What should I know about renting a home in Florida?
Florida's landlord and tenant law is the state's, and since 2023 it overrides local rules on deposits, application fees, lease terms and notices.
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What is the typical rent in Florida?
The Census Bureau's latest five-year figures put the median gross rent in Florida at $1,669 a month, against $1,413 for the United States.
Median means half of Florida renters paid more and half paid less. Gross rent is the rent itself plus the estimated monthly cost of utilities, such as electricity, gas, water and sewer, when the renter pays them. Homes where no rent is paid are left out.
About one Florida home in three is rented. The Census Bureau counts 8,752,810 households in the state, and 67.6% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, which leaves 32.4% rented.
For comparison, the same figures show Florida homeowners with a mortgage paying a median of $1,959 a month in owner costs, and owners without a mortgage paying $673.
Where to go from here.
Is it better to rent or buy a home in Florida?
That choice depends on your own money and plans, but the Census Bureau's latest five-year figures and Florida law show what each side costs and brings.
Read the answer →What does it cost to live in Florida?
The savings are in taxes; the costs are in housing and insurance.
Read the answer →What does it cost to rent in Melbourne, Florida?
The typical rent in the city of Melbourne is about $1,525 a month, by the Census Bureau's latest five-year figures, a little below Brevard County as a whole at $1,556 and Florida at $1,669.
Read the answer →Where this comes from.
- QuickFacts: Florida, U.S. Census Bureau ↗ Read October 28, 2026
- QuickFacts: Florida and United States, U.S. Census Bureau ↗ Read October 28, 2026
- QuickFacts note: Median Gross Rent, U.S. Census Bureau ↗ Read October 28, 2026
More questions like this.
Is it better to rent or buy a home in Florida?
That choice depends on your own money and plans, but the Census Bureau's latest five-year figures and Florida law show what each side costs and brings.
What is the minimum wage in Florida?
Florida's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, the rate that took effect on September 30, 2026, under the Florida Constitution.
What is the unemployment rate in Florida?
Florida's unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in September 2026, the newest monthly figure, down from 4.5 percent in August.
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