ServicesAnnual Recertification
Fort Lauderdale Annual Live Local Recertification
Your Live Local Act exemption will not renew on its own. Each year you have to show the affordable units, rents and resident incomes again. We begin months in advance, so the renewal goes in on time and the tax savings continue.
Why your exemption needs attention every year
The Live Local Act property tax exemption is granted one tax year at a time. Keeping it means going through two steps again each cycle. First, the owner of a qualifying multifamily building generally obtains a fresh certification from Florida Housing. Then a new county application on form DR-504AFH goes to the property appraiser, and in Broward that application is generally due by March 1.
Most problems we see are not about eligibility. They come from timing. A leasing office changes software, a property manager leaves, or rents on a restricted unit drift above the limit for a few months, and nobody notices until the filing window is almost closed. Our approach is simple: we put your renewal on a calendar in the fall, gather records early, and fix small gaps while there is still time.
We have prepared filings for about 100 Florida properties, so we know where renewals tend to stall and which records reviewers ask for first.
What's part of annual recertification
Your property's renewal calendar
We lay out the FHFC certification request, the county filing date and your own deadlines for rent rolls and income files, and send you those dates in writing long before they come due.
Set-aside and rent roll review
We check your current rent roll against the units designated as affordable, confirm the count still meets the set-aside and make sure every restricted rent stays within current limits.
This year's income limits
Area median income figures are updated every year. We run your restricted units against the latest limits, so a rent that passed last year is tested against this year's figures.
Requesting FHFC certification
We put together the certification package for the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, file it on your behalf and stay on it until the certification is issued.
Refiling the county DR-504AFH
With the FHFC certification in hand, we prepare the DR-504AFH and its supporting documents for the property appraiser, and we keep a copy of the full filing for your records.
Signs your renewal needs attention now
- No one is responsible for the deadline
- When the person who filed last year has moved on, the renewal can end up with no one in charge. That is how exemptions most often lapse.
- Rents went up during the year
- Lease renewals that raise rents on restricted units can push a rent above the limit. Fixing that before the filing is much easier than fixing it after.
- Resident files have gaps
- Missing income certifications or out-of-date paperwork on affordable units will hold up a renewal. Our resident income verification service can close those gaps.
- Affordable units were moved or reassigned
- In many cases you can shift the affordable designation to a different unit, but the records must show the change clearly. We help you document it.
- The filing window is closing in
- If winter has arrived and the renewal has not begun, call us. There may still be time, and we will give you a straight answer about what is possible.
How a renewal works with us
- 1
A short review call
We start with a Live Local review by phone or video. We look at last year's filing, your current rent roll and your timeline, then tell you what we need.
- 2
Records gathered early
Your property manager sends rent rolls, unit lists and resident income files. We flag anything missing or out of line and explain how to fix it.
- 3
State certification
We prepare the FHFC request and file it for you. If the reviewers have follow-up questions, we answer them, and we let you know as soon as the certification comes through.
- 4
County filing and confirmation
We file the DR-504AFH with the property appraiser, track its status and send you a complete copy. Then we note the dates for next year so the cycle starts on time.
What drives the cost of a renewal
A renewal is usually lighter work than a first-year application, though no two properties are alike. Our fee reflects how much has to be collected, reviewed and fixed. We go over your situation on a call and give you a clear quote by phone before anything begins.
- How many units you have
- Bigger properties come with more restricted units to verify and longer rent rolls to go through.
- How your records look
- Up-to-date resident files move fast. Missing income certifications or rent data that does not match up take longer to straighten out.
- What changed this year
- A new owner, a new management company or reassigned affordable units mean more documentation.
- Time left before the deadline
- A fall start allows a normal pace. Starting late can squeeze the work into a short window before the county filing date.
Annual recertification questions
- Do we really have to file again every year?
- Yes. The exemption applies to a single tax year, so last year's approval does not carry forward by itself. Each cycle generally requires a new state certification and a new county application on the DR-504AFH. Skipping a cycle usually means full property taxes for that year.
- When is the right time to begin the renewal?
- Fall is our recommendation. It gives time to request the FHFC certification and still file with the county by its deadline, which in Broward is generally March 1. Starting sooner always makes it easier.
- What if rent on a restricted unit went above the limit?
- Let us know as soon as you find out. Often the rent can be corrected and documented before the filing. We will review the specifics and tell you honestly what it means for the renewal.
- We handled the first year ourselves. Can you do the renewal?
- Yes. We go over last year's filing, compare it with your current records and carry on from there. Plenty of owners hand us the renewal after seeing how much tracking it involves.
- Can you help with properties outside Fort Lauderdale?
- Yes. Because we work by phone and video, we serve owners throughout the area, including Pompano Beach, Hollywood and Oakland Park. The filing goes to the property appraiser for the county where the building is located.
Get next year's renewal on the calendar now
Let us know about your property and when you last filed. We will see where things stand and estimate what holding onto the exemption is worth to you.