—Florida’s Property Tax Elimination Plan Could Backfire Spectacularly—Here’s Why—
This past year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed hard to eliminate property taxes, calling them “rent to the government.” In a conservative state, DeSantis’ words are a dream come true for homeowners, right? Not so fast. A new analysis from Realtor.com reveals this could make Florida’s housing crisis much worse.
- The bombshell: Eliminating property taxes would immediately spike home values by 7% to 9%—adding $200 billion to $250 billion to the state’s housing stock overnight. What great news if homeowners may wind up being a nightmare for anyone buying a home.
“It would be a boon to existing property owners,” warns Joel Berner, Realtor.com’s senior economist who conducted the analysis. “But this measure would disproportionately benefit wealthy Floridians at the expense of those who don’t own homes, and would make it even harder to break into homeownership.”
What about renters? Rental properties wouldn’t be exempt from property taxes under DeSantis’ proposal. That means landlords would still pay taxes—and those costs could be directly passed on to tenants through higher rents, creating a highly regressive tax that shifts the burden onto those who can least afford it.
The political reality is messy, too. Florida lawmakers have proposed eight different property tax relief measures, seven appearing on the 2026 ballot. But DeSantis has criticized this approach as “not a serious attempt,” even though he hasn’t presented his own detailed plan. House Speaker Daniel Perez fired back: “The governor has not produced a plan on property taxes. Period.”
Then there’s the funding crisis that Mayor D.C. Reeves and Escambia County Commissioner Mike Kohler have pointed out. Property taxes support schools, infrastructure, and emergency services. Eliminating them could devastate public services, especially since Florida already has no income tax.
The biggest risk? If a recession hits and vacation homeowners (10% of Florida’s housing stock) flood the market, the state could face both a housing crash and a budget crisis simultaneously.
Want the full story on how this political fight could reshape Florida’s housing market? Read the complete analysis at Realtor.com.