MIAMI-DADE
Renting in
Surfside
Surfside sits between Bal Harbour and Miami Beach and is quieter than both. It is a small walkable town with a real community, and the rental market is correspondingly steady.
What renting in Surfside is actually like
A compact oceanfront town running roughly from 88th to 96th Street, with a main street on Harding Avenue and beach access throughout. It feels like a town rather than a strip, which is unusual on this coast.
The housing is a mix of older oceanfront buildings, smaller mid-century properties on the side streets, and at the top of the market the newer branded buildings. The range is wider here than in Bal Harbour.
What people are really renting here is privacy and quiet, with Bal Harbour a few minutes up the road when they want it. It draws families and long-term residents more than seasonal visitors, and that shapes how it rents.
Six months is the floor
Almost every building in Surfside carries a minimum lease of six months, and the city separately restricts rentals shorter than six months and a day across much of Miami Beach. Those are two different rules and the building’s own rule is usually the one that binds.
If you want a few weeks, you want a hotel. No amount of searching produces a one month rental in most of these buildings.
A short list of Miami Beach buildings does permit shorter stays. That list is here.
Season or annual
A genuine mix. There is seasonal demand on the oceanfront and a steady annual market inland, which makes Surfside more flexible than its neighbours on either side.
It also means a wider spread of what is available at any moment, and a better chance of finding something without waiting months.
What people get wrong
Renting into a building with amenities under construction
This is the one nobody thinks to ask about. You sign a year for the pool, the gym and the service, then find the building is mid-project and all of it is closed for eight months of your lease. Plenty of buildings are doing structural and amenity work right now. Ask what is under way and when it finishes, in writing, before you sign.
Not asking about building age and works
A good portion of the stock here is older. Since 2021 the structural reserve and milestone inspection rules have changed what that means for a building’s finances, and it reaches a renter through assessments, works in progress and closed amenities.
Assuming it is Bal Harbour
They adjoin and they are not the same market. Surfside is less formal, more mixed, and generally better value for the same proximity to the water.
Underrating the walk
Harding Avenue has genuine daily life on it. For a lot of renters that matters more than an extra amenity floor.
What it costs you to use me
Nothing. In most Miami rentals the landlord pays the agent, and I only share listings where that is the case. Nothing I send you carries a fee to you, and you do not need to ask about it or check for it. More on how that works.
Common questions
Is Surfside better value than Bal Harbour?
Generally yes, for the same proximity to the water. Surfside is less formal and more mixed, with a wider range of building types and a steadier annual market alongside the seasonal oceanfront demand.
Should I worry about building age in Surfside?
Ask about it. A good portion of the stock is older, and since 2021 the structural reserve and milestone inspection rules have changed what that means for a building’s finances. It reaches a renter through assessments, works in progress and closed amenities.
Is there a minimum lease?
Almost always six months. Miami Beach restricts rentals shorter than six months and a day across much of the city, and most condo associations set their own minimum on top of that. The building’s rule is usually the one that binds.
Are there hidden fees when renting a unit in Miami?
There should not be. In most Miami rentals the landlord pays the agent, and I only share listings where that is the case, so nothing I send you carries a fee to you. Separately, expect an association application fee, which is normal and paid to the building rather than to an agent.
How long does association approval take?
Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the building. Build it into your timing rather than assuming you can move in the week you sign.
Can I rent furnished?
Often yes, particularly on seasonal terms. Short-term inventory here is usually turnkey. For annual leases it varies by unit, so say up front if furnished matters.
Current Surfside rentals
About Jack
Jack Mintz is a real estate agent with Compass, based at 1212 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. He works across Miami Beach, Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Bal Harbour and Edgewater.
Most of what he does early with a renter is work out what is actually available and what is not, which saves more time than touring does.
Looking in Surfside?
Tell me the timing, the budget and whether you need furnished. I will tell you what is realistic and what is not.
Surfside condos and homes for sale · Renting in Bal Harbour · Renting in Miami