Last updated: August 2026
Florida Renters · Free Eligibility CheckLooking for rent assistance Florida families can actually use? Helping Hands Act matches you with Section 8, emergency rent help, and other Florida rent assistance programs. See what you may qualify for in under 2 minutes.
The Sunshine State got expensive. Rents soared. Paychecks did not.
Then a storm hits. A shift gets cut. The power bill spikes. Suddenly you are short.
You are not alone, and you are not behind by choice. Real Florida rental assistance exists. Most renters just never find the right rent assistance Florida programs in time.
And if a notice is already taped to your door, Florida moves quickly. Start with our guide to the Florida eviction process, then check your rights as a Florida tenant.
Will my family still have a home next month?
See If You Qualify for FreeWhat stands between you and rent help
Stop calling office after office. Here is the whole path, start to finish.
Tell us your situation
Answer a few quick questions about your home, income, and county. It takes about 2 minutes. No credit card, ever.
See your matches
We compare your answers against 100+ federal, state, and Florida rent help programs and show what fits you.
Talk to a real person
A case manager calls you within 24 hours. They explain your matches in plain words and answer your questions.
Apply and move forward
You apply to each program with the agency that runs it. We tell you what to bring and where to send it.
Florida has more than one type of rent help. The right Florida rent assistance programs for you depend on your income and family size. Some Florida rental assistance programs serve single mothers, seniors, and veterans first.
With Section 8, you usually pay about 30% of your income toward rent. The voucher covers the rest, up to a set limit. Local housing authorities run it. Waitlists are often long and can close.
How Section 8 works in FloridaOUR Florida rent assistance was the statewide rent help program during COVID. It is now closed and out of funds. We help you find the county programs that took its place.
What replaced OUR FloridaMany Florida counties run their own emergency rent help. That includes Miami-Dade, Broward, and Hillsborough. New rounds open from time to time.
How to stop an eviction in FloridaLIHEAP is the federal utility help program. In Florida it runs through county Community Action Agencies. It helps pay power and cooling bills. That frees up money for rent.
LIHEAP income limits and how to applyIncome-based apartments across Florida set rent by what you can afford. They are not the open market rate. Some are tax credit units. Others are public housing.
Find open Florida waiting listsThe Florida Housing Finance Corporation and HUD back many rent help programs. We explain who they help first and how long the wait can be.
What Florida Housing actually doesBehind on rent right now? Got an eviction notice? Emergency rent assistance Florida renters can use comes from a few main places. Start with these, and check how long an eviction takes in Florida so you know your deadlines.
County rent relief
The statewide program, OUR Florida, has closed. But many counties now run their own rent relief. A free check shows what is open near you.
Your county or city housing office
Many Florida counties run their own emergency rent help. They often screen you for LIHEAP utility help at the same time.
The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities
Groups across Florida help with rent and bills when you face a real crisis. Legal aid can also help if a 3-day notice has already been served.
211 Florida
Dial 211 for a free phone line. Ask for emergency rent help in your county and they will point you to open programs.
Funding changes often. A free eligibility check can show you which programs are open right now and match your case.
1. Built for renters
Most sites for rent assistance in Florida are made for case workers. Ours is made for the person who pays the rent.
2. Free to check
The eligibility check costs nothing. We do not ask for a card to see your options.
3. Covers all of Florida
We cover rental assistance Florida wide, from Miami to Jacksonville. That includes every major city and many small towns.
4. Real people
A case manager calls within 24 hours. They answer real questions about your case.
5. Plain English
No HUD jargon. We turn the rules into plain words so you know what they mean for you.
6. Built to save time
Skip weeks of phone tag. Get a clear list of the right programs to try first.
Trusted by Millions of Americans
Helping Hands Act has helped millions of Americans find benefit programs they did not know about. Here is what users say.
“I didn’t even know half these programs existed. I thought government help was just food stamps and Medicaid. Turns out there were three other programs in my state I qualified for.”
Helping Hands Act user, FL
“I was skeptical at first, but after completing the questionnaire I was matched with three programs I had no idea I qualified for. The process was simple and I didn’t have to pay a dime.”
Program user reviewing the Helping Hands Act eligibility tool
Programs and waitlists are different in every part of the state. Find your region, then pick your city to see local rent help details.
Free, plain-English guides to Florida housing law and rent help, written from Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes so you can check every point yourself.
Got a notice? Start here.
What Florida law gives you.
Where the money actually is.
Florida renters can get help in a few ways. Some use Section 8 vouchers. Some use county emergency rent funds. Others use LIHEAP for utility bills or nonprofits like the Salvation Army. The first step is to see which programs fit your income, family size, and county. Helping Hands Act offers a free check so you can see your options fast.
No. OUR Florida was the statewide COVID-era rent relief program. It ran out of funds and closed to new applicants in 2022. It is not taking new applications now. County and local programs took its place. A free check shows which Florida rent help is open for you.
Section 8 in Florida is run by local public housing authorities. You apply through the authority that serves your city or county. Waitlists are often long and can close, so it helps to apply to more than one.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) is the state housing agency. It funds affordable apartments and points renters to programs across Florida.
More than three. Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays and the day the notice was served are all excluded from the count, so a notice handed to you on a Thursday before a holiday weekend can give you well over a week. Landlords get this wrong often, and a miscounted notice can be challenged. See our guide to the Florida 3 day notice for how to check yours.
In a nonpayment case, yes, and this is what catches most Florida renters out. Filing a written answer is not enough on its own. Under section 83.60 of the Florida Statutes you must also deposit the rent claimed in the complaint into the court registry by the same deadline, or file a motion asking the judge to determine the correct amount. Miss it and you can lose without ever being heard. Our guides on how to stop an eviction and Florida eviction laws walk through it.
About three to four weeks from the first notice to removal at the fast end of a nonpayment case, and two months or more if you respond properly and the case is heard. After you are served you get five days, not counting the day of service, weekends or legal holidays, to file a written answer. See the stage-by-stage Florida eviction timeline.
Most Florida rent help programs use Area Median Income (AMI) for your county. The main limits are:
Extremely low income: at or below 30% of AMI. Most new Section 8 vouchers go to this group first.
Very low income: at or below 50% of AMI. This is the main Section 8 limit.
Low income: at or below 80% of AMI. This covers many other programs.
Limits change with county and family size. Some programs also help seniors, veterans, or people with a disability.
Most programs ask for the same papers. Have these ready to move faster: a photo ID, Social Security numbers for everyone in your home, proof of income (pay stubs or a benefits letter), your lease, and any past-due rent or eviction notice. Gathering these first can speed up your application.
No. The eligibility check is free. We do not ask for a credit card to see what programs may help you.
You Should Not Lose Your Home Over a Rough Month
Right now, a family in your city is breathing easier. They finally found the right Florida rental assistance. You can be next.
The waitlists feel closed. The phone lines feel endless. But real rent assistance Florida renters use every day is still out there. The trick is knowing where to look first.
That is exactly what we do for you. In about two minutes, with no cost and no credit card, we match you to Section 8, emergency rental assistance Florida programs, county rent relief, and other Florida rent assistance programs you may qualify for.
Then a real person calls you within 24 hours. They walk through your matches and answer your questions. Clear next steps. No runaround and no long forms.
You have already done the hardest part by looking today. Do not wait for the notice on the door. Check your eligibility for free now and take back your next month.
Check Your Eligibility for Free