Transfer of Homestead Assessment Difference or “Portability”
Florida homeowners can transfer (or port) all or part of their Save our Homes (SOH) assessment difference
from their old property with homestead exemption to a new one. The SOH benefit limits annual assessment increases
to 3%. The assessment difference is the difference between the assessed value and market value that has accumulated
due to the annual increase limitation placed on the property’s assessed value. The maximum allowable SOH benefit that
can be transferred is $500,000.
Transfer Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for portability, you must:
- You must abandon your current homestead exemption. This happens when you sell your home or tell us you no
longer make your current home your permanent residence.
- You must own and make a new Florida property your primary residence.
- You must apply and qualify for homestead exemption by March 1 of the year you wish to qualify.
- You must apply for portability when you apply for homestead. This must be done within three years of January
1 of the year you abandoned your previous homestead (not the date the homestead property sold). For example,
you sold your previous homestead property on November 15, 2025, so the assessment/tax year of abandonment is
2025 (January 1). You must establish a new homestead by January 1, 2028.
January 1 is the date of assessment for all property in Florida and is used to determine a property owner’s
three-year portability window.
How Portability is Calculated
How much portability can be applied depends on how the value of your new home compares to the value of your old
home and how title was held on the old home. Portability/SOH benefits may be reduced if the benefit is split
among multiple owners.
If the new home's market value is the same or greater than the old home's market value:
The entire SOH difference will be applied to your new home so that the difference between the market and assessed
values of your new home will be the same as the difference between the market and assessed values of your old home.
| Old Homestead Property | New Homestead Property |
| Market/Just value | $400,000 | Market/Just value | $600,000 |
| Assessed value | - $250,000 | Portability/SOH benefit | - $150,000 |
| Portability/SOH benefit | $150,000 | Assessed value | $450,000 |
| | Homestead exemption | - $50,000 |
| | Taxable value | $400,000 |
| A move to a higher-valued home entitles you to port the full $150,000 SOH benefit from your previous homestead to a new one. |
If the new home's market value is less than the old home's market value:
The entire amount of the SOH difference will not be applied to the new home. Instead, the new home's
SOH difference will be the same percentage of its market value as the old home's difference in market value.
| Old Homestead Property | New Homestead Property |
| Market/Just value | $400,000 | Market/Just value | $300,000 |
| Assessed value | - $250,000 | Portability/SOH benefit | - $112,000 |
| Portability/SOH benefit | $150,000 | Assessed value | $187,500 |
| | Homestead exemption | - $50,000 |
| | Taxable value | $137,500 |
A move to a lower-valued home entitles you to port a percentage of the SOH
benefit from your old homestead to a new one. In this example, 75% of the previous homestead Portability/SOH
benefit is eligible for transfer. Here is how the portability and assessed value are calculated on the new homestead.
Step 1: Divide the market/just value of the new homestead by the market/just value of the
previous homestead ($300,000 / $400,000 = 75%).
Step 2: Multiply the previous homestead’s Portability/SOH benefit by the percentage allowable
to transfer ($150,000 x 75% = $112,500).
Step 3: Subtract the pro-rated Portability/SOH benefit from the new homestead market/just value
($300,000 - $112,500 = $187,500).
|
1Examples above do not consider other personal exemptions or assessment reductions.
When, Where and How to File for Homestead and Portability
File online at: www.leepa.org
E-mail: Send your application and supporting documents to
exemptions@leepa.org
Apply in person: Monday - Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at
2480 Thompson St
4th Floor
Fort Myers, FL 33901
US Mail: Mail your application and supporting documents to
P.O. Box 1546
Fort Myers, FL 33902
To apply for homestead and portability: Apply Online
If you already have homestead and want to apply for portability: Apply Online
Download the homestead application: Download an Application
Download the portability application: Download an Application