At no cost to your family.  Your information goes to one local advisor, never to a list.

For placement professionals (800) 000-0000
A Move for Mom
Menu

Care guide

Small residential care homes in South Florida

Not every assisted living facility is a big building. 848 of the 1213 assisted living facilities Florida lists in our three counties (licensed or renewal in review) have six or fewer beds, often in a house on a residential street. For some people, that's exactly right.

Written by the A Move for Mom editorial team · Last reviewed October 30, 2026 Expert reviewer: placeholder · Editorial standards

Two kinds of small homes

  • Small assisted living facilities: they hold the same AHCA assisted living license as large communities [1].
  • Adult family-care homes: a private home where the licensee lives and provides room, board, and personal care for up to five residents who aren't relatives [2].

Who they fit

Small homes can suit people who are overwhelmed by big communities, need more one-on-one attention, or prefer a quieter, family-style routine. The tradeoffs: fewer activities and amenities, and quality depends heavily on the owner and staff.

What to ask a small home

  • Who lives here, and who is on duty at night? Are they awake?
  • What happens when the main caregiver is off or sick?
  • What's the backup power and evacuation plan? (Homes with 16 or fewer beds must store 48 hours of generator fuel.) [3]
  • Can we see the latest inspection report?

Find small homes

Each of our city pages lists small homes separately from larger communities.

Talk it through with a local advisor

One person who knows South Florida's communities, at no cost to your family.

Find a local advisor

Sources

  1. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), FloridaHealthFinder assisted living facility directory and individual facility profiles. https://quality.healthfinder.fl.gov/Facility-Provider/ALF?type=0. Retrieved October 30, 2026. Facilities shown had the status "Licensed" or "In review" on their state profile that day; "In review" facilities are labeled.
  2. Florida Statutes §429.65, Definitions (adult family-care homes). flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/429.65.
  3. Florida Administrative Code Rule 59A-36.025, Emergency environmental control for assisted living facilities. flrules.org; AHCA generator safety brochure: ahca.myflorida.com.

General information, not medical, legal, or financial advice. A Move for Mom is not a licensed health care provider.