Hillsborough County Rental Assistance: Where to Get Rent Help Now

What closed and why

From 2021 on, the U.S. Treasury sent Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) money to Florida and to large local governments. Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa used it to pay back rent, future rent, and utility bills for thousands of renters. The state ran its own program, OUR Florida, which stopped taking applications in 2022 after its money ran out.

The local programs closed as their money was spent, and the federal program is now over. The U.S. Treasury ERA page shows the second round's spending period ended September 30, 2025. There is no open county-wide "emergency rental assistance" application like the one many people remember.

You may still see old news stories, call-center numbers, or blog posts about the county ERAP. Treat them as history. If anyone asks for a fee to "process" a rent relief application, it is not a real program. Our Florida rent relief program guide covers what exists statewide.

Hillsborough County rental assistance options today

Most help now is a one-time payment toward past-due rent, offered by nonprofits while their funds last. Ask several places in the same week.

211

Dial 2-1-1 or search on 211.org. A specialist can tell you which rent, utility, and shelter programs have money this month. It is free, confidential, and available around the clock.

Metropolitan Ministries

Metropolitan Ministries offers rent, mortgage, and utility help in Hillsborough on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts. Everyone seeking financial help must attend an in-person orientation. Residents of ZIP codes 33610, 33605, and 33619 have a separate daily sign-up that opens around 9 a.m. Other Hillsborough residents reserve an orientation online, up to seven days ahead, and spots open at midnight. All applications need proof of financial hardship, such as a layoff letter, cut hours, or an approved unemployment claim. Only one application is allowed per household. The main number is (813) 209-1000.

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg lists rent and utility assistance for Hillsborough County. Its page says help is available on and off, depending on funding, and links to a tool to check whether funds are open. Its main office number is listed as (727) 893-1313.

Hillsborough County Social Services

The county's Social Services department serves low-income residents through Community Resource Centers in Lee Davis, Plant City, University, and West Tampa. Its call center at (813) 272-5220 can connect you to the nearest center and to county programs, including LIHEAP energy help. The county website does not describe a standing rent program, so ask what is available when you call.

Homelessness prevention

If you are about to lose your home, the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative runs coordinated entry, which assesses your household once and matches you to housing programs. Call 813-223-6115. Its resource list also includes rent help from agencies across the county.

Salvation Army and churches

The Salvation Army Tampa Area Command and many local churches sometimes help with part of a month's rent. Use the Salvation Army location finder or call (813) 549-0641 to ask what is open. See our list of churches that help with rent for how to ask.

Tampa's move-in assistance program

The City of Tampa's Rental and Move-In Assistance Program (RMAP) is for people moving into a new rental inside Tampa city limits. It does not pay past-due rent. According to the city:

• What it pays: first month's rent, last month's rent, security deposit, and administrative fees, up to $10,000 per household. Application fees are never covered.
• Who qualifies: you must be approved for a unit with a move-in date within 45 days, have stable income to keep paying rent, earn no more than 140 percent of area median income, and not have used RMAP before. The 2025 limits ran from $102,200 for one person to $192,780 for eight.
• Voucher holders: households with a Housing Choice Voucher can get deposit help only, up to two times the rent.
• How to apply: online only, on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon while the program is open.
• Pause: the city says it will stop accepting new applications on November 1, 2026, and expects to reopen in January 2027.

Questions go to the Housing Information Line at 813-307-5555, weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The city warns that it never charges fees and does not work with third parties to speed up applications.

Rent help in Hillsborough compared

Income limits you may see

Each program sets its own limits. The county's eligibility page shows that its Community Services Block Grant programs use 125 percent of the federal poverty level, and LIHEAP uses 150 percent of poverty or 60 percent of state median income. Based on the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, 125 percent works out to roughly:

Monthly figures are rounded. Charities may use different limits or none at all, and the county notes its guidelines can change, so ask for the current chart.

Florida eviction timeline in plain terms

Florida's eviction process is one of the fastest in the country, so the first few days matter most. The rules are in Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes.

The 3-day notice

Under section 83.56(3), if rent is unpaid, the landlord can deliver a written demand to pay or leave within 3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, and court-observed holidays. The notice can be mailed, handed to you, emailed if you agreed to email notices, or left at the home if you are away. A lease cannot waive this notice. If the landlord accepts partial rent after posting the notice, the law requires a receipt with the new balance and due date, a deposit of the partial payment with the court, or a new 3-day notice.

The 5-day deadline in court

If you do not pay and the landlord files, you will be served with an eviction summons. Under section 83.60(2), if you raise any defense other than "I paid," you must deposit the rent the complaint says you owe into the court registry, or file a motion asking the court to decide the amount, within 5 days of service, not counting weekends and legal holidays. If you miss it, you lose your defenses and the landlord can get a default judgment without a hearing. Tenants in public housing or with subsidies only deposit their share of the rent.

What a landlord cannot do

Florida landlords must go through court. They cannot change the locks, shut off utilities, or remove your belongings to force you out. Only the sheriff can carry out a court-ordered removal.

Free legal help for Hillsborough tenants

Bay Area Legal Services provides free civil legal help to eligible residents of its five-county area, which includes Hillsborough. Call (800) 625-2257, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., use its helpline at (813) 232-1343, or apply online. Interpreters are free. Because of the 5-day deadline, call the same day you are served.

A lawyer can check whether the notice was correct, whether the amount claimed is right, and whether you have a repair defense. Even if you owe the rent, legal aid can sometimes negotiate time to move or a payment plan.

Lowering other bills

Getting help with another bill can free up cash for rent:

• Electric bills. Hillsborough County Social Services runs LIHEAP. Apply online through the state portal and include a recent energy bill. Help is paid to the utility while funds last. Our guide to Hillsborough County electric bill assistance has more detail.
• Food. SNAP can pay up to $306 a month for one person from October 2026, if eligible.
• Job loss. File for Florida reemployment assistance right away, since benefits generally do not cover weeks before you file.

Ongoing housing help

• Housing Choice Vouchers. The Tampa Housing Authority runs vouchers and public housing. Ask whether any waiting list is open.
• SHIP. Florida's State Housing Initiatives Partnership funds local housing programs in every county. Some local plans include rent or deposit help, so ask the county's affordable housing office.
• Income-restricted apartments. Metropolitan Ministries lists SabalPlace in Seffner, an income-restricted community, among its housing options.

What documents do I need to apply?

Expect to show photo ID, Social Security numbers for the people applying, proof of income for the last 30 days, and proof of where you live, plus any paper that shows the emergency itself. Our document checklist explains what counts for each item and what to do if something is missing. If you don't have everything yet, apply anyway and ask the office how long you have to bring the rest.

Asking for rent help, step by step

1. Dial 211 and ask which rent funds are open this month.
2. Book a Metropolitan Ministries orientation and check Catholic Charities funding the same day.
3. Gather papers: ID, lease, proof of income, and proof of your hardship.
4. Talk to your landlord in writing and ask how much would stop an eviction.
5. If served, act within 5 business days. Call Bay Area Legal Services and file a response.
6. Moving? Check whether Tampa's RMAP has reopened before you sign a new lease.

Related guides

• Florida rent relief program
• Rental assistance Tampa
• Catholic Charities rent assistance
• Salvation Army rental assistance

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program funding and rules change often. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, the State of Florida, or any government agency.