The short version: Minneola homes are recorded by the Lake County Property Appraiser and billed by the Lake County Tax Collector. The City adopted 5.4000 mills for 2026, below both its 2025 rate of 5.5000 and its 2026 rolled-back rate of 6.3263. The City provides water and sewer to customers in and outside city limits, adding a 25% surcharge outside, and does not offer reclaimed water for household irrigation. An owner who rents out a home needs a City rental license before the tenant can start water service. None of The Villages’ residential districts lists Minneola.
Minneola, FL at a glance
| County | Lake County |
|---|---|
| History | First post office 1883; town plat recorded in 1884 while the area was in Sumter County; incorporated 1926 |
| 2026 city millage | 5.4000 mills adopted5.5000 in 2025; 2026 rolled-back rate 6.3263 |
| Water and sewer | City of Minneola, for customers inside and outside city limitsOutside customers pay a 25% surcharge on water and sewer rates |
| Monthly base charges | Water $7.00, sewer $15.40, stormwater $4.00, residential garbage $23.41 |
| Reclaimed water | Not offered for household irrigation, per the City’s wastewater department |
| Opening an account | $50 non-refundable connection fee per meterBuyers bring a driver’s license, the settlement statement and a water application |
| Rental license | Required to rent out a home; $50 per single-family unit a year, due October 1 |
| Fire service | Minneola Fire & Rescue, Station 89, advanced life support |
| Building services | Provided for the City by Safebuilt; permit history searchable online |
| Villages district inside the city | None listed |
From the City of Minneola’s history, utility, rental license, wastewater, fire, building, stormwater and HOA pages, the Lake County Property Appraiser’s 2026 final millage sheet, the Florida Department of Revenue’s 2025 Lake County table, Lake County’s floodplain page and the District Government’s district pages. Checked October 10, 2026.
A 2026 rate below rolled-back
On the Property Appraiser’s final sheet dated October 9, 2026, Minneola went from 5.5000 mills in 2025 to 5.4000 adopted for 2026. The sheet lists the 2026 rolled-back rate, the rate that would raise the same money from existing property, at 6.3263, so the adopted rate sits 14.64% below it. Taxable value in the city rose 13.22%.
The state’s 2025 Lake County table put Minneola’s 2025 total at 17.5866 mills: the city rate plus county, school, water authority and St. Johns River Water Management District levies. The county fire rescue/EMS and stormwater levies that unincorporated land pays (0.4800 and 0.4957 mills for 2026) are not part of it. By my arithmetic the 2026 city rate is about 4.42 mills more than those two levies, roughly $1,106 a year on $250,000 of taxable value. The bill for the parcel settles it.
One water system, two price levels
The City’s utility customer service page says it provides water and sewer to city and non-city residents, oversees residential garbage and recycling through a franchised private hauler, and bills a monthly stormwater charge. Its billing page lists the base charges and the catch for homes outside the city:
- Water base charge $7.00 and sewer base charge $15.40 a month inside the city; customers outside city limits pay a 25% surcharge on water and sewer rates.
- Stormwater $4.00 and residential garbage $23.41 a month. Garbage, recycling and yard waste are collected by GFL Environmental and billed on the utility bill.
- A 10% late fee if the bill is unpaid by 5 p.m. on the due date, a $25 fee if service is cut for nonpayment and $100 more for an after-hours reconnection.
The City’s wastewater department answers a common question directly: reclaimed water for household irrigation is not available, because the plant’s inflow is not large enough to supply it efficiently. Unless a home has its own irrigation well, lawn watering runs on City drinking water, so the billing page’s advice to new buyers to check sprinkler timers is worth taking on the first day.
Renting it out: license first
Per the City’s service activation page, a homeowner who rents out a house must hold a City rental license, and a tenant cannot start water service without a current one. The application goes in with a copy of the owner’s driver’s license and the warranty deed. The fee is $50 per unit a year for a single-family home, $30 per unit for two to five units and $20 per unit above that, due by October 1, not prorated and payable by check or cash only. A tenant then opens the account with a driver’s license, the lease and a $50 non-refundable connection fee per meter.
If you are buying a Minneola house to rent, put the license on the closing checklist so the first tenant is not stuck without water.
Associations, permits and swales
The City keeps an HOA directory listing its homeowner associations with management contacts and, where available, links to covenants and architectural review forms. Use it to request the documents and any approval forms before you plan a pool, fence or paint color.
Building plan review and inspections are provided for the City by Safebuilt, and permit history can be searched online through the City’s public permit portal; the counter takes cash or check only. Run the permit history before listing, so a roof, water heater or enclosure without a closed permit is found early.
The City’s stormwater division asks owners not to fill the shallow swales in front yards with dirt, rocks or debris, because that can raise the flood risk in heavy rain. The City describes itself as sitting at the highest elevation on Florida’s peninsula, 312 feet above sea level, but lake lots still need a FEMA map check. Lake County’s floodplain section offers an elevation certificate finder and its 1978 Clermont/Minneola drainage plan, and notes its insurance discount is earned for unincorporated homeowners. Sellers owe the flood disclosure at or before contract.
How I’d price and sell a Minneola home
- Check city limits on the bill.
Inside or outside changes the tax line and the water and sewer rates, from the Lake County Property Appraiser record.
- Pull the permit history.
From the City’s portal, before photos.
- Gather the association file.
Covenants, dues and any approval forms for past changes.
- Document rental status.
If the house has been rented, the license and lease dates go in the file.
- Price from your net.
I run the seller net sheet with you before we choose a list price.
A remote purchase where the price had to make sense on paper first. Minneola buyers moving from another state get the same checklist. See the case study.
Questions people ask about Minneola, FL
What is the Minneola city millage for 2026?
The City of Minneola adopted 5.4000 mills for 2026, down from 5.5000 in 2025, according to the Lake County Property Appraiser’s final millage sheet dated October 9, 2026. The sheet lists a 2026 rolled-back rate of 6.3263, so the adopted rate is 14.64% below rolled-back.
Does Minneola provide water to homes outside city limits?
Yes. The City says it provides water and sewer service to city and non-city residents. Customers outside city limits pay a 25% surcharge on water and sewer rates.
Do I need a rental license to rent my Minneola home?
Yes. The City requires a homeowner who rents out a home to hold a rental license, and a tenant cannot start water service without a current one. The fee is $50 per single-family unit per year, due by October 1 and not prorated.
Is reclaimed water available for irrigation in Minneola?
Not for households. The City’s wastewater department says reclaimed water for household irrigation is not available because the plant’s inflow is not large enough to supply it efficiently.
Is Minneola part of The Villages?
No. None of The Villages’ residential district pages lists Minneola. The District Government places The Villages’ Lake County areas in Fruitland Park, Leesburg and the Town of Lady Lake plus part of unincorporated Lake County.
Sources
Checked October 10, 2026. The 2026 rates come from the Property Appraiser’s final sheet and the utility charges from the City’s billing page; I confirm the parcel’s own bill, permit history and association documents before anything goes in a listing or an offer.
- City of Minneola: About our city (history)
- City of Minneola: Utility customer service
- City of Minneola: Billing and payment information (rates)
- City of Minneola: Service activation and rental licenses
- City of Minneola: Solid waste services
- City of Minneola: Wastewater department
- City of Minneola: Fire/Rescue
- City of Minneola: Building department
- City of Minneola: HOA directory
- City of Minneola: Stormwater division
- City of Minneola: History of the city (elevation)
- Lake County Property Appraiser: 2026 Final Millage Rates and Values Comparison Sheet (dated October 9, 2026)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Lake County 2025 final millage rates by taxing district
- Lake County Property Appraiser
- Lake County Tax Collector
- Lake County Clerk of Courts (official records)
- Lake County: Floodplain Management
- Lake County: Office of Emergency Management
- District Government: Residential districts
- District Government: Village Community Development District 11 (City of Fruitland Park)
- District Government: Village Community Development District 14 (City of Leesburg)
- District Government: Lady Lake/Lake County
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Florida Statutes 689.302 (2026): flood disclosure in residential sales