Apartments for Rent in Miami Gardens FL: houses, apartments and what to inspect
Miami Gardens rents houses as much as apartments, at some of the most accessible rents in the county. Most of the stock is older and much of it is owner-managed, so the lease terms and the condition of the air conditioning and roof are where your year is decided.
Updated September 2026
What rents in Miami Gardens?
Single-family houses, duplexes and low-rise apartment buildings dominate, most built between the 1950s and the 1970s, with newer townhome product in pockets. Owner-managed rentals are common, which means no leasing office, no maintenance line and a lease that may be a generic form — read the repair clause and keep every request in writing.
Mostly one-story concrete-block houses from the 1950s to 1970s on standard lots in Carol City, Norland, Scott Lake and Andover, with garden apartments along Miami Gardens Drive and NW 27th Avenue. Condominiums are a small share of the market.
“Comply with the requirements of applicable building, housing, and health codes”
What a tenant pays beyond the rent
The advertised rent is rarely the number you need on signing day. Between the deposit, last month, application fees and a move-in deposit, a Miami tenant commonly needs several times the monthly rent available at once — and most of it is due before you hold keys.
| Cost | What it is | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| First month’s rent | Paid at signing, before you get keys | At lease signing |
| Security deposit | Held by the landlord under §83.49; commonly one month, sometimes more | At lease signing |
| Last month’s rent | Requested by many Miami landlords in addition to the deposit | At lease signing |
| Association application fee | Charged per adult where a condo or HOA screens tenants | With the application, usually non-refundable |
| Move-in / elevator deposit | Common in condominium towers; refundable if nothing is damaged | Before the move date |
| Renters insurance | Covers your belongings; the landlord’s policy does not | Before or at move-in, often required by the lease |
| Utility deposits and connection | Electricity, water and internet in your name | Before move-in |
General guidance for 2026, not a quote. Amounts vary by building and owner; Florida law governs how the deposit is held and returned.
“Upon the vacating of the premises for termination of the rental agreement, if the landlord does not intend to impose a claim on the security deposit, the landlord must return the security deposit, together with interest if otherwise required, within 15 days after the termination of the rental agreement.”
Association approval and lease rules
Most of this market has no association, so screening is the owner’s own. That makes the written lease the whole of your protection: the term, the deposit, who repairs what, and how notice is given. Florida law sets a floor under it, but the lease is what you will actually live by.
Insurance, storms and what the landlord covers
Miami Gardens is inland, so there is no coastal VE zone. Sample points on FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer returned Zone X for the city center and east side and Zone AE with a 7-foot base flood elevation in Carol City. In AE a federally backed mortgage requires flood insurance; in X it is optional. Check the exact address with our flood tool.
As a tenant none of that is your premium to pay — but it is your risk to manage. The landlord insures the structure; your belongings are covered only by a renters policy, and flood damage to contents is usually a separate question again. Ask what the building does during a hurricane watch: shutters, garage closure, elevator shutdown and generator coverage vary widely.
Schools and getting around from Miami Gardens
- Miami Norland Senior High School · high
- Miami Carol City Senior High School · high
- Norland Middle School · magnet
- North Dade Middle School · middle
- Bunche Park Elementary School · elementary
- Norwood Elementary School · elementary
- Barbara J. Hawkins Elementary School · elementary
- Monsignor Edward Pace High School · private
- Downtown Miami · 15 miles
- Miami International Airport · 17 miles
- Miami Beach · 18 miles
- Doral · 15 miles
- Fort Lauderdale · 19 miles
Renting out a property in Miami Gardens
For owners here, tenant quality and a documented maintenance record are worth more than the last fifty dollars of rent. A clean, well-maintained house rents quickly in this market and holds a tenant for years.
How to rent in Miami Gardens, step by step
- Work out the real up-front number from the table above before you start touring.
- Ask each listing who the landlord is — an owner or a leasing office — and what the approval process is.
- Tour, and check the air conditioning, water pressure, windows and any sign of past water intrusion.
- Apply, and budget the association fee per adult as non-refundable.
- Get the approval in writing before you give notice anywhere else.
- Read the lease — term, deposit, repairs, pets, parking — then sign and document the move-in condition with photographs.
Questions about renting in Miami Gardens
How much do I need up front to rent in Miami Gardens?
Plan for first month, a security deposit and often last month, plus an association application fee per adult where a condo or HOA screens tenants, and a refundable move-in deposit in many towers. The table on this page lists each one and when it is due.
When does a Florida landlord have to return my deposit?
Within 15 days of the end of the rental agreement if the landlord is not claiming any of it. If the landlord does intend to make a claim, Florida Statute 83.49(3)(a) requires written notice within 30 days, sent by certified mail to your last known address or by e-mail as the statute allows.
Who pays for repairs in a Florida rental?
Section 83.51 makes the landlord responsible for complying with applicable building, housing and health codes, and for maintaining structural elements such as roofs, windows, floors and plumbing in a single-family home or duplex unless the lease shifts specific items to you. Put every repair request in writing and keep a copy.
Do I need association approval to rent in Miami Gardens?
Most of this market has no association, so screening is the owner’s own. That makes the written lease the whole of your protection: the term, the deposit, who repairs what, and how notice is given. Florida law sets a floor under it, but the lease is what you will actually live by.
Do I need renters insurance in Miami?
Your landlord’s policy covers the building, not your belongings, and in a condominium the association’s master policy covers even less of your unit. A renters policy is inexpensive and many Miami leases require it. If the building sits in a flood zone, ask whether contents flood coverage is separate.
Can I break a lease in Florida?
Only on the terms in your lease or on the narrow grounds Florida law provides — a lease is a contract for its full term. Some leases include an early termination clause with a stated fee. Read that clause before you sign, not when you need it.
Looking to rent in Miami Gardens?
Tell us the bedrooms, the budget, the move date and whether you have pets. We send what is actually available and tell you which buildings approve quickly — in English or Español.