Florida Homestead: Tax Exemption & Creditor Protection
Florida homestead is two protections. The property-tax exemption (Fla. Const. Art. VII, § 6; § 196.031) takes up to $50,000 off assessed value, and Save Our Homes caps annual assessment increases at the lower of 3% or CPI. Separately, the creditor protection (Art. X, § 4) shields your home from forced sale by most creditors with no dollar cap on equity, subject to acreage limits and exceptions.
By Find Local Law Editorial Team · Last reviewed: May 26, 2026
Researched and drafted with AI assistance and verified against primary sources (statutes, Judicial Council forms, and official court websites). This is general information, not legal advice.
This is general information, not legal advice. Homestead dollar figures and rules can change — confirm the current numbers on the official sources below or with a Florida attorney.
“Homestead” is one of the most valuable words in Florida property law — but it actually refers to two separate protections that work independently.
1. The property-tax exemption
For your primary home, Florida’s homestead exemption lowers the assessed value used to calculate property tax (Fla. Const. Art. VII, § 6; Fla. Stat. § 196.031):
- Up to $25,000 off assessed value for all taxing levies; plus
- An additional up to $25,000 on assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 (this second piece excludes school levies) — for up to $50,000 total.
(Confirm these dollar figures, which can change.) On top of that, the “Save Our Homes” cap (Art. VII, § 4) limits how much your homestead’s assessed value can rise each year to the lower of 3% or CPI — so your taxable value can’t track a hot market.
2. Creditor protection
This is a different and powerful protection (Fla. Const. Art. X, § 4): your homestead is exempt from forced sale by most creditors, with no dollar cap on equity. That’s why Florida homes are famously hard for general creditors to reach.
It isn’t unlimited. It’s subject to acreage limits — one-half acre within a municipality or 160 acres outside one — and to exceptions for property taxes, mortgages, and construction liens, which can still force a sale.
For how the deed and ownership form interact with all this, see holding title, or the real estate hub. To get matched with a local Florida attorney, connect with a lawyer.
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Start your free intakeFrequently asked questions
- What does the Florida homestead property-tax exemption do?
- It lowers the assessed value of your primary home for tax purposes — up to $25,000 off for all levies, plus an additional up to $25,000 on value between $50,000 and $75,000 (excluding school levies), for up to $50,000 total (Fla. Const. Art. VII, § 6; Fla. Stat. § 196.031). Confirm the current dollar figures, which can change.
- What is Save Our Homes?
- It's a constitutional cap (Art. VII, § 4) that limits annual increases in the assessed value of your homestead to the lower of 3% or the change in CPI — so your taxable value can't jump with the market each year.
- Can creditors take my Florida home?
- Florida homestead is exempt from forced sale by most creditors with no dollar cap on equity (Art. X, § 4), subject to acreage limits — one-half acre within a municipality or 160 acres outside — and exceptions for property taxes, mortgages, and construction liens.
Sources
Related guides
- Buying and Selling a Home in Florida A Florida deed must be signed before two subscribing witnesses (Fla. Stat. § 689.01) and recorded in the county. Florida has no general statutory seller's-disclosure form, but under Johnson v. Davis (1985) a seller must disclose known material defects that aren't readily observable — even in an 'as is' sale.
- Florida Condos and HOAs Florida condominiums are governed by the Florida Condominium Act (ch. 718) and homeowners' associations by ch. 720. These laws set association powers, owner rights, required disclosures, and meeting and records rules. Chapter 718 has been amended frequently — including post-Surfside structural-inspection and reserve requirements — so confirm the current rule.
- Florida Evictions: The Process & Rent Deposit Rule Florida residential evictions go through county court. For nonpayment, the landlord serves a 3-day notice (§ 83.56(3)) and then files. A tenant who raises any defense other than payment generally must deposit accrued rent into the court registry — failing to deposit within 5 business days of being served waives defenses other than payment (§ 83.60(2)). Self-help lockouts are illegal.
- Florida Landlord–Tenant Rules: Deposits & Notice Florida residential rentals follow the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Part II of ch. 83). Key timelines: a deposit must be returned within 15 days if no claim, or the landlord must send a 30-day certified-mail notice to keep part of it; month-to-month termination now needs 30 days' notice; and a 3-day notice is required before terminating for unpaid rent.
- How to Hold Title to Florida Real Estate Florida co-owners can hold title as tenants in common (no survivorship), joint tenants with right of survivorship (which must be expressly stated under Fla. Stat. § 689.15), or — for married couples only — tenants by the entireties, a form that protects the home from a creditor of just one spouse.
- Related area: Business Law in Florida