Buyer / Seller · Miami

Moving From New York to Miami in 2026: Taxes, Domicile and What to Do With Your NYC Home

November 3, 2026

Last updated: November 3, 2026. Sources checked November 3, 2026.

Moving from NYC to Miami is two real estate decisions and one tax decision. You decide what happens to your New York home, you decide what to buy or rent in Miami, and you change your domicile in a way New York will accept. This guide covers all three in the order most households actually face them. It is general information, not tax or legal advice: the right plan depends on your income, your property and your timing.

The tax picture, without the myths

Florida has no state personal income tax (Florida Constitution, Art. VII, Sec. 5). New York State and New York City do. That difference is why many people move, but buying a home in Miami does not, by itself, end New York residency.

New York uses two separate tests (NYS Department of Taxation and Finance):

Domicile. Your permanent, primary home: the place you intend to return to. You keep a New York domicile until you clearly establish a new one.
Statutory residency. Even if your domicile is in Florida, you are taxed as a New York resident if you maintain a permanent place of abode in New York for substantially all of the year and spend 184 days or more in the state. Any part of a day counts as a day.

When someone who earned significant income in New York files as a nonresident, a residency audit is possible. The state’s nonresident audit guidelines look at your homes, where you actively work, how you spend your time, where your “near and dear” items are kept and your family ties. Practical steps that support a Florida domicile:

Start a day log on January 1 of the year you move, with records such as calendars, travel receipts and phone data.
Move what matters to you: family, valuables, pets, your main doctors and memberships.
Update your driver license, voter registration (if eligible), vehicle registration and tax filings. Florida also lets residents file a sworn Declaration of Domicile with the county clerk; it is supporting evidence, not proof on its own.
Be careful with remote work. What matters is your assigned or primary work location and New York’s convenience-of-the-employer rule, not simply where your employer is based: if your primary office is in New York, days worked from Florida for your own convenience can remain subject to New York State tax, unless an exception applies.

Talk to a multistate CPA before you move. Plan the move date, the day count and the paperwork together.

What to do with your NYC home

Option 1: Sell

Selling simplifies the residency question and frees up capital for Miami. Budget for seller-side costs. In New York the seller normally pays the transfer taxes on the price, but contracts can allocate them differently:

NYC Real Property Transfer Tax: 1% for residential sales of $500,000 or less, 1.425% above that (NYC Department of Finance).
NYS Real Estate Transfer Tax: $2 per $500 of consideration (0.4%), plus an additional $1.25 per $500 for NYC residential sales of $3 million or more (NYS Tax Department).
Co-op flip tax: set by each building’s documents, if any.
Broker commission, attorney fees and other closing costs.

The mansion tax (1% on residences of $1 million or more, with higher rates for larger NYC sales) is generally the buyer’s cost, not the seller’s, so it affects your buyer’s budget rather than your net proceeds.

If you are already a Florida domiciliary when you sell, New York can still tax the gain on New York real property. Nonresident sellers may have to pay estimated New York income tax when the deed is transferred, using Form IT-2663 for houses and condos or Form IT-2664 for co-ops, and settle it on the year’s return. Whether a payment is due depends on the gain and on the exemptions that apply; it is not automatic for every sale.

Option 2: Rent it out

Renting can keep the asset while you settle in Miami. Under the FARE Act, in effect since June 11, 2025, a landlord who hires a broker pays that broker; the fee cannot be passed on to the tenant. Co-ops often restrict or condition sublets, and condos may have leasing rules, so read the building documents first. Rental income from a New York property generally remains taxable by New York State even after you move to Florida; NYC personal income tax, by contrast, is normally not owed by someone who is genuinely a nonresident of the city (NYS Tax Department). Keep in mind that a New York home that remains available to you can matter for the statutory-residency test.

Option 3: Keep it as a second home

Keeping a NYC apartment is possible, but it has two costs to plan for. First, the residency rules above: a permanent place of abode plus 184 days can make you a New York resident again. Second, the NYC non-primary residence surcharge, the so-called pied-à-terre tax, can apply based on the value set by the NYC Department of Finance; it generally does not apply if the home is the primary residence of the owner, a tenant or certain family members, among other exclusions. See our guide to the NYC pied-à-terre tax for thresholds, rates and status dates.

Buying in Miami

Where New Yorkers tend to look

Brickell and Downtown for walkable, high-rise living close to offices; Edgewater for bay views and newer towers; Miami Beach for the ocean and a slower pace; Coconut Grove and Coral Gables for single-family homes, trees and schools. Our New York vs Miami comparison covers how the two markets differ for buyers.

Condo due diligence

Florida condos come with their own checks: structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS), milestone inspections, reserves and possible special assessments. Use our Miami condo buying checklist before you make an offer. Also price insurance and flood risk early, and check the flood zone and the building’s master policy with a licensed insurance agent.

Homestead: the first Florida tax benefit to claim

If you own a Miami home and make it your permanent residence, you can apply for the Florida homestead exemption. For 2026 it reduces the home’s taxable (assessed) value, not the tax itself, by up to $51,411: $25,000 that applies to all taxes, including school taxes, plus up to $26,411 for non-school taxes on assessed value above $50,000 (Florida Department of Revenue). It also qualifies the home for the Save Our Homes cap on annual assessment increases (property tax exemptions). Two dates matter:

You must own the home and make it your permanent residence as of January 1 of the tax year (§ 196.031, Florida Statutes).
In Miami-Dade, the application and documents are due by March 1 (Miami-Dade Property Appraiser).

A homestead filing is also part of the evidence of your new domicile.

Florida Amendment 3 (November 3, 2026 ballot). Florida’s November 3, 2026 ballot includes a proposed constitutional amendment; the official result is pending. If approved with at least 60% of the vote, it would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes and lower the annual assessment cap for non-homestead property from 10% to 5%. Under its text, people who were not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 would receive the increased exemption only from the fifth year of exemption (official text, Florida Department of State). Until any change takes effect, the current rules described above apply, including the January 1 residence and March 1 application dates. We will update this box once the result is official.

A 12-month plan (example)

This is an organizational example, not a fixed schedule. Your timing depends on your building, your lender and your tax adviser.

Months 1 to 2. Meet a multistate CPA. Decide sell, rent or keep. Get a pricing opinion on the NYC home and a first look at Miami neighborhoods. Keep the day log from January 1 of the year you move.
Months 2 to 4. Get pre-approved for the Miami purchase and model the sequencing: sell first, buy first, or bridge financing. Prepare the NYC home for sale or lease and request the building’s sale or sublet requirements.
Months 4 to 8. List or lease in New York. Shortlist Miami properties, run condo due diligence and get insurance quotes before you sign.
Months 8 to 10. Close in Miami, move, and update your license, voter (if eligible) and vehicle registrations.
By January 1 and March 1. Be living in the home on January 1, then file for homestead by March 1.

One team, two markets

Cosmore has its headquarters in Miami and an office in New York, so one team can handle the NYC sale or lease and the Miami purchase, and coordinate mortgage, title and insurance with independent specialist providers. For buyers comparing building types in New York, see condo or co-op in New York.

Quick checklist

Multistate CPA consulted before the move date
Decision on the NYC home: sell, rent or keep
Building rules for sale, sublet or flip tax requested
Miami financing and sequencing planned
Condo documents, insurance and flood zone reviewed
Florida driver license, voter (if eligible) and vehicle registration updated
Day log kept from January 1 of the year you move
Living in the Miami home on January 1, homestead filed by March 1

FAQ

Do I stop paying New York income tax as soon as I buy in Miami?
No. New York looks at your domicile and, separately, at whether you keep a permanent place of abode in New York and spend 184 days or more there. Changing domicile takes clear, consistent evidence.

Can I keep my NYC apartment after moving to Florida?
Yes, but it can count toward the statutory-residency test, and a high-value apartment that is not a primary residence can face the NYC pied-à-terre surcharge.

Who pays transfer taxes when I sell in New York?
The seller normally pays the NYC and NYS transfer taxes on the price, while the buyer normally pays the mansion tax. The contract can allocate them differently.

When can I get the Florida homestead exemption?
For a given tax year you must own and live in the home as your permanent residence on January 1, and in Miami-Dade apply by March 1.

Plan your move with one team

Planning a move from New York to Miami? Get a free relocation consultation: one Cosmore team to sell or lease in NYC and buy in Miami.

Disclaimer: this article is general information and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Tax rules change and their application depends on your circumstances. Consult a qualified CPA, attorney or lender, and verify homestead requirements with the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser.

Sources

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