ServicesAnnual Recertification
Annual Live Local Act Recertification in West Palm Beach
Approval covers a single tax year, so every year the property has to earn its exemption over again. We gather this year's rent roll and resident income files, compare them with the newly published limits and prepare both filings, so last year's savings continue into the next.
What recertification covers and when it matters
Florida's Live Local Act property tax exemption is granted one year at a time. To keep it, owners of qualifying multifamily properties renew their certification with Florida Housing Finance Corporation and file the DR-504AFH application with the county property appraiser again, based on how the property stands as of January 1.
A lot can change in twelve months. Residents move out, new leases get signed, area median income figures are updated and rent limits shift with them. A unit that counted last year may not count this year, and the reverse can happen too. Recertification is where those changes get sorted out on paper, before the county sorts them out for you.
If your first filing went through our Live Local Act Exemption Applications service, we already know the property. If someone else handled it, we start with last year's file and work forward.
What we handle each year
- Rent roll check against new limits
- We compare the current rent on every set-aside unit to the newly published limit for its income tier. Anything over the cap gets flagged early, while there is still time to talk it through.
- Income file review
- We read the resident income records behind each qualifying unit and note which ones are expiring, incomplete or due for a fresh income check. If your staff is stretched, our Resident Income Verification service can take on the full re-verification.
- Choosing the right supporting records
- Not every document carries the same weight. A signed resident income statement is quick to collect but rests on what the resident reports. Pay stubs and benefit letters show real figures but go stale fast. Third-party verification from an employer takes longer and holds up best, so we help you pick the right mix for each unit.
- FHFC renewal
- We prepare the request to Florida Housing Finance Corporation with unit counts and income tiers that match your records exactly.
- County DR-504AFH filing
- Once the state approval is in hand, we prepare the county application so the numbers on both filings agree. Mismatches between the two are a common reason the appraiser's office comes back with questions.
- A plain summary for you
- You get a short written summary of what changed from last year, which units qualify at which tier and what to watch in the year ahead.
Signs it is time to start this year's recertification
Your exemption was approved last year
An approval covers one tax year. If you have not started on the next one by late fall, the January 1 snapshot date arrives quickly.
Turnover in set-aside units
New residents mean new income records. Each move-in needs its own documentation before that unit can count.
Rents went up at lease renewal
A routine increase can push a unit past the limit for its tier. Catching that before the filing is far easier than explaining it after.
Last year's file lives in one person's inbox
If the person who handled the first filing has moved on, the records are often scattered. We rebuild the file so next year is not a scramble.
A letter from the appraiser's office
Questions about your prior filing usually point to something that needs tightening this time around.
How a recertification runs with us
- 1
A free review call
We begin with a phone conversation about the property, last year's filing and what has shifted since. By the end of the call you will know whether the property still appears to qualify and which records we will ask you for.
- 2
Records gathered
You or your manager send the rent roll, leases and income files. All of the reading happens at our desk, and check-ins take place over a phone or video call, which leaves your on-site staff free to keep running the building.
- 3
Gaps flagged in writing
We send a unit-by-unit list of missing or outdated items, with a note on which supporting documents would close each gap.
- 4
Filings prepared and reviewed with you
We prepare the FHFC renewal and the county DR-504AFH, walk you through both and make changes before anything goes out under your signature.
- 5
Follow-up through approval
If the county or FHFC has questions, we help you answer them. Then we keep a copy of everything ready for next year.
What affects the cost of recertification
Recertification usually takes less work than a first application, because the groundwork is already laid. What moves the fee is how much has changed and how organized the records are. We explain our pricing on the review call, and you can ask for a free savings estimate to weigh the fee against what the exemption saves.
- Number of qualifying units
- More set-aside units means more income files to read and more rents to check against the limits.
- Turnover since the last filing
- Every new resident in a qualifying unit adds a fresh income file to review.
- Condition of last year's records
- Clean, complete files from the prior year speed things up. Rebuilding a file someone else left behind takes longer.
- Timing
- Starting in the fall leaves room to fix problems calmly. Starting close to the deadline compresses the same work into fewer days.
- Several properties at once
- Owners with buildings in West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach or Palm Beach Gardens often save time when we handle every renewal on one schedule.
Annual recertification questions
Something not covered here? (561) 878-9229
Is renewal required even if nothing about the property changed?
It is. The exemption is granted for one tax year at a time, so the county application goes in again every year and the FHFC side is renewed alongside it. Missing a year costs you that year's exemption, even for a property that looks exactly as it did before.
What if a few units no longer qualify?
The exemption is figured unit by unit, so losing a few units usually reduces the savings rather than ending them. The property still has to meet the minimum number of qualifying units overall. We show you exactly where you stand before anything is filed.
Can we reuse last year's resident income paperwork?
Sometimes. It depends on when each resident's income was last verified and whether their situation has changed since. We check the date and contents of every file and tell you which ones need refreshing.
Which documents hold up best if the county asks questions?
Third-party verification, such as an employer letter or a benefits statement sent directly to you, is the strongest. Recent pay stubs come next. A resident's own signed statement is quickest but weakest on its own, so most properties use a mix and we help you decide where the stronger records matter most.
Will someone need to come out to the building?
There is no site visit. The review is done at our office, and any conversation with you or your manager happens on a phone or video call. You share the records, and the checking and paperwork are ours to carry.
We did our first filing ourselves. Can you take over now?
Yes. We start with whatever you filed last year, check it against your current records and build a clean file going forward. If you want help in the months between filings, our Ongoing Compliance Support service covers that.
Start this year's renewal with a clear plan
Share what has shifted at the property since the last filing, from resident turnover to rent changes at renewal. The free Live Local review leaves you knowing exactly what this year's recertification will take.