November 3, 2026: Florida Amendment 3 is on the ballot. Rentals do not get the new homestead exemption.County impact →
Rental TruthCentral Florida holding costs

I-4 inland · county seat Bartow · millage year 2025

Polk County rental property tax, millage, and insurance

After you close, this rental is taxed on just value with no homestead exemption. The numbers below are dated 2026-10-18 and cited. They are not a bill for a specific parcel.

· · Figures retrieved 2026-10-18 · 2025 millage.

Polk County Property Appraiser·Polk County Tax Collector·FL DOR data portal·Amendment 3 in Polk

2025 millage (cited)

County BCC operating millage6.6348Polk County BCC general fund millage.Florida DOR, 2025 Maximum Millage Levy Calculation Compliance (MillCapComp25), dated 01-26-26
School millage5.2900School local 2.2480 + school state 3.0420 = 5.2900. Polk County Property Appraiser / Tax Collector, 2025 Final Millage Rates
Water management0.1831Southwest Florida Water Management District (tax code 90)
Example total millage used in the calculator12.9291Unincorporated Polk County, SWFWMD tax code 90. South Florida WMD unincorporated code 30 totals 12.9761. Code 91 (SWFWMD + Lakeland mass transit) totals 13.4291. City totals on the same sheet range higher (Lakeland 17.5402; Bartow 18.2159).
Polk County Property Appraiser / Tax Collector, 2025 Final Millage Rates
Illustration: tax on $350,000 just value$4,525.19Assumes just value equals $350,000 at the example total millage. Not a TRIM bill. Formula: value × mills ÷ 1,000.

A newly purchased rental’s taxable value starts at just value (no $51,411 homestead). Non-ad valorem assessments are not in millage.Purchase-reset explainer.

Insurance (OIR, not a landlord quote)

Average homeowners premium including wind: $2,771. Condo unit owners including wind: $1,151.

As of 2025-09-30.Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Property Insurance Stability Report (January 1, 2026).County averages are homeowners and condo-unit-owner premiums including wind coverage, from Market Information Reporting. They are not landlord (DP-3 / dwelling fire) averages. OIR states actual charged premium varies by company, insured value, deductibles, and terms.All I-4 counties.

Condo holding-cost issues

Florida requires milestone structural inspections and structural integrity reserve studies for condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories. Special assessments and reserve funding are a holding-cost risk for condo rentals. We do not publish a statewide average special-assessment dollar figure because no official source gives one.

DBPR inspections·SB 4-D FAQs

Cities in this county (Walczak Table 5)

CityApartmentSFR
Lakeland$381 (18.38%)$820 (20.24%)
Bartow$358 (22.62%)$908 (24.85%)

Walczak Table 5

Is it worth buying a rental in Polk?

This page does not answer yes or no. Run rent against millage, insurance, flood, and HOA on the parcel.Calculator pre-set to Polk.

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County-change newsletter

Millage, TRIM notices, insurance filings, flood-map updates, and condo reserve rules — one email, I-4 counties only. No lender pitches.

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