Live Local Act Exemption Filings for Hallandale Beach Property Owners
We put together the paperwork behind Florida's Live Local Act property tax exemption: FHFC certification, the DR-504AFH for the county property appraiser, resident income verification and annual recertification. Rental owners in Hallandale Beach, Aventura and Hollywood meet with us in person or over a phone or video call.
- Filings prepared for about 100 Florida properties
- Eligibility check by phone
- Written line-item estimates
- Office, phone or video
Live Local Act Services
This exemption is a sequence, not a single form. Units are rent-restricted for residents at set income levels, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation certifies the property, and the owner then files form DR-504AFH with the property appraiser. We can take a live local act exemption application from beginning to end, or handle one step on its own, such as FHFC certification filing, county DR-504AFH filing or resident income verification. After a property qualifies, annual recertification and ongoing compliance support keep the exemption from lapsing in later years.
Exemption Applications
We check whether your rental property qualifies for the Live Local Act tax exemption, then prepare the certification and county filings in the right order.
FHFC Certification Filing
We assemble the rent roll, income data and unit set-aside schedule Florida Housing needs to certify your property for the Live Local Act tax exemption.
County DR-504AFH Filing
We prepare and file the county DR-504AFH so your FHFC-approved units actually receive the Live Local property tax exemption on your assessment.
Annual Recertification
We rebuild your rent roll, income files and FHFC certification each year so the Live Local exemption carries into the next tax year.
Resident Income Verification
We document and calculate resident incomes unit by unit, so every unit you count toward the Live Local exemption has a signed, supported file behind it.
Ongoing Compliance Support
Year-round checks on rents, income limits, unit counts and files so your Live Local exemption holds up when it is time to renew.
What Sets the Fee for a Live Local Filing
Our fee depends on how much documentation the property needs and how much of it already exists. A building with clean, current income certifications is a different job from one where files have to be rebuilt. These are the factors we look at.
We give you a written, line-item estimate after the eligibility check, with no prices quoted until we have seen the property's numbers. You decide whether to go ahead from there.
- Number of units
- Every restricted unit needs its own rent check and income file. More units means more records to review and reconcile.
- Income tiers in play
- A property using only the 80 percent of area median income tier is simpler than one mixing 80 percent and 120 percent units, because each tier carries its own rent and income limits.
- Condition of the rent roll and resident files
- Current, signed income certifications speed things up. Missing pay stubs, outdated forms or rent amounts that do not match leases take time to correct before anything is filed.
- How close the deadline is
- The DR-504AFH is generally due to the property appraiser by March 1, and FHFC certification has to be in hand first. Starting in late winter compresses the work.
- Parcels and counties
- A single parcel in one county is straightforward. Several parcels, or properties split between Broward and Miami-Dade, mean separate filings with separate offices.
Why Owners Hand Us Their Live Local Paperwork
Most denied or reduced exemptions trace back to small things: a rent above the published limit, an income certification that expired, a form filed after the deadline. We work the way a careful neighbor would, checking those details before anything goes to the county.
- 01
Experience with real filings
We have prepared filings for about 100 Florida properties. That means we have seen how rent rolls, income files and county forms actually line up, and where they usually do not.
- 02
We check the numbers unit by unit
The exemption is calculated per qualifying unit, at 80 percent or 120 percent of area median income. We match each unit's rent and resident income against the current limits so the unit count on your application is one you can defend.
- 03
An honest answer on eligibility
If a property does not qualify, or only a handful of units do, we tell you on the first call. You will not pay us to prepare an application that the property appraiser is likely to deny.
- 04
Fees in writing before work starts
After the eligibility check you get a written estimate that lists each filing and task separately. If the scope changes, for example a second parcel turns up, we explain the change before doing the added work.
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Reachable by the people who know your file
You talk with us directly by phone, by video or at our office. When the property appraiser or FHFC asks a question, we already know the property and can answer it.
How a Live Local Filing Runs
Most of the work happens at our office, with check-ins by phone or video. Here is the usual order.
- 1
Eligibility check
On the phone we ask about unit count, current rents, resident income levels and the parcel. From that we can usually tell whether the property is a candidate and roughly how many units might qualify, along with a savings estimate.
- 2
Document review
You share the rent roll, leases and resident income files. We compare each unit against the current income and rent limits and flag anything that would weaken the application.
- 3
FHFC certification
We prepare the certification request for the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, file it, and follow up with the agency until the certification is issued. If they come back with questions, we call you to talk through anything we need from your side.
- 4
County filing
With certification in hand, we prepare form DR-504AFH and its attachments for the property appraiser, and keep copies of everything filed so the file is ready for next year.
About Our Practice
Live Local Act Consultant Hallandale Beach works with owners and managers of rental properties who want the property tax savings the Live Local Act allows without the filing mistakes that cost them. We focus on this one exemption, so our days are spent on income limits, rent calculations, FHFC certification and county forms.
We treat your property's file the way we would want a neighbor to treat ours: read closely, explained in plain terms, and kept organized for the next renewal. When you call, you get a straight read on whether the exemption makes sense for your building and what it will take.
- Certifications
- Filings prepared for about 100 Florida properties
Where Our Clients' Properties Are
Our office is in Hallandale Beach, and we work with rental owners throughout southern Broward and northern Miami-Dade, including Aventura, Hollywood, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Dania Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Ives Estates, Ojus, West Park and Pembroke Park.
- Hallandale Beach
- Aventura
- Hollywood
- North Miami
- North Miami Beach
- Dania Beach
- Ives Estates
- Sunny Isles Beach
- Ojus
- West Park
- Pembroke Park
Since the work happens at our office or over phone and video, we can take on properties in other parts of Florida too. Bring up your county when you call.
Questions Owners Ask About the Live Local Act
Something not covered here? (954) 947-6256
Will my rental building qualify for the Live Local Act exemption?
That comes down to your total unit count, how many units house residents earning no more than 80 percent or 120 percent of area median income, and whether rents on those units stay under the published caps. A handful of other conditions apply too. Our eligibility check by phone walks through each one so you know your position.
What could the exemption be worth?
Savings come from taking qualifying units' assessed value off the tax roll, all of it for the lower income tier and part of it for the higher one. The amount you save rests on assessed value, millage and your unit mix. Once we have those figures, we put together a savings estimate.
How do FHFC certification and the DR-504AFH differ?
FHFC certification is the Florida Housing Finance Corporation confirming that the property meets program rules. The DR-504AFH is your request that the county property appraiser apply the exemption, and the appraiser looks for the certification behind it. You need both, and certification comes first.
When are filings due?
The property appraiser generally needs the DR-504AFH by March 1 of the tax year, and FHFC certification has to be secured before that. Beginning in the fall leaves time to fix resident files that need attention.
Is a new application needed each year?
Yes. Because the exemption does not last on its own, the property needs recertification and a fresh county filing each year, supported by current resident income documents. Our annual recertification service keeps those filings on time.
What records do you need from us?
Plan on sending a current rent roll, leases for the restricted units, resident income certifications with backup documents, and the parcel's tax details. Where files are missing or out of date, our resident income verification service can bring them current.
Do we have to meet in person?
No. Everything from the first eligibility check to reviewing the DR-504AFH before it goes to the county can be done by phone and video. If you prefer to sit down and go through the rent roll face to face, our Hallandale Beach office is open to you.
Find Out Whether Your Building Qualifies
Tell us about your units, rents and parcel, and we will give you a straight answer on eligibility and what the filing involves.