ServicesResident Income Verification
Resident Income Verification in Homestead
Your Live Local Act exemption rests on proof that the right residents live in the right units. We gather and check income documents, measure them against current limits, and assemble files that stand up to review this year and the years that follow.
What income verification protects
Under Florida's Live Local Act, a multifamily property earns its tax exemption only on units set aside for residents at or below set income levels, at rents within the published limits. The county does not take that on faith. Each qualifying unit needs a resident income certification backed by real documents.
We do that work for owners and managers. We review pay stubs, benefit letters, tax returns and third-party confirmations, apply the Miami-Dade County income limits for the correct family size, and record the result in a consistent format. A file built carefully at move-in costs a little more attention up front. It saves far more later, when renewal season arrives and nothing has to be rebuilt from scratch.
What the work includes
Document collection and review
We give residents or your leasing staff a clear list of what to provide. Every document is read, not just checked off, so gaps and inconsistencies surface before a certification is signed.
Income calculation
We annualize wages, tips, benefits, support payments and asset income using a consistent method. Irregular or seasonal earnings get a documented calculation instead of a guess.
Limit and rent matching
Each result is compared with the current area median income tiers and the matching rent limits, so you know whether a unit sits in the 80 percent tier, the 120 percent tier, or outside both.
Third-party confirmation
Where a document is unclear or missing, we arrange written verification from the employer or benefit source and add it to the file.
Audit-ready unit files
Each unit gets an organized file with the certification, source documents and calculation sheet. The same structure carries into your Annual Recertification and supports your County DR-504AFH Filing.
Signs your income files need attention
Certifications without backup
A signed form with no pay stubs or benefit letters behind it is a weak point. If a reviewer asks for support, it needs to already be there.
Limits from the wrong year
Income and rent limits are updated each year. Files certified against outdated figures can misplace units in the wrong tier.
Staff turnover on the leasing team
When the person who knew the process leaves, methods drift. Mixed approaches across units are a common source of trouble at renewal.
Residents with changing income
Gig work, overtime and new jobs can move a resident across a threshold. Those units deserve a closer look before you count them.
A first exemption year ahead
If you are preparing your first Live Local Act Exemption Applications, starting with clean files is far easier than correcting them after filing.
How a verification engagement runs
- 1
A conversation by phone
We start with a call about your property, unit count and how many units you intend to set aside. You leave with a free eligibility check and a sense of what the file work involves.
- 2
Intake and document requests
We meet at our office or by phone and video, review your current files, and send document checklists for each unit that needs certification or a fresh look.
- 3
Review and calculation
We work through every unit, calculate income, match it to the correct tier, and flag anything that needs third-party confirmation or a resident follow-up.
- 4
Delivery and walkthrough
You receive the completed unit files and a summary showing which units qualify and at what level. We walk your team through it so the method holds when new residents move in.
What shapes the cost
We price verification work after we see the property and the condition of its existing files. The aim is a fee that reflects the real effort and a file set that keeps paying for itself through later renewals. You get your quote by phone once we understand the scope.
- Number of set-aside units
- More qualifying units mean more certifications, documents and calculations.
- State of existing files
- Well-kept files may need only a review. Incomplete or inconsistent ones take reconstruction, which is the larger job.
- Income complexity
- Residents with a single paycheck are straightforward. Self-employment, multiple jobs or significant assets take more documentation.
- Timing against deadlines
- Work started well before the county filing window can be paced sensibly. Compressed timelines take more concentrated hours.
Income verification questions
Something not covered here? (305) 882-9642
What income limits does our property use?
Live Local Act units are measured against Miami-Dade County area median income limits, adjusted for how many people live in each unit. The 80 percent and 120 percent tiers earn different exemption levels. We apply the limits in force for the period being certified.
Will residents need to visit your office?
No. Most documents are gathered through your leasing office, or with us by phone and video. We make the steps easy for residents so what they send back is complete.
How often must resident income be checked?
Income is certified when a resident moves into a set-aside unit, then reviewed every year so the unit keeps qualifying. Our Annual Recertification service runs that yearly cycle with the same file structure.
Have you worked with developers like us?
Yes. Coral Rock Development Group and Terra Group are among our clients. We use the same careful file method for properties of all sizes in Homestead and nearby areas like Florida City and Cutler Bay.
What if a resident stops qualifying?
We point it out clearly and lay out the options for that unit, which may include designating a different qualifying unit. Finding out early gives you time to adjust before the county filing, not after.
Find out where your units stand
Tell us about your property and your current files. We will give you an honest picture of what qualifies and what the work would take.