Applying and moving in
Renting a furnished home in South Florida
Furnished means the owner's couch and beds and usually the dishes, and people take one for a job move, a winter, or the months between houses. Get a written inventory with photos at move-in, because the deposit covers the furniture too. If the stay is six months or less, budget for Florida's transient rental tax on top of the rent.
Updated Last checked 3 min read
Quick answer
- Get an inventory list, signed by both sides, with photos.
- Your deposit covers the furniture, so its condition at move-in matters.
- Six months or less: expect transient rental tax on top of the rent.
- The owner's insurance doesn't cover your belongings. Renters insurance does.
- Ask exactly what "furnished" means: linens, dishes, TV, internet.
On this page
What furnished means here
There's no legal definition. In South Florida listings it ranges from a few pieces of patio furniture to a turnkey condo with towels, a coffee maker and the streaming apps logged in. So ask for a list before you apply, and get it attached to the lease.
- Beds and mattresses, with mattress protectors
- Sofa, tables, chairs and outdoor furniture
- TV and any streaming or cable account
- Kitchen basics: pots, pans, dishes, glasses, utensils
- Linens and towels, and who launders them
- Washer and dryer, or the building laundry room
- Internet, and whether it is included in the rent
- Who replaces the AC filter and puts up the storm shutters
The inventory protects your deposit
With a furnished home, the security deposit covers the owner's furniture as well as the walls and floors. Florida's deposit rules still apply on an ordinary lease: a written claim within 30 days of move-out for anything the landlord wants to keep, and 15 days for you to object. What wins those disputes is proof of how things looked on day one.
Walk the home with the owner or agent and note every stain, chip, wobble and scratch on the inventory. Photograph each piece. Both of you sign and date it. A sofa that was already sun-faded in a west-facing living room can't become a $900 charge later.
Short furnished stays and the tax
Furnished rentals are often short, and a rental of six months or less is taxed as a transient rental under section 212.03: 6% state tax plus the county surtax and tourist tax, 13% in Broward and most of Miami-Dade and 12.5% in Palm Beach. A bona fide written lease longer than six months is exempt. On a four-month furnished stay at $3,800 in Broward, that tax is about $1,976.
When furnished makes sense
- A job move with a deadline. Rent furnished for six or seven months while you learn the neighborhoods, then sign an annual lease where you want to stay.
- A season. Winter rentals are mostly furnished, priced for the season.
- Between homes. Selling a house and waiting on the next one, or a renovation that runs long.
- Storm repairs. If a hurricane makes your home unlivable, the loss-of-use coverage in a homeowners or renters policy may pay for a furnished place while it's fixed.
It's usually the wrong call if you already own furniture and plan to stay a year or more. You'll pay a premium every month and store your own things somewhere else.
Insurance and liability
The owner's policy covers the owner's furniture. It doesn't cover your laptop, your clothes or a guest who slips on the balcony. A renters policy does, and a furnished lease often requires one. See renters insurance in Florida for what it covers and what it doesn't, which includes flood.
Questions people ask
Is a furnished rental worth it?
For stays under a year, a job move, or a season, often yes. For a long stay when you already own furniture, you're paying a premium for things you don't need.
Who pays if furniture breaks in a furnished rental?
Florida's deposit law lets a landlord claim for damage beyond normal wear and tear, so ordinary wear stays the owner's cost. Damage beyond it can come out of your deposit, which is why the signed inventory with photos matters.
Are utilities included in furnished rentals?
Sometimes, especially in seasonal rentals. Ask which utilities and internet are included, and get it in the lease.
Free help from Rentvana
A licensed agent can shortlist furnished homes for your dates.
Renters never pay Rentvana. A licensed agent replies within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm.
Questions first? Call 888-601-8344 or email hello@rentvana.com.
Words in this guide
Sources
- Florida Statutes, section 83.49: Deposit money or advance rent, duty of landlord and tenantleg.state.fl.us
- Florida Statutes, section 212.03: Transient rentals tax, rate, procedure, enforcement, exemptionsleg.state.fl.us
- Florida Department of Revenue: Local option transient rental tax rates (DR-15TDT)floridarevenue.com
- Florida Department of Revenue: Discretionary sales surtax rates for calendar year 2026 (DR-15DSS)floridarevenue.com
Checked against these sources on by Rentvana Editorial. If something has changed, email hello@rentvana.com and we'll fix it.
Questions?
Call 888-601-8344 to talk to a licensed agent, or email hello@rentvana.com and one gets back to you within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm. Renters never pay Rentvana.