Low-Income Apartments in Fort Lauderdale: How to Apply

Low-income apartments in Fort Lauderdale: 2026 income and rent limits, Section 8 waitlists, income-restricted buildings, how to apply and scams to avoid.

Low-income apartments in Fort Lauderdale come two ways: Section 8 vouchers from the Broward County and Fort Lauderdale housing authorities, neither of which showed an open voucher waiting list on November 4, 2026, and income-restricted apartments you apply for at each building. As of October 2026, 6 of the 38 Fort Lauderdale buildings in our research had such apartments.

Below: Broward's 2026 limits, the 24 Broward buildings in our research with income limits, the waiting lists, how to apply and how to avoid scams.

What counts as low income in Fort Lauderdale in 2026?

Fort Lauderdale uses Broward County's limits. HUD's 2026 figures, effective May 1, 2026 and based on a median income of $102,500, set the three levels Section 8 and public housing use; Florida Housing Finance Corporation's 2026 chart adds the 60% and 120% levels for tax-credit and Live Local apartments:

Go by the table, not the percentage: half of $102,500 is $51,250, yet HUD's 50% limit for four people is $63,400, because HUD raises limits where housing costs are high. The agencies also round differently, so the 80% limit for one person is $71,000 for HUD and $70,960 for Florida Housing.

How much rent can an income-restricted apartment charge in Broward?

Florida Housing's chart also caps the rent at each level. Broward's 2026 caps, against the median starting base rents in our Fort Lauderdale data as of October 2026:

A cap is a ceiling, and buildings can charge less. The 60% one-bedroom cap of $1,425 is $1,053 below the city's median one-bedroom base rent in our data, and the 80% cap of $1,901 is $577 below it. The 120% cap of $2,851 is $373 above it, so a restricted apartment at that level can cost as much as a market-rate one. Live Local apartments with the law's tax break are also capped at 90% of market rent (section 196.1978(3), Florida Statutes).

Which Fort Lauderdale buildings in our research have income limits?

As of October 2026, 6 of the 38 Fort Lauderdale buildings in our research rent some apartments under income limits. None restricts every apartment, and one is still planned. Lowest prices listed on October 13, 2026:

Only Gallery at FATVillage's price is for a restricted apartment. The others are each building's lowest listed price, which may be market-rate, and Treo's include required fees; ask us which apartments carry limits and what they rent for. Our Fort Lauderdale rent guide covers market rents, and every building is on the Fort Lauderdale page.

Which other Broward buildings have income-restricted apartments?

Eighteen more, for 24 of the 118 Broward buildings in our research. Only Griffin 441 in Davie restricts every apartment. Lowest one-bedroom prices listed on October 13, 2026:

"Tax-roll exemption" means a Live Local exemption on the 2026 county tax roll is the only sign of income limits we found, so some apartments are rented under the law's limits even if the building doesn't say so. Prices without a note are base rents and may be market-rate; a dash means no current price. Arcadia also listed studios from $1,836, the third-lowest studio base rent in our Broward data. Our Live Local and income-restricted apartments guide lists all 90 buildings in our research with income limits.

How should you read an income-restricted price?

Restricted doesn't always mean cheap. Griffin 441 listed one-bedrooms from $2,318 with fees included, and Gallery at FATVillage's 120% one-bedrooms started at $2,280: under the 120% cap of $2,851, above the 80% cap of $1,901 and close to Broward's median one-bedroom base rent of $2,286 across 65 buildings. At 100% of median, the level The Arcadian starts from, the one-bedroom cap is $2,376, near market too.

Check the income window too. The most common rule in our research is income of three times the rent (18 of the 23 buildings that state a multiple). Under it, a one-bedroom at the 60% cap of $1,425 needs $51,300 a year, against a 60% limit of $53,220 for one person, and one at the 80% cap of $1,901 needs $68,436, against $70,960.

How do Section 8 vouchers work in Fort Lauderdale?

With a voucher or in public housing, your rent is a share of your income. Two agencies run these programs, each with its own waiting lists: the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale (HACFL), whose website listed 1,505 housing units and 3,454 vouchers in November 2026, and the Broward County Housing Authority (BCHA). A voucher pays part of the rent on a private apartment. Income generally can't exceed the 50% limit, $44,350 for one person, and federal law reserves 75% of new vouchers for households at or below 30%. HUD says you usually pay 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities, and no more than 40% at move-in.

Since January 1, 2025, HUD has required ZIP-code Small Area Fair Market Rents for vouchers in the Fort Lauderdale area, and agencies normally set payment standards at 90% to 110% of them. HUD's fiscal 2027 one-bedroom figures are $2,520 in downtown's 33301, $1,870 in 33309, where Treo is, and $1,460 in 33311, where The Six13, The Adderley and Gallery at FATVillage are. Even at 110%, 33311 comes to $1,606, against The Six13's $2,025 one-bedroom, so ask the agency for its payment standard before you apply.

Are the Fort Lauderdale and Broward Section 8 waiting lists open?

Not when we checked on November 4, 2026. BCHA's home page said no waiting list was open, and its application page said the voucher program wasn't accepting applications. BCHA posts openings on its website and in local newspapers. Pre-applications are online only, in English and Spanish; a random lottery decides who goes on the list, so applying early gives no advantage; and there's no fee.

HACFL's website showed no open voucher list either. The latest Section 8 waiting list it posts is from 2024, and its two 2026 notices, for lists at its Northwest Gardens V and Rock Island properties, were marked closed. It advertises openings in local newspapers, including the Sun Sentinel. Applicants must report changes in household, income or address in writing within 10 business days, and those who don't answer its mail are removed.

Apply to more than one list when they open; HUD says you don't have to live in an agency's area. With a voucher, you have at least 60 days to find an apartment, and the agency inspects it and checks that the rent is reasonable.

What do Live Local set-asides mean for renters?

Florida's Live Local Act, passed in 2023 as Senate Bill 102, works two ways. Projects approved under its zoning rule must keep at least 40% of their apartments affordable for at least 30 years. Newly built projects with more than 70 income-limited apartments can get a property tax break on apartments rented at up to 120% of median, under the caps above. Treo Apartments and Griffin 441 advertise Live Local apartments; our Live Local Act guide covers the rules.

How do you apply for an income-restricted apartment in Fort Lauderdale?

Apply at the building. Workforce, tax-credit and Live Local apartments are leased by each building's own management, which checks your income; MiaRent doesn't decide who qualifies or keep waiting lists. Book a showing through the building's MiaRent page and ask us which apartments are restricted, at what income level, what each rents for and whether required monthly fees are on top.

Have every earner's pay stubs, tax returns and asset records ready; our apartment application guide covers screening and fees, and the affordability calculator shows what rent fits your income. To search beyond our list for affordable apartments in Fort Lauderdale, use Florida Housing's free FloridaHousingSearch.org and HUD's Resource Locator. Our guides to low-income apartments in Miami and income-restricted apartments in West Palm Beach cover the neighboring counties.

Where are the cheapest market-rate apartments in Fort Lauderdale?

If your income is above the limits, these are the cheap apartments in Fort Lauderdale at market rents, by lowest starting base rent on October 12 and 13, 2026, before fees:

With fees included, The District at Flagler Village listed studios from $1,862. Elsewhere in Broward, one-bedroom base rents started at $1,828 at Elevate Dania Beach in Dania Beach, plus $85.75 a month in fees, and $1,850 at Aviara East Pompano in Pompano Beach. At three times the rent, Berkshire's $1,989 one-bedroom needs $71,604 a year, above the 80% limit for one person.

Can a Fort Lauderdale landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher?

Broward County's code says no, with exceptions, but a 2023 state law has left the rule's reach unsettled. The county's Human Rights Act bars refusing to rent, or setting different terms, because of a renter's lawful source of income (section 16½-35), defined to include Housing Choice Vouchers and other housing assistance (section 16½-3). Exceptions include a building of up to four units where the owner lives in one (section 16½-35.4).

Since July 1, 2023, section 83.425 of the Florida Statutes has preempted local regulation of residential tenancies, including landlords' screening, and we found no court ruling or official guidance on whether it reaches the county's rule. Separately, federal tax law requires owners of tax-credit (LIHTC) buildings to agree not to refuse voucher holders. County complaints go in writing, under oath, to its Human Rights Section within one year (section 16½-44).

How do you spot a fake "Section 8" listing?

The FTC warns that fake Section 8 registration websites, sometimes with "Section 8" in the name and an Equal Housing Opportunity logo, often top search results. Warning signs: a fee to register (the FTC says there's none, and BCHA says there's never a fee to apply); an unsolicited call, text or email offering you a spot on a list; a request for first month's rent by wire transfer or prepaid card; and a social media post saying a list is about to open, which HUD's Office of Inspector General says scammers use to collect payments and personal information.

Paid lists of "Section 8" rentals are another trap: in 2019, a federal court ordered the operators of several such websites to pay more than $6 million after the FTC alleged most listings were unavailable or didn't take vouchers. See an apartment in person, on a showing booked through its MiaRent page, before you pay anything, and report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to HUD's Office of Inspector General. Our rental scams guide has more warning signs; see also our average rent guide and complete guide to renting in South Florida.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What income qualifies for low-income apartments in Fort Lauderdale?

It depends on the program and your household size. Under the 2026 limits for Broward, Section 8 vouchers generally go to households at or below $44,350 for one person and $63,400 for four, public housing goes up to $71,000 and $101,400, and tax-credit apartments at 60% of median go up to $53,220 and $76,080.

Is the Broward County Section 8 waiting list open?

Not when we checked on November 4, 2026: the Broward County Housing Authority said no waiting list was open, and the Fort Lauderdale housing authority's website showed none open either. Both announce openings in local newspapers, applying is free, and BCHA picks applicants by random lottery.

How much do income-restricted apartments cost in Fort Lauderdale?

Florida Housing caps a Broward one-bedroom at $1,425 at 60% of median, $1,901 at 80% and $2,851 at 120% in 2026. On October 13, 2026, Gallery at FATVillage listed one-bedrooms at 120% of median from $2,280, against a median one-bedroom base rent of $2,478 across 23 Fort Lauderdale buildings.

Is there a fee to apply for Section 8 in Broward?

No. The FTC says there's no fee to register for a Section 8 waiting list, and the Broward County Housing Authority says there's never a fee to apply. A fee, or a request for rent by wire transfer or prepaid card, is a sign of a scam.

Do landlords in Fort Lauderdale have to accept Section 8?

Broward County's Human Rights Act bars refusing to rent because of a lawful source of income, Section 8 vouchers included, with some exceptions. A 2023 state law preempting local landlord-tenant rules has left its reach unsettled, but owners of tax-credit (LIHTC) buildings must agree not to refuse voucher holders.

Where are the cheapest apartments in Fort Lauderdale?

In our October 2026 data, the lowest base rents in the city were $1,920 for a studio at Riverland Apartments and $1,989 for a one-bedroom at Berkshire Lauderdale by the Sea, before required fees. The Six13 listed two-bedrooms from $2,494.