Start with the exact address and activities
A tenant’s trading name or broad category is not a complete use description. Ask what will happen in the suite, who will visit, what equipment will operate, when deliveries occur and what alterations are planned. Keep a dated written description alongside the floor plan.
Then establish whether the address falls within a municipality or an unincorporated county area. A postal city name alone is not the approval jurisdiction. Use the relevant government’s address or property records and obtain confirmation when the boundary is uncertain.
Official starting points in the three counties
| Location | Where to begin | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Miami-Dade | County Certificate of Occupancy and Use guidance | The County requires a Certificate of Use before opening. Check permitted use and the existing occupancy record; alterations or a changed use can require a permit and new occupancy documentation. |
| A Miami-Dade municipality | Your city’s zoning/building office and the County’s municipal CU process | City approval and County review can both apply. The County lists new businesses, relocations and changes in use or operation among municipal review triggers. Confirm the sequence for the specific suite. |
| Fort Lauderdale, Broward | City CU program announcement | Effective October 1, 2026, new businesses need a CU before applying for a Business Tax Receipt. Existing businesses have change-related triggers. This is a Fort Lauderdale rule; check other Broward jurisdictions separately. |
| Palm Beach County | Tax Collector’s zoning approval FAQ | For a municipal address, submit to the city for zoning approval. For an unincorporated address, submit to County Planning, Zoning & Building. Confirm any additional business and building requirements. |
The Fort Lauderdale announcement was published September 29, 2026. The Miami-Dade and Palm Beach guidance pages do not display a publication date. These links are starting points; requirements depend on the property and proposal.
Keep the approval documents separate
Use one tracker with separate rows for zoning or use confirmation, building permits, occupancy documentation, business tax registration and any activity-specific approvals. Record the authority, application number, current status, outstanding condition and person responsible for the next action.
Miami-Dade distinguishes a CU, which addresses allowed use and occupancy, from a local business tax. A permit application is also not an issued permit, and a scheduled inspection is not a passed inspection. Keep the actual status visible before describing the space as ready.
The owner’s pre-lease checklist
Assemble the property file
Collect the address and suite identification, available approved plans, prior occupancy and use records, permit history and known open issues. Mark records that are unavailable. Do not substitute a marketing floor plan for an approved plan.
Compare the proposed use with the existing condition
A food operator raises different questions from a dry retail shop: cooking equipment, exhaust, grease handling and waste collection may matter. A medical user may need a review of equipment, plumbing, accessibility and patient circulation. Treat these as review questions, not conclusions that a particular permit is or is not required.
Check the private restrictions too
Have the relevant advisers review existing lease exclusives, condominium or association restrictions, lender conditions and any other applicable private controls. Government permission does not resolve every contractual restriction affecting the space.
Assign investigation and work
Name who obtains records, prepares plans, answers agency questions, pays each cost and performs each part of the work. Ask the tenant’s design professional to identify material gaps before the parties rely on a construction allowance or delivery estimate.
Make timing assumptions explicit
Discuss approval dependencies, access for investigations, delivery conditions and rent commencement with counsel during lease negotiations. Use an estimated timeline with dependencies. Do not present an unverified approval date as a promised opening date.
Recheck the file before opening
Compare the final operation and layout with what was reviewed. Obtain the applicable completion and approval records from the responsible parties. Record unresolved conditions and who must resolve them; a signature on the lease does not close the tracker.
Turn the findings into a leasing decision
Separate a documented issue from a question still awaiting review. For each material issue, estimate cost or timing only when there is a reliable proposal or agency response. Then decide whether the parties can resolve it, need different terms, or should consider another space.
For example, if a proposed operator needs a system upgrade, the owner’s next decision needs a defined scope, qualified cost input and responsibility allocation. It does not need an unsupported claim that the use is impossible or that approval will be quick.
Use the retail tenant-fit guide to review operating fit and the tenant improvement guide to evaluate the proposed work. FIP’s role in the leasing conversation complements the relevant authority, attorney and design professional; it does not replace their determinations.
General owner education. Property-specific decisions require current records and qualified advice.