Is FHFC certification required before the county return goes in?

Yes. The appraiser looks to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation certification as proof the project qualifies. If yours is not in place yet, our FHFC Certification Filing service handles that step first.

Is the DR-504AFH a one-time filing?

No. The county return is refiled annually, the March 1 deadline applies each year, and the certification behind it must be current too. Skipping a year can cost you that year's exemption even when the property still qualifies. Our Annual Recertification service keeps both pieces on schedule.

What happens if the appraiser denies the exemption?

The denial notice will state a reason, and it is often a fixable mismatch. We review it with you and explain the options, including a petition to the Value Adjustment Board where that applies. We do not act as your attorney, but we can prepare the documentation.

Can some units qualify and others not?

Yes. The exemption is figured unit by unit. Only units that meet the income tier and rent limit count, which is why the unit schedule matters so much.

Do you meet in person?

We work from our office and by phone or video. Most clients never need to come in, since we can go through the documents together on a video call.

ServicesCounty DR-504AFH Filing

County DR-504AFH Filing in Miramar

The DR-504AFH is the return that turns an FHFC certification into an actual tax exemption. We prepare it unit by unit, file it with the county property appraiser before the March 1 deadline and check back until the exemption appears on your notice.

Get a free Live Local review at (954) 519-7567

Consultant wearing headphones sits at a black office desk, writing on a yellow legal pad beside a laptop, mouse, sticky notes and a pen cup

What the DR-504AFH does and why it gets denied

Section 196.1978(3), Florida Statutes, gives qualifying multifamily projects a property tax break on units reserved for lower-income tenants. The break only reaches the tax roll after Form DR-504AFH goes to the county property appraiser, and that happens every year. A unit rented to a tenant earning no more than 80 percent of the area median can earn a full exemption. A unit serving incomes above that line, up to 120 percent, can earn 75 percent. The FHFC certification has to exist before any of this, because the appraiser leans on it to confirm the project qualifies.

Most denials are not about eligibility. They come from a unit count that does not match the certification, rents listed above the published limits for that bedroom size, or a return filed after March 1. Each of those traces back to a specific line on the form, and each is avoidable with careful preparation.

We handle the county filing for owners and managers across Miramar, Pembroke Pines and the surrounding area. Clients include Coral Rock Development Group and Terra Group.

What our DR-504AFH filing covers

Certification cross-check

We compare the FHFC certification letter against your rent roll before a single line of the return is filled in. Parcel number, unit count and income tiers have to match exactly, or the appraiser will question the return.

Unit-level schedule

Each set-aside unit is listed with its bedroom count, income tier and current rent. We check every rent against the limits for that unit size so nothing is flagged as over the cap.

Two tiers, two calculations

A unit capped at the lower income limit earns a different exemption than one in the higher band. We run each group on its own, because that split decides how much assessed value comes off the roll. You see the math before anything is filed.

Filing with the property appraiser

We deliver the completed DR-504AFH and its supporting documents to the county property appraiser on your behalf and keep a dated copy of the full package.

Follow-up after filing

We track the return until the appraiser acts on it, then review your August TRIM notice to confirm the exemption was applied to the right parcel.

Consultant pointing at a printed spreadsheet in a tabbed binder on a conference table beside a client, with a laptop, calculator and stacked binders

Signs your county filing needs attention

You have FHFC certification but no exemption: Certification alone does not reduce your taxes. If no DR-504AFH was filed with the appraiser, the exemption never reaches the tax roll.
Your TRIM notice shows full assessed value: An exemption that was filed but not applied usually points to a parcel mismatch or a missing schedule. The sooner it is caught, the more options you have.
Rents changed since certification: Published income and rent limits update yearly. A rent increase that pushed a unit above its tier can disqualify that unit on this year's return.
March 1 is close and nothing is started: The return is due annually by March 1. Gathering a clean rent roll and the certification letter takes time, so starting in January is far safer than starting in late February.

How a DR-504AFH filing runs with us

1
Free review by phone or video
We start with your FHFC certification, parcel details and current rent roll. You get a straight answer on whether the property is ready to file and which units qualify.
2
Document collection
On that first call we go over a short, specific list: the certification letter, unit mix, lease rents and any tenant income certifications already on file. Nothing gets requested twice.
3
Preparation and your sign-off
We complete the return and the unit schedule, then walk you through each figure. The owner or authorized agent signs once everything checks out.
4
Filing on time
The signed return reaches the county property appraiser well before March 1. We confirm it was received and log the date for your records.
5
Check-back and care notes
After the appraiser acts, we confirm the result on your TRIM notice and give you a written list of what to keep on file and which rent or occupancy changes would affect next year's return.

Pricing a county return: the main drivers

You hear our fee by phone before any work starts, and it comes from looking at your actual property rather than a flat rate. Two things set most of it: the size of the unit schedule and the state of your records. A current certification and a rent roll that already matches the leases keep the hours down.

Number of set-aside units: Every qualifying unit is listed and checked against its rent limit. A project with a large set-aside simply takes longer to schedule and verify.
Units in both tiers: When a building mixes lower-limit units with ones in the higher income band, each group needs its own calculation and its own round of rent checks.
Condition of your records: Rent rolls that do not match leases, or missing income certifications, add reconciliation work before the return can be filed.
Timing: A filing started well before March 1 leaves room to fix problems. One started near the deadline compresses that work.

Common questions about the county return

Is FHFC certification required before the county return goes in?: Yes. The appraiser looks to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation certification as proof the project qualifies. If yours is not in place yet, our FHFC Certification Filing service handles that step first.
Is the DR-504AFH a one-time filing?: No. The county return is refiled annually, the March 1 deadline applies each year, and the certification behind it must be current too. Skipping a year can cost you that year's exemption even when the property still qualifies. Our Annual Recertification service keeps both pieces on schedule.
What happens if the appraiser denies the exemption?: The denial notice will state a reason, and it is often a fixable mismatch. We review it with you and explain the options, including a petition to the Value Adjustment Board where that applies. We do not act as your attorney, but we can prepare the documentation.
Can some units qualify and others not?: Yes. The exemption is figured unit by unit. Only units that meet the income tier and rent limit count, which is why the unit schedule matters so much.
Do you meet in person?: We work from our office and by phone or video. Most clients never need to come in, since we can go through the documents together on a video call.

Woman wearing a phone headset smiles while writing on a yellow legal pad at an office desk beside a laptop showing a spreadsheet and a desk phone

Get this year's DR-504AFH right the first time

Tell us about your property and your certification status. We will tell you what the return needs and when it should be filed.

Ask for your free eligibility check at (954) 519-7567