Rents in Doral have dropped to their lowest point in three years, and the vacancy rate has climbed to 6.5 percent, according to recent reports. While Miami’s rental market is experiencing a general slowdown, Doral is seeing more severe impacts linked to changes in federal immigration policy.
About 40 percent of Doral’s population of 80,000 are either Venezuelan-born or of Venezuelan descent. Many families in this group are leaving the city as a result of President Donald Trump’s efforts to tighten immigration rules, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
In some residential buildings, vacancy rates have exceeded 10 percent. This increase is attributed to uncertainty over legal status for many Venezuelans who have been living in the U.S. under programs such as humanitarian parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). These protections were expanded during the Biden administration but are now at risk due to attempts by the Trump administration to reverse them through legal actions that have left over a million people uncertain about their future residency.
Leasing agents report that concerns about expiring temporary status are driving residents out of Doral. “They’re all telling me, ‘No, I can’t stay, my [temporary status] is expiring,” said Maria Eugenia Nucete, a broker who has worked in Doral for decades. She recounted losing a Venezuelan client who moved to Italy earlier this year.
Doral Mayor Christi Fraga also noted an increase in departures among residents facing immigration issues. “I do personally know of some families that have self-deported. Their status was unsure and they didn’t want to be here illegally,” she told the Journal. “I’m sure it will affect the housing market to a certain extent.”
According to accounts published by the Journal, some departing residents plan moves back to Venezuela or emigration to countries like Spain or Italy. Gabriela Hernandez, a 26-year-old Venezuelan resident who has lived in the U.S. for nearly ten years, shared her experience: her boyfriend left Doral fearing loss of protected status and she intends to leave soon as well. “All of our plans here have collapsed,” she said; both plan on relocating to Spain.
These departures present new challenges for landlords concerned about rent delinquencies if tenants lose their legal right to stay mid-lease. As a result, some landlords are reportedly screening prospective tenants’ immigration status more closely and denying rentals based on temporary residency—a practice lawyers warn could violate Fair Housing Act provisions against discrimination based on race or national origin.
“It could be viewed as a race-discrimination case or it could be viewed as a case involving allegations of discrimination based upon national origin,” Miami-based attorney Courtney Cunningham told the Journal.
Despite current challenges in its rental sector, Doral has recently attracted significant real estate investment—including projects from the Trump family itself. In January, local authorities approved plans by The Trump Organization for up to 1,500 luxury condominiums at Trump National Doral Miami.
