Short answer: if you are moving to Miami for the winter from Canada, the buildings that actually rent to snowbirds for a season are not the famous new towers — they are the older Collins Avenue buildings in Sunny Isles Beach. At Winston Towers, furnished 2-bedrooms are listed at US$3,000–$3,100 a month (≈C$4,377) with seasonal terms of 6 months or less offered in writing, and a 1-bedroom starts at US$1,900. At Arlen House, a fully furnished 2-bedroom is listed at US$3,200 a month — “just bring your clothes.” Across the causeway in Aventura, the prestige buildings play by different rules: Atrium and Williams Island 3000 both set a 6-month minimum lease by building policy, so a Canadian who wants 4 months pays for 6. City averages (RentCafe, September 30, 2026) put a 2-bedroom at US$3,001 in Sunny Isles Beach and US$2,850 in Aventura — Aventura looks cheaper per month and costs more per season. That gap, plus the roughly 13% transient tax Florida charges on any lease of 6 months or less, is the whole decision.
Updated: October 19, 2026.
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Moving to Miami for winter: the buildings Canadians actually rent, by city
| Building / area | What a winter rental looks like | Season rule that decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Winston Towers 600 & 700 — Sunny Isles (210 / 290 174th St) | 1-bed from US$1,900/mo; furnished 2-bed US$3,000–$3,300/mo (1,232 sq ft) | Seasonal leases offered explicitly — listings state “6 months or less” and “6 or 12 months” |
| Arlen House / Arlen House East — Sunny Isles (100 Bayview Dr) | Furnished 2-bed US$3,200/mo (1,357 sq ft); 1-bed annual from US$2,250/mo | Long snowbird history; furnished seasonal units are a normal product here, not an exception |
| La Perla, Ocean Three and the new Collins Ave towers — Sunny Isles | 2-bed from US$5,700/mo (La Perla) to US$6,900/mo (Ocean Three) | Ocean Three states a 6-month minimum; luxury towers price the beach, not the season |
| Atrium — Aventura (3131 NE 188th St) | 2–3 bed waterfront units; city 2-bed average US$2,850/mo | Building policy: rentals at most twice a year, minimum term 6 months |
| Williams Island 3000 — Aventura | 2-bed US$7,190/mo; 3-bed US$8,500–$10,800/mo | Condo policy: minimum rental period 6 months; shorter stays are not approved |
| Turnberry Way towers — Aventura (19707 Turnberry Way) | Current listings US$4,200–$9,000/mo; 2-bed around US$4,200/mo | Verify the minimum in the building’s lease package before you fall for a listing — it varies by tower |
Those Sunny Isles listings are live MLS-syndicated rentals checked on October 19, 2026 — real asking prices, not brochure numbers. The city averages behind them, from RentCafe’s Yardi Matrix data updated September 30, 2026, are annual, mostly unfurnished rents: Sunny Isles Beach averages US$2,771 overall (1-bed US$2,321 for 842 sq ft; 2-bed US$3,001 for 1,112 sq ft) and Aventura US$2,762 (1-bed US$2,340; 2-bed US$2,850 for 1,143 sq ft). Treat them as the floor you negotiate from. A furnished winter unit in season is quoted above the annual average — the question is how far above, and that is set building by building. Our Canadian snowbird guide to Miami for winter 2026–2027 lays out the full season calendar around the lease itself.
Cost of living in Miami for a season: the 4-month math in both cities
Run the season, not the month. At the October 19, 2026 rate of US$1 = C$1.4118, a 4-month season in a 2-bedroom at each city’s average rent, plus Florida’s transient taxes on leases of 6 months or less (6% state tax under Florida Statute 212.03, roughly 13% all-in with Miami-Dade tourist taxes), looks like this:
| Scenario (2-bed, 4 months) | Rent | With ~13% transient tax | In Canadian dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny Isles Beach — city average | US$3,001 × 4 = US$12,004 | ≈US$13,565 | ≈C$19,150 |
| Sunny Isles — Winston Towers furnished 2-bed | US$3,100 × 4 = US$12,400 | ≈US$14,012 | ≈C$19,781 |
| Aventura — city average, IF a 4-month lease were allowed | US$2,850 × 4 = US$11,400 | ≈US$12,882 | ≈C$18,186 |
| Aventura — Atrium / Williams Island reality: you pay the 6-month minimum | US$2,850 × 6 = US$17,100 | ≈US$19,323 | ≈C$27,279 |
Read the last two rows together: Aventura’s lower monthly rent saves a Canadian about US$600 over four months — and its building minimums then charge about US$6,400 more for two months you may not use. Note also what the 6-month minimum does not do: it does not remove the transient tax. Florida’s exemption under 212.03 requires a bona fide written lease for longer than 6 months — exactly 6 months is still taxable. Before any deposit moves, read how security deposits in Miami actually work: in a condo you can owe the landlord’s deposit plus a separate association deposit of up to one month, and the association’s application fee is capped at US$150 by Florida law.
What most people don’t know
The landlord cannot waive the building’s minimum — even if the ad says “seasonal.” In Florida condos, the association’s rental rules bind every owner. A listing that promises 3 months in a building whose documents say 6 will die at the association approval stage, weeks after you stopped looking. The fix is boring and decisive: ask for the building’s lease package or rental rules in writing before you negotiate price. Atrium publishes its twice-a-year, 6-month-minimum policy openly; Williams Island 3000 publishes its 6-month minimum openly. Buildings that welcome snowbirds, like Winston Towers, say so in the listing itself.
Aventura is not on the beach. It sits on the Intracoastal Waterway, roughly a 10-minute drive from Sunny Isles’ sand. Canadians choose it for the Turnberry golf and marina life, Aventura Mall, the Brightline station and a quieter, residential pace — all real advantages. But if your winter plan is a daily walk on the beach, you will drive to it from Aventura and walk out your door in Sunny Isles. Pick the city for the winter you will actually live.
The older towers are the snowbird market — and that is a feature. Winston Towers and Arlen House were built for exactly this: large floor plans (1,232–1,357 sq ft for a 2-bedroom, bigger than the city average), furnished units as a standard product, staff who process Canadian applicants every fall, and neighbours who return the same months you do. The new luxury towers on the same street are prettier and, for a 3–5 month stay, often simply unavailable at any price.
This winter, Canadians have leverage — in the older buildings. Canadian visits to Florida fell about 14% in the first half of 2026 (1.68 million visitors, Visit Florida) and Canada–Fort Lauderdale flights dropped about 9%, even as Canadians still made up 37.8% of international buyer demand in Florida in early 2026 (Florida Realtors). Fewer Canadian renters chasing the same seasonal units means a furnished tower with a vacancy in November will talk: an extra month at the same rate, a smaller association deposit, or an early-exit clause are all realistic asks in 2026–2027 — in a way they were not in 2024.
Best neighborhoods in Miami for Canadians: where Sunny Isles and Aventura fit
Among the best neighborhoods in Miami for a Canadian winter, this corridor is the practical end of the map: you land at Fort Lauderdale or Miami airport, you are home in under 40 minutes, and French and English both work in daily life. Sunny Isles is the beach-first choice at snowbird prices in its older towers; Aventura is the quiet, serviced, golf-and-mall choice whose buildings demand a longer commitment. Browse the wider comparison in our moving-to-Miami guides for Canadian snowbirds and other newcomers before you shortlist — the building’s rulebook matters more than the listing’s photos.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way for a Canadian to rent in Sunny Isles for winter 2026–2027?
The older Collins Avenue and Bayview towers. Live listings on October 19, 2026 showed a Winston Towers 1-bedroom at US$1,900 a month and furnished 2-bedrooms at US$3,000–$3,300 — against US$5,700 and up in the newer luxury towers on the same street. Budget the ~13% transient tax on top of any lease of 6 months or less.
Can I rent for 3 or 4 months in Aventura?
In some buildings, yes — in the prestige towers, often no. Atrium limits rentals to twice a year with a 6-month minimum, and Williams Island 3000 sets a 6-month minimum by condo policy. Always confirm the minimum in the building’s own lease package; the owner’s willingness is not the deciding vote.
Why does a 6-month lease still pay the tourist tax?
Florida Statute 212.03 exempts only a bona fide written agreement for continuous residence longer than 6 months. A lease of exactly 6 months is a taxable transient rental: 6% state tax plus Miami-Dade tourist taxes, roughly 13% combined.
How much is US$3,100 a month in Canadian dollars?
At US$1 = C$1.4118 (October 19, 2026), US$3,100 is about C$4,377 a month, and a 4-month season with transient tax is about C$19,781. The exchange rate moves the season’s cost more than most negotiations do — price your winter in CAD before you sign, not after.
This article is general information about relocation planning, not legal or tax advice. Building rental rules, asking rents and the exchange rate change — confirm the lease package, the tax treatment and the rate for your exact dates before you commit.
Yara Coker — SETTLE, relocation services in Miami.
Want help with your move to Miami?
Tell us your months, your budget in Canadian dollars and whether the beach has to be outside your door — we’ll check which Sunny Isles and Aventura buildings actually allow your dates before you apply anywhere.
