--- title: "Florida's Amendment 3 passes with 62% and leaves second-home owners out" description: "The homestead exemption expansion clears its threshold by two points, but only primary residences qualify and renters get nothing." url: https://real-estate.skoop.news/ballot-roulette-florida-voters-pick-property-tax-break-over--095334/ published: 2026-11-04T23:31:40.900673-05:00 modified: 2026-11-04T23:31:40.900673-05:00 section: "Real Estate & Mortgages" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Florida", "Florida Association of Counties", "Florida League of Cities", "Senate President Ben Albritton", "Florida Policy Institute", "Florida Sheriffs Association", "Save Our Services", "Amendment", "Dec", "Floridians"] hashtags: ["#FloridaAssociationOfCounties", "#FloridaLeagueOfCities", "#SenatePresidentBenAlbritton", "#Housing", "#realestate"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Northway%2C_Hampstead_Garden_Suburb_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7110894.jpg/1280px-Northway%2C_Hampstead_Garden_Suburb_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7110894.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Florida's Amendment 3 passes with 62% and leaves second-home owners out > The homestead exemption expansion clears its threshold by two points, but only primary residences qualify and renters get nothing. Published 2026-11-04 · Real Estate & Mortgages, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - Amendment 3 unofficially finished with 62% of the vote on election night. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) - Gov. Ron DeSantis spearheaded Amendment 3 and toured the state for more than a year talking about the need to slash property tax bills as valuations surged. [[2]](https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/voters-approve-property-tax-cut-reject-other-ballot-measures/3883289/) - Only primary residences qualify for the expanded homestead exemption, so second-home and investment-property owners get nothing. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) ## A narrow margin over the bar Amendment 3 unofficially finished with 62% of the vote on election night. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) That is two points more than the 60 percent needed to become law. [[2]](https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/voters-approve-property-tax-cut-reject-other-ballot-measures/3883289/) If you own a Florida home, the result matters to you, and who gets the benefit depends on how the home is used. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) ## How the amendment got to the ballot Gov. Ron DeSantis spearheaded Amendment 3 and toured the state for more than a year talking about the need to slash property tax bills as valuations surged. [[2]](https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/voters-approve-property-tax-cut-reject-other-ballot-measures/3883289/) He cast the measure as a fix for tax bills inflated by pandemic-era migration. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) Lawmakers approved the amendment after DeSantis called a special session, with changes protecting school funding. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) The amendment also states a goal for the legislature to fully eliminate all non-school property taxes. [[3]](https://www.wuft.org/politics/florida-votes/2026-11-03/polls-have-closed-in-north-central-florida-property-tax-measure-results-pending) ## Who qualifies and who does not Only primary residences qualify for the expanded homestead exemption, so second-home and investment-property owners get nothing. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) The school board levy is excluded from the expanded exemption. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) Homeowners must establish Florida residency by Dec. 31, 2026, to get the full benefit. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) Renters, who occupy about a third of Florida's housing units, get no relief under the amendment. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) ## The opposition The Florida League of Cities and Florida Association of Counties opposed the amendment, citing too much uncertainty. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) The Florida Sheriffs Association said in August it was significantly concerned about the amendment. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) Senate President Ben Albritton and Sen. Kathleen Passidomo came out against the amendment, cautioning it could slash services people expect from local governments. [[2]](https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/voters-approve-property-tax-cut-reject-other-ballot-measures/3883289/) Save Our Services spokesperson Jackson Peel said the cuts would gut police, firefighters, ambulances and other local services or force other taxes up. [[3]](https://www.wuft.org/politics/florida-votes/2026-11-03/polls-have-closed-in-north-central-florida-property-tax-measure-results-pending) The Florida Policy Institute created Floridians for Shared Prosperity, which sponsored a campaign urging a no vote. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) ## What it means for you If the home is your primary residence, it qualifies for the expanded exemption. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) If you need to establish Florida residency, the date to meet is Dec. 31, 2026, for the full benefit. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) If you own a second home or an investment property, you get nothing, and renters get no relief either. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) Whatever your home, the school board levy is excluded. [[1]](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) ## Sources 1. [Ballot roulette: Florida voters pick property tax break over local services](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/florida-amendment-3-passes/) — HousingWire 2. [Voters approve property tax cut, reject other ballot measures](https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/voters-approve-property-tax-cut-reject-other-ballot-measures/3883289/) — NBC 6 South Florida 3. [Florida voters approve measure to drastically reduce property taxes](https://www.wuft.org/politics/florida-votes/2026-11-03/polls-have-closed-in-north-central-florida-property-tax-measure-results-pending) — WUFT Image: Photo (illustrative): David Howard / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northway,_Hampstead_Garden_Suburb_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7110894.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/