Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 664
       
       
        
       By Senator Bernard
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00966-26                                            2026664__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to rent of affordable housing dwelling
    3         units; amending s. 83.46, F.S.; defining the terms
    4         “affordable” and “base rent”; prohibiting certain
    5         landlords of specified dwelling units from increasing
    6         the base rent of a unit during the term of a rental
    7         agreement; providing construction; providing
    8         applicability; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 83.46,
   13  Florida Statutes, to read:
   14         83.46 Rent; duration of tenancies.—
   15         (4)(a) As used in this subsection, the term:
   16         1. “Affordable” has the same meaning as in s. 420.0004.
   17         2. “Base rent” means the initial rent for a dwelling unit
   18  charged by a landlord which is calculated based on a formula
   19  dictated by an affordable housing program using the most recent
   20  publication of the United States Department of Housing and Urban
   21  Development’s Area Median Income; based on reasonable rent
   22  calculated by a public housing agency; or otherwise based on the
   23  terms of the affordable housing program. Base rent applies
   24  before deduction of monthly housing assistance payments to
   25  calculate a monthly net rent payable by the tenant.
   26         (b) A person who is a landlord of a dwelling unit that
   27  qualifies as affordable housing and who has received federal,
   28  state, or local funding or tax incentives because of the
   29  dwelling unit’s status as an affordable housing unit may not
   30  increase the base rent of the dwelling unit during the term of a
   31  rental agreement.
   32         (c) This subsection does not prohibit a landlord from
   33  increasing the base rent of a dwelling unit that qualifies as
   34  affordable housing when a tenant is renewing his or her rental
   35  agreement, nor does it prohibit changes to the net rent based on
   36  changes to the tenant’s qualifications for a housing assistance
   37  program under the terms of such affordable housing program.
   38         (d) This subsection applies to rental agreements that have
   39  a term of 13 months or less and are entered into on or after
   40  July 1, 2027.
   41         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.