Renting in Miami sight unseen: the verification routine

Last reviewed: November 5, 2026. Sources for this page are listed in its fact sheet.

Short answer first. People do rent in Miami from another state or another country, and most of them land fine. The ones who lose money skip the same four checks: they never verify who owns the building, never check the lister's license, never get the flood disclosure the law requires, and they wire a deposit to a stranger. This routine runs in order and takes about an hour per finalist. An hour is cheap insurance on a deposit.

Signing a lease from a distance. Stock photo. Photo: Ivan S, Pexels.

Step one: verify the building and the owner

Open the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser's site at miamidadepa.gov and use its Property Search. You can search by address, owner name or the property's folio number, and the record shows the owner of record, values, exemptions and sales history. The name on your lease paperwork has to match that record, or the mismatch has to be explained by step two. The Federal Trade Commission gives the same advice in its rental scam guidance: check the tax assessment record for who owns the property, then check the landlord's ID against it. If the listing photos look familiar, reverse-search the address too. Copied listings are the FTC's first scam pattern: a real home's photos and details, reposted at a lower rent by someone who doesn't own it.

Step two: verify the person

If the lister isn't the owner, they should be a licensed real estate agent, broker or property manager. Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation runs the license search at myfloridalicense.com (the Verify a License search; the DBPR contact center is 850.487.1395). Check three things: the name matches the paperwork, the license type is real estate, and the status reads Current or Active. Inactive, delinquent, suspended or null and void ends the conversation. No exceptions for a good price.

Step three: the live video tour, with proofs

Ask for a live video walk, not a recorded one, and ask for proofs a scammer can't fake from listing photos: the street sign on the corner, the building directory or lobby, the unit number on the door, a tap running, a window view that matches the floor the listing claims. A real agent does this weekly for out-of-state clients and won't blink. Refusals, delays and "the tenant is home all day" are data. Believe them.

Step four: demand the flood disclosure

For a lease of one year or longer, Florida law (Fla. Stat. 83.512, in force since October 1, 2025) requires the landlord to give you a separate document headed FLOOD DISCLOSURE at or before you sign. It states whether the landlord knows of flooding that damaged the unit, whether they've filed a flood claim, and whether they've received flood help such as FEMA assistance. It also states the line renters miss: renters insurance does not cover flood damage. If the landlord skips the disclosure and flooding later causes major loss to your belongings, the statute gives you a termination right and a refund of prepaid amounts for the period after you leave. For a lease under a year the law doesn't require the form. Ask for it anyway, and treat a refusal as your answer.

Step five: know the deposit clocks before you pay

Florida's deposit law (Fla. Stat. 83.49) is specific, and knowing it changes how brave a bad landlord gets. Your deposit must sit in a separate account in a Florida bank, never mixed with the landlord's own money, or be covered by a surety bond. In the lease or within 30 days of taking your money, the landlord must tell you in writing where it's held and whether it earns interest. When the rental agreement ends, a landlord with no claim must return the deposit within 15 days. A landlord claiming deductions must send written notice of the claim within 30 days, or they lose the right to claim against the deposit at all. You then have 15 days to object in writing. Write those three numbers, 30, 15, 30, on the first page of your lease folder.

Step six: the payment rules

Never wire money. Never pay by gift card, cash app to a stranger, or crypto, and never pay a deposit before a signed lease and a verified landlord. The FTC's red flags are worth memorizing: rent well below the area's going rate, pressure to decide today, a landlord who can't meet or show ID, a story about being overseas, and payment methods with no reversal. Real listings survive scrutiny. Scams rush you past it. If one collapses under these steps, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the Florida Attorney General at MyFloridaLegal.com or 1-866-966-7226, then move to the next finalist.

Two closing items. In condo buildings, many associations require a renter application and approval before move-in, on the association's own timeline, so get the building's rental rules in writing before you pay anything beyond the application fee. And price flood insurance before move-in, not after: a renters policy through the National Flood Insurance Program covers contents only, up to $100,000, and it normally takes 30 days to take effect, per floodsmart.gov. The newcomer neighborhood picker and the moving hub carry the rest of the move.

Frequently asked questions

Can a landlord ask for the deposit before I see the place?
They can ask. Don't pay it until the owner or license check passes, you've had a live video tour with location proofs, and a signed lease exists. Payment comes last in the routine, on purpose.

What if the lister is a property manager, not the owner?
That's normal in Miami. Verify the company's or agent's DBPR license, confirm the Property Appraiser record names the owner they claim to represent, and get the management agreement story straight before money moves.

Does the flood disclosure apply to a six month lease?
The statute requires it for leases of one year or longer. For shorter leases, ask for the same information in writing anyway.

When do I get my deposit back?
If the landlord makes no claim, within 15 days after the rental agreement ends. If they claim deductions, they must notify you within 30 days, and you have 15 days to object in writing.

Keep planning

Next steps: the neighborhood picker, the moving checklist, the scouting trip planner if you can visit after all, and the moving to Miami hub.