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Section 8 Voucher Rates Florida 2026: HUD Fair Market Rents by City
2026-04-21 · 6 min read
Why Florida Investors Use Section 8 (and Why Some Avoid It)
Section 8 divides the investor community more than almost any other topic. Here's the honest picture:
Reasons to accept
✓ Government pays 70-90% of rent directly
✓ Can reduce vacancy to near zero
✓ FMR often equals or beats market rate
✓ Tenants tend to stay long-term
✓ Strong demand from large voucher waitlists
Reasons to avoid
✗ Annual HQS inspections required
✗ Can't evict quickly for non-payment
✗ Payment delays during porting issues
✗ HOA may prohibit Section 8 rentals
✗ FL source-of-income discrimination laws vary
The investors who succeed with Section 8 in Florida focus on high-vacancy markets (Jacksonville Westside, East Tampa, Pine Hills Orlando) where the guaranteed government payment eliminates the primary risk. In low-vacancy, high-demand markets, the benefits are smaller.
Florida FMR Rates 2026: Complete City Table
| Metro Area | 1bd | 2bd | 3bd | 4bd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | $1,760 | $2,147 | $2,718 | $3,277 |
| Broward (Ft. Laud.) | $1,720 | $2,102 | $2,665 | $3,186 |
| Palm Beach | $1,580 | $1,963 | $2,471 | $2,892 |
| Hillsborough (Tampa) | $1,380 | $1,800 | $2,286 | $2,697 |
| Orange (Orlando) | $1,295 | $1,676 | $2,197 | $2,618 |
| Duval (Jacksonville) | $1,173 | $1,551 | $1,939 | $2,274 |
| Lee (Cape Coral) | $1,230 | $1,619 | $2,090 | $2,436 |
| Marion (Ocala) | $930 | $1,158 | $1,535 | $1,899 |
Source: HUD FY2025 Fair Market Rents for Florida metro areas. Used by SpillDeals for all cash flow calculations. Updated annually each October.
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Alejandro Gonzalez is a Florida real estate investor and founder of SpillDeals — the only platform that grades every FL investment property A–F using live MLS data. Learn more →