The city of Doral is experiencing a rise in rental vacancies and a drop in rents, reaching their lowest point in three years. The vacancy rate has climbed to 6.5 percent, with some buildings reporting rates above 10 percent.
Doral’s population includes a significant Venezuelan community, with about 40 percent of its 80,000 residents either born in Venezuela or having Venezuelan heritage. Many are affected by recent changes to U.S. immigration policy under President Donald Trump’s administration. These policies have targeted programs such as humanitarian parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which were previously expanded under the Biden administration.
Since January, the Trump administration has taken steps to revoke these protections, leading to legal uncertainty for more than one million people. This has prompted many families in Doral to leave the area due to concerns over their immigration status.
Maria Eugenia Nucete, a broker who has worked in Doral for decades, described the impact on her clients: “They’re all telling me, ‘No, I can’t stay, my [temporary status] is expiring.” She recounted losing a Venezuelan client who relocated to Italy earlier this year.
Christi Fraga, mayor of Doral, noted that she has observed this trend as well. “I do personally know of some families that have self-deported. Their status was unsure and they didn’t want to be here illegally,” she said. “I’m sure it will affect the housing market to a certain extent.”
Many departing residents are moving to countries such as Spain or Italy or returning to Venezuela. Gabriela Hernandez, a 26-year-old Venezuelan resident of nearly ten years in the U.S., shared her experience: “All of our plans here have collapsed.” She plans to move to Spain after her boyfriend left Doral due to fears about his protected status.
Landlords in Doral are responding by seeking information about prospective tenants’ immigration status before renting out properties and sometimes refusing those with temporary legal protections. However, legal experts warn that this practice could violate fair housing laws. Miami attorney Courtney Cunningham explained: “It could be viewed as a race-discrimination case or it could be viewed as a case involving allegations of discrimination based upon national origin.”
Despite current challenges in the rental market, Doral has seen substantial investment recently. In January, the City Council approved the Trump Organization’s proposal for up to 1,500 luxury condominiums at Trump National Doral Miami.
