ServicesExemption Applications
Live Local Act Exemption Applications in Tamarac
Florida's Live Local Act lowers the tax owed on rental units kept affordable for moderate and lower income residents. We put together the full application, test every unit against the rules and file on time. You get a straight answer on what your property may save.
What this exemption is and who it fits
Florida's Live Local Act lets owners of qualifying multifamily rental property claim a property tax exemption on units rented to people earning up to 120 percent of area median income. Units at or below 80 percent can qualify for a larger share of the exemption than units in the 80 to 120 percent band. The rents on those units have to stay under the limits the law sets.
Getting the money is a two-step job. First the Florida Housing Finance Corporation has to approve the property. Then that approval goes to the county property appraiser with the DR-504AFH form. Miss a step or a date and you wait a full year.
Most denials we see come down to small things. A unit listed under the wrong income band. A rent a few dollars over the limit. A unit count that doesn't match the rent roll. We spend our time on those details, because that is where the exemption is won or lost.
What we do on your application
Eligibility check first
Before any paperwork, we look at your unit count, your set-aside units and your current rents. If the property doesn't qualify, we tell you plainly and stop there.
Unit-by-unit rent review
We match each set-aside unit's rent against the current income and rent limits. If a rent is over, we flag it before it reaches a reviewer.
Income band sorting
Each qualifying unit gets placed in the right band, 80 percent or 120 percent of area median income. The band decides how much of that unit's value is exempt, so this step moves the dollars.
FHFC application package
We prepare the request for the Florida Housing Finance Corporation and file it for you. Our FHFC Certification Filing page covers that part in more depth.
County form and appraiser filing
Once the FHFC approves the property, we complete the DR-504AFH and get it to the property appraiser with the approval letter attached. See County DR-504AFH Filing for how we handle that step.
A file you can reuse
You get a clean copy of everything we filed and the numbers behind it. Next year's Annual Recertification goes faster because of it.
Signs it's time to look at this exemption
You rent units below market
If some of your units already rent to people with moderate incomes, you may be paying tax you don't have to.
Your tax bill keeps climbing
Rising assessments hit rental properties hard. The exemption is one of the few tools that lowers the taxable value itself.
A past application was denied
Denials often trace back to one bad number. We go through the old file, find what tripped it, and fix it before the next filing.
You aren't sure about the dates
The FHFC application is due by January 1. The county filing is due by March 1. If those dates are news to you, call before they pass.
Your rent roll is messy
Mixed lease dates and missing tenant files make the application hard to support. Our Resident Income Verification work can clean that up first.
How the work goes, step by step
- 1
A short phone call
You tell us about the property: units, rents and who lives there. We tell you if it looks like a fit and what the savings could be.
- 2
We gather the records
We ask for your rent roll, lease terms and resident income files. You can bring them to our office or go through them with us by phone or video.
- 3
We check every unit
We test rents and income bands one unit at a time. Anything that doesn't line up gets flagged, and we talk it through with you before filing.
- 4
We file both pieces
We file with the FHFC, track the approval, then file the DR-504AFH with the county property appraiser. You get copies at each step.
- 5
We follow up
If a reviewer asks a question, we answer it. When the decision comes, we go over it with you and set reminders for next year.
What moves the cost of an application
Every property is different, so we price after we see what the job takes. The free savings estimate tells you what you could save before you spend anything with us. Then we explain our fee in plain terms.
- Number of units
- Each set-aside unit adds a rent to test and a resident file to read. A small building goes quicker than a large complex.
- Condition of your records
- A clean, current rent roll keeps the work short. Missing leases or old income files add time.
- First filing or a fix
- A first-time application from scratch is different from cleaning up after a denial. Fixing a past file means finding what went wrong first.
- How close the deadline is
- Starting in the fall gives room to do it right. A filing started days before January 1 takes more hours in a short window.
Questions about Live Local Act exemption applications
Something not covered here? (954) 982-6428
Does my property qualify?
It depends on your unit count, how many units are set aside, and whether those rents and resident incomes fall under the limits. That is what our free eligibility check answers. We'd rather tell you no early than file something that won't hold up.
Do I have to apply every year?
Yes. The exemption isn't permanent. Each year the property needs a fresh FHFC approval and a new county filing, which is what our Annual Recertification service handles.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
In most cases you lose the exemption for that tax year and try again the next. That is why we start well before January 1 and track both dates for you.
How much of my property tax goes away?
Only the qualifying units count. A unit rented to someone earning 80 percent of area median income or less can have its whole value taken off the tax roll. A unit in the 80 to 120 percent range gets part of its value exempt. The savings estimate works those numbers out for your building.
Do you work outside Tamarac?
Yes. We help owners across Broward County, including Coral Springs, Sunrise, Margate and Fort Lauderdale. Distance rarely matters for this job. You can drop records off with us in person, or we can sit down together on a call or a video meeting and go through them line by line.
Find out what your property could save
Give us a few facts about your units and rents. We'll run the numbers and tell you straight if the exemption is worth filing.