Florida has been named the worst state for apartment renters, according to an April 13 study by ConsumerAffairs. The report cites a lack of affordability and limited tenant protections as key reasons, despite the state’s high supply of available apartments.
The findings are significant as they highlight ongoing challenges faced by renters in Florida, where rising costs and few legal safeguards make it difficult for many residents to secure affordable housing.
ConsumerAffairs found that Florida’s median monthly rent is $1,669, which is the eighth-highest in the United States and about 18 percent above the national median. The typical household spends 37.4 percent of its income on rent, making Floridians the most cost-burdened renters nationwide. The study also notes that Florida does not have regulations such as limits on lease application fees or restrictions on how landlords increase rents. Protections like just-cause eviction policies and rent-stabilized apartments are also absent.
Despite these challenges for tenants, there is no shortage of available units: Florida has a vacancy rate of 7.6 percent, one of the highest nationally. In South Florida specifically, major metropolitan areas have seen dramatic changes since the pandemic began. After an initial surge in demand during early reopening phases led to record rent growth and displacement of long-time residents, rents have begun to decline but remain out of reach for many.
According to recent data from Realtor.com cited in the report, regional asking rents fell by 3.3 percent year-over-year this February but still average $2,235 per month after nearly three years of consecutive declines. Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County lost more than ten thousand residents between July last year and July this year as workers seek more affordable living elsewhere—a trend reported by Census Bureau data via local news outlets.
Developers responded to earlier surges with a building boom that left parts of South Florida oversupplied; CoStar Group data shows a record number of new units delivered last year with many remaining unleased. While construction starts have slowed down recently—leaving landlords hoping demand will catch up—most newly completed properties are high-end rather than workforce or affordable housing options.
Some developers are converting planned rental projects into condominiums instead due to market conditions; only a small number of new affordable units have been completed under recent legislation designed to encourage such development statewide.
This year’s ranking marks an increase from last year when Florida was rated third-worst for renters by ConsumerAffairs. North Dakota was named best state for tenants based on affordability metrics included in this analysis.
