. Apply where the new home is located, rather than where the previous exemption was granted.

Commonly requested information

The address, folio / parcel number and ownership documents.
A Florida driver license or Florida ID and evidence of permanent residence.
Applicants' and spouses' Social Security numbers where required by the application.
Previous addresses and residency-based benefits claimed there.
Where applicable, documents concerning immigration status, a trust, ownership shares or other special circumstances.

Residency evidence can include vehicle registration, voter registration for U.S. citizens, a Declaration of Domicile, utility bills and the address on a tax return. The required combination depends on the case. Check your county’s requirements: Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach.

How to request portability

Apply for homestead on the new property. Notify the previous county of your move and the need to cancel the old exemption; Miami-Dade, for example, explains this in its homestead cancellation instructions.
Identify your previous Florida property and request portability using Form DR-501T or the relevant section of the official online application.
Keep the submission confirmation and respond to requests for more documents.
Check the county's decision and the values shown in the property record and TRIM Notice.

Forms are available from the Florida Department of Revenue. Submission does not itself mean approval. County offices exchange information for moves across county lines, but the applicant must correctly identify the previous property.

What can affect your homestead exemption?

Once approved, the exemption generally renews automatically while you remain eligible. Tell the county about a move, sale, ownership change or change in use. An exemption still appearing in the records does not establish continued eligibility after those changes.

Check rental plans in advance. Renting all or substantially all of the home can constitute abandonment of homestead. The law includes timing rules and exceptions. Renting a room while continuing to live in the home requires a separate assessment. HOA permission to rent does not itself preserve the tax exemption. See Florida Statutes §196.061.

Also check the consequences of transferring a home to an LLC or trust, divorce, inheritance or claiming a residency-based benefit elsewhere. Not every change ends homestead, but the outcome depends on the documents. An improper exemption can lead to back taxes, interest, penalties and a lien. See the Broward Property Appraiser's guidance.

What to check before buying and moving

Whether the property will be your permanent home on the relevant January 1.
Whether you have a previous Florida homestead and an available SOH assessment difference.
Which previous property can be used under the rules for the relevant tax year.
Your estimated tax after buying, using your own exemptions rather than the seller's.
Who will submit the applications and verify approval.

BonaDomus can help you account for ownership costs and moving dates when choosing a property. The Property Appraiser determines homestead eligibility and the portability amount. Unusual ownership arrangements should be reviewed with a Florida attorney.

Frequently asked questions about homestead and portability

Can a non-U.S. citizen qualify for homestead?

In some cases, yes. U.S. citizenship is not the only route to eligibility. Permanent residence, qualifying status and documentation matter; buying a property alone does not establish eligibility. Broward publishes requirements for non-U.S. citizens.

Can I transfer a benefit from another state?

Florida portability applies to a previous Florida homestead. It does not transfer a New York or other state's benefit. When moving to Florida, apply for a new exemption and address incompatible residency-based benefits at your old address. The transfer’s geographic scope is explained in the Florida Department of Revenue’s rules.

Do I have to sell my previous home?

Not necessarily. You must still meet the requirements for abandoning the previous homestead and establishing the new one. Owning two properties does not entitle one owner to claim both as their permanent home. See Broward's portability FAQs.

Can spouses add together benefits from two previous homes?

They are not automatically added together. Special rules apply when combining two previous homesteads or dividing jointly owned property. Ownership shares and circumstances affect the calculation. See the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser's explanation.

Can a home owned by an LLC or trust qualify?

Ordinary LLC ownership generally does not make a resident member eligible for homestead. Some trusts and life estates can qualify. Review the individual's rights under the documents, not just the name shown as owner. See §196.031 on exemption eligibility and §196.041 on qualifying ownership interests.

Does the mortgage have to be paid off?

No. A mortgage does not itself prevent homestead eligibility. Qualifying ownership, permanent residence and the other requirements of Florida Statutes §196.031 still matter.

Do I need to reapply every year?

The basic exemption generally renews automatically if circumstances remain unchanged. Moving requires a new application. Additional benefits, including some senior exemptions, may have their own verification rules. The Palm Beach Property Appraiser explains standard renewal procedures.

What if I missed the filing deadline?

Ask the Property Appraiser immediately about any available procedure. Late filing has deadlines and conditions and does not guarantee approval. Check your county’s calendar and the mailing date of your TRIM Notice; another county’s deadline does not replace that check. See Florida Statutes §196.011.

I obtained homestead on time but forgot portability. Is the benefit lost?

Not necessarily. Some eligible owners can apply for portability in a later year, without refunds for past years. This does not waive the requirement to establish the new homestead within the applicable period. Check your case against Miami-Dade's official guidance.

Why did the separate portability entry disappear in the second year?

Broward shows the transfer separately in the first year. It is then incorporated into the new SOH assessment base, so a missing separate entry does not by itself mean the benefit was lost. See the BCPA FAQs.

If my home's market value falls, must its SOH assessment fall too?

No. The protected assessment can keep increasing within the cap while remaining below market value. It must not exceed just value. See the SOH guide.

What if my application is denied or the calculation is wrong?

Ask the Property Appraiser for an explanation and check the Value Adjustment Board appeal procedure. The deadline depends on the dispute and notice. Correspondence with the office does not itself extend the appeal deadline. See the official VAB petition guide.

Can I already use proposed 2027 reforms in my tax estimate?

Use changes with a confirmed legal status and application date. HB 7031E's portability expansion has been enacted. As of October 1, 2026, the separate constitutional reform in CS/HJR 1-F still requires voter approval. These are different measures: HB 7031E and CS/HJR 1-F.

Does homestead protect my home from every creditor?

The tax exemption and legal homestead protections are governed by different provisions. Tax exemption approval does not automatically resolve debt, inheritance or forced-sale questions. Discuss those issues with an attorney; the relevant provisions are in Articles VII and X of the Florida Constitution.

Florida Homestead Exemption: Savings, Portability and the 2027 Change