Miami-Dade Homestead Exemption: How to File by March 1 (Schenley Park Guide)

How do you get the homestead exemption in Miami-Dade? If you own and live in your home as your permanent residence on January 1, you file with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser by March 1 of that year, online and at no cost. The exemption lowers your home’s taxable value by up to about $51,400 for 2026, and, more importantly, it turns on the Save Our Homes cap, which limits how fast your assessed value can rise. For homeowners in Schenley Park and Coral Terrace, Miami FL 33155, that cap is often worth more every year than the exemption itself, and it does not transfer to the next owner when the home sells.

By Berenice Elguezabal | October 26, 2026

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Every year some Florida homeowners pay more property tax than they have to, and it’s not because the law is confusing. It’s because they missed one date. If you own a home in Schenley Park or Coral Terrace, that date is March 1, and what you do about it can follow your tax bill for as long as you live in the house.

What the homestead exemption is

The homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of your primary residence. It is a reduction in value, not a credit on your bill, so what you save depends on the tax rates where you live. It comes in two layers:

• The first $25,000 applies to all of your property taxes, including school taxes.
• The second layer applies to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and does not apply to school taxes. Since 2025 it is adjusted for inflation, which is why the total for the 2026 tax year is a little over $50,000, up to about $51,400, instead of exactly $50,000.

Who qualifies and how to file

To qualify, the home must be your permanent primary residence, and you must own it and live in it as of January 1 of the tax year.

1. File with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser by March 1. You can do it online, and there is no fee.
2. Have your documents ready: your deed or closing information, a Florida driver’s license or ID with the property address, and your vehicle registration and voter information if you have them, updated to the new address.
3. If you closed after January 1 of this year, you are not too late. Your first filing window is the one that closes on March 1 of next year.
4. Miss the deadline and, in general, you wait another year. There are limited late-filing provisions, but don’t count on them.

The bigger benefit: the Save Our Homes cap

The exemption is the small part of the story. The bigger benefit is what it unlocks: the Save Our Homes cap. Once you are homesteaded, your home’s assessed value can rise each year by only 3 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The market can move much faster than that.

In our area many owners have been in their homes for a long time, which means the assessed value on a lot of these homes sits well below what they would sell for today. That gap is real money you keep every single year, as long as you keep the homestead.

If you are buying: the seller’s tax bill is not yours

This is the part that surprises both buyers and sellers. The cap does not transfer to the next owner. When a homesteaded home sells, it is reassessed at market value as of the following January 1. So if you are buying, the property tax shown on a listing is the seller’s bill, not yours, and yours can be significantly higher.

Plan your monthly costs from the price you are paying, using the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser’s tax estimator, not from the number on the screen. I explain this trap, and others on the portals, in Beyond the Portals. Then file your own homestead as soon as you are eligible.

If you are selling and moving within Florida: portability

If you sell and buy another Florida home, you can transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated Save Our Homes savings to the new homestead. It is not automatic: you apply together with the new homestead application, by March 1, and you must establish the new homestead within three years of leaving the old one. I cover the math in my guide to homestead portability for Miami-Dade sellers. If you are downsizing, my 12-month downsizing plan shows where portability fits in the timeline.

The property tax amendment on the November 3 ballot

There is a constitutional amendment on the Florida ballot on November 3, 2026, that would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent. It needs 60 percent of voters to pass. Supporters see meaningful relief for homeowners; some independent analysts describe it as a tax shift rather than a tax cut, because local governments would have to find that revenue elsewhere.

I’m not here to tell you how to vote. I’m here to tell you it is on the ballot and that the details matter, so read the full ballot summary before you decide. I go through it point by point in Florida Homestead Exemption 2026: what the amendment does.

The Miami-Dade property tax calendar

• January 1: ownership and residence are fixed for the tax year.
• March 1: deadline to file for homestead exemption and portability.
• Mid-to-late August: TRIM notices are mailed with your proposed assessed value and taxes.
• 25 days after the TRIM notice is mailed: deadline to petition the Value Adjustment Board if you disagree with your assessment. The exact date is printed on the notice.
• November 1: tax bills go out. Paying in November earns a 4 percent discount; it drops to 3 percent in December, 2 in January and 1 in February.
• March 31: last day to pay at face value. Unpaid taxes are delinquent on April 1.

If you sell partway through the year, the taxes are prorated between buyer and seller at closing; see my seller net proceeds guide.

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Frequently asked questions

When is the deadline to file for homestead exemption in Miami-Dade?
March 1 of the tax year. You must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1 of that year. You file with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser, online and at no cost.

How much does the Florida homestead exemption save?
It reduces your home’s taxable value by up to about $51,400 for 2026: $25,000 against all taxes and a second, inflation-adjusted layer against non-school taxes. The dollar savings depend on your local tax rates. The bigger long-term benefit is the Save Our Homes cap.

Does the Save Our Homes cap transfer to the buyer?
No. When a homesteaded home sells, it is reassessed at market value the following January 1, so a buyer’s taxes can be much higher than the seller’s. Budget with the Property Appraiser’s tax estimator and your purchase price.

I bought my home after January 1. When can I file?
Your first filing window is the one that closes on March 1 of the following year. File as soon as you are eligible so the Save Our Homes cap starts protecting you.

What is homestead portability?
It lets you transfer up to $500,000 of your accumulated Save Our Homes savings to a new Florida homestead. You apply with the new homestead application by March 1, and the new homestead must be established within three years of leaving the old one.

File by March 1. The exemption is the entry ticket, and the Save Our Homes cap is the long-term benefit. If you are buying, don’t trust the seller’s tax bill. If you are selling, know what your cap is worth and what the next owner’s bill will look like. And keep an eye on the ballot.

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• Home valuation: Request your home value
• Call or WhatsApp: 305-301-3290
• Bere@BereHomes.com

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm your situation and the current exemption amounts with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser or a tax professional.