Homeowner Handbook › When life gets complicated › Inheriting a home
Part 3 · When life gets complicated
Inheriting a Home in Manatee County: Your Options
By Linda Reynolds · Last reviewed October 2026
In this chapter
The first few weeks · Probate basics · Costs to plan for · Keep, rent, or sell · When several heirs are involved
The short version
Inheriting a home often comes during a season of grief, and there’s no need to make every decision at once. Protect the property, gather the paperwork, and get guidance from a probate attorney. Once you understand who has authority to act and what the home costs to hold, you can decide whether to keep it, rent it, or sell it.
The first few weeks
- Secure the home. Lock up, check that utilities stay on, and keep up basic care so a small problem doesn’t become a big one.
- Call the insurance company. Let them know the owner has passed. A vacant home may need different coverage, and you don’t want a gap.
- Keep paying the mortgage, if there is one. Staying current protects the property while you decide what’s next. Federal law generally prevents a lender from calling the loan due just because the home passed to a relative.
- Gather documents. Look for the will or trust, the deed, mortgage statements, tax bills, and insurance policies.
Probate basics
Probate is the court process that confirms who inherits property and gives someone, usually called the personal representative, the authority to manage and sell it. Whether a home goes through probate depends on how it was owned.
- Held in a living trust: the trustee can often handle the home without probate.
- Owned jointly with survivorship, or with a transfer-on-death deed: the home may pass directly to the surviving owner or named beneficiary.
- Owned in the person’s name alone: probate is usually needed before the home can be sold or retitled. Florida offers a simpler process for some smaller estates.
Florida also has special inheritance rules for a homestead, especially when the owner was survived by a spouse or minor child. A probate attorney can tell you which rules apply and how long the process is likely to take.
Costs to plan for
Even while you’re deciding, the home has ongoing costs. Knowing them helps you set a realistic timeline.
- Property taxes. The previous owner’s homestead exemption and Save Our Homes cap generally don’t carry over, so the tax bill may rise the following year.
- Insurance, including any change needed for a vacant home.
- Mortgage, HOA dues, and CDD assessments, if any.
- Utilities, lawn care, and repairs to keep the home in good condition.
Keep, rent, or sell
Keep it
Makes sense if you’ll live there or have strong ties to it. Plan for the full cost of ownership, including taxes after the exemption ends.
Rent it
Can provide income, but it brings landlord responsibilities, possible repairs to make it rent-ready, and HOA rules that may limit rentals.
Sell it
You can sell as-is or make light updates first. Selling is often possible during probate once the personal representative has authority.
Taxes can play a big role in this choice. Inherited property often receives a new tax basis based on its value at the date of death, which can reduce taxes on a sale. A tax professional can explain how that applies to you.
When several heirs are involved
When siblings or other relatives inherit together, everyone may have different needs and feelings about the home. That’s normal. A few things help:
- Start with shared facts: the home’s value, its costs, and its condition.
- Consider whether one heir could buy out the others.
- Agree on who will handle day-to-day decisions and how costs will be shared.
- If heirs live out of town, a local agent can coordinate access, repairs, and showings for everyone.
Not sure where to start?
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Equal Housing Opportunity. This handbook offers general information, not legal or tax advice. Please consult a Florida probate attorney and a tax professional about your specific situation.