Side by side · Florida
Compare ADU rules across Florida
Flexible on where you build? The same backyard cottage can be routine in one city and impossible next door. This table puts 36 Florida cities side by side so you can shortlist the friendly ones before reading a single ordinance, or narrow it to just the cities you are deciding between. Every value is summarized from the city's own code; open a city's page for the full notes, citations, and fine print.
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| City | Detached ADU | Attached / internal | Max size | Owner occupancy | Extra parking | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | Allowed | Allowed | Greater of 1,700 sq ft of living area or 50% of the principal residence | Required | No added spaces required; parking 'if provided' must be on the same lot and use the shared driveway | Permitted use |
| Broward County | Allowed | Allowed | Max 50% of the principal structure; minimum 500 sq ft | Not required | 1 off-street space per ADU bedroom, in addition to the parking otherwise required under Sec. 39-228 | Permitted use |
| Cape Coral | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not applicable; no ADU provisions exist | No owner-occupancy rule can exist because the code contains no ADU authorization. Guest houses may only be built on sites with a principal residential dwelling unit, but the code does not state an owner-occupancy requirement for either unit. Ordinance read July 2026 | Not applicable; no ADU provisions exist | No permit pathway can exist because ADUs are not an authorized use in any district; unlisted uses are expressly prohibited under Sec. 4.1.6.A.5. Guest houses in the RE district are regulated as accessory structures under Article 5, Chapter 2. Ordinance read July 2026 |
| Clearwater | Allowed | Allowed | 750 sq ft or 50% of the principal dwelling's gross floor area, whichever is less | Required | 0 to 1 off-street space per unit in residential districts; one on-street space may substitute | Permitted use |
| Daytona Beach | Allowed | Allowed | Tiered by lot size: 500 sq ft maximum on lots of 5,000 to 7,500 sq ft; 640 sq ft on lots of 7,501 to 10,000 sq ft; 800 sq ft on lots over 10,000 sq ft. Minimum floor area is 240 sq ft for a studio or one-bedroom ADU and 390 sq ft for a two-bedroom ADU. | Required | 1 space plus one per additional ADU bedroom, in addition to the 2 spaces per unit required for the single-family principal dwelling. ADU parking must be stabilized, and a lot with an ADU is not entitled to parking exemptions otherwise authorized by the Code. | Permitted use |
| Dunedin | Allowed | Allowed | 800 sq ft of gross floor area (living area only); no more than two stories or the height of the principal dwelling, whichever is less | Required | No ADU-specific parking requirement; every residential house or duplex must have two parking spaces, one of which may be inside a garage | Permitted use |
| Fort Lauderdale | Accessory dwellings (granny flats or cottages) may be permitted only when accessory to a standard single family dwelling in the RS-8, RD-15, RC-15, RM-15, RML-25, RMM-25, RMH-25 and RMH-60 zoning districts, subject to size, density, minimum parcel size and parking limitations. In RS-8 and RD-15 the only accessory dwelling allowed is servant's quarters for persons, other than the immediate family, employed on the premises, so a general-purpose ADU is effectively limited to the RC-15, RM-15, RML-25, RMM-25, RMH-25 and RMH-60 districts. Ordinance read July 2026 | The ordinance expressly contemplates an accessory dwelling attached to another accessory structure (for example a garage): it must have a separate entrance from the attached accessory structure and be separated from it by a common fire resistant wall. The accessory dwelling provisions do not address a unit attached to or contained within the principal dwelling; the section regulates accessory buildings and structures. Ordinance read July 2026 | 600 sq ft of gross floor area or 49 percent of the gross floor area of the principal structure, whichever is less; the unit is limited to a one bedroom/one bath unit or an efficiency | Not required | 1 space for the accessory dwelling, in addition to the 2 spaces required for the principal single family dwelling; Table 1 of Sec. 47-20.2 lists 'Single family dwelling unit + accessory dwelling (granny flat)' at 2 per dwelling unit plus 1 per accessory unit | Permitted use |
| Fort Myers | Allowed | Allowed | Lesser of 40 percent of the living area of the principal dwelling or 1,200 sq ft; minimum 400 sq ft; no more than one bedroom | Required | One dedicated on-site space for the guesthouse, in addition to the parking required for the principal dwelling | Permitted use |
| Gainesville | Allowed | Allowed | 850 sq ft per ADU (attached or detached) | Not required | None required | Permitted use |
| Hillsborough County | Allowed | Allowed | 900 sq ft of living space; a variance up to the lesser of 1,200 sq ft or 25 percent of the principal dwelling's living space may be requested on lots of at least 14,520 sq ft | Required | No ADU-specific parking requirement found; Sec. 6.11.02 is silent on parking and the required off-street parking table in Sec. 6.05.02.E has no separate line for accessory dwellings (single-family conventional dwellings require 2.0 spaces per dwelling unit) | Table 2.02.02 designates Accessory Dwellings with a C in every district where they are allowed. Per the table key, C means Conditional Use, permitted pursuant to Article VI standards and the procedures of Section 10.01.00, with no public hearing required unless specified. Sec. 6.11.01.A adds that compliance with the Part 6.11.00 standards is determined during development review with no additional procedural steps, so review is administrative rather than a discretionary hearing. Land Development Code Table 2.02.02 (key and Accessory Dwellings row); Sec. 6.11.01.AFull rules for Hillsborough County Ordinance read July 2026 |
| Jacksonville | Allowed | Allowed | Building footprint limited to 25 percent of the gross floor area of the principal structure on the lot, or 750 sq ft, whichever is less | Required | No ADU-specific parking requirement; the off-street parking schedule requires two spaces for a single-family dwelling and lists no separate ADU category | Permitted use |
| Key West | The SF (single-family residential) district accommodates one accessory attached or detached unit per principal dwelling unit, but only if the unit wins a building permit allocation under the BPAS growth cap and meets the affordability and occupancy criteria of Sec. 122-233. No other residential district (LDR-C, MDR, MDR-1, MDR-C, HDR, HDR-1) lists accessory units; a separate accessory unit infill program covers mixed use and commercial districts. Ordinance read July 2026 | Same authorization as detached: one accessory attached or detached unit per principal dwelling in the SF district, subject to BPAS allocation and the Sec. 122-233 criteria. Under the BPAS definitions, an accessory unit cannot take up more than 40 percent of the principal structure. Ordinance read July 2026 | 300 to 600 square feet (both a maximum and a minimum). Maximum one bedroom unless the planning board approves a second bedroom by variance, and even then total floor area stays capped at 600 square feet. An accessory unit within the principal structure cannot exceed 40 percent of that structure. | The zoning sections (122-232 to 122-234) impose no ongoing owner-occupancy rule, but the BPAS definition requires that when an accessory unit occupancy permit is originally initiated, the principal unit must be owned and occupied by a permanent resident. The accessory unit itself must be occupied by permanent residents as a primary residence. Ordinance read July 2026 | None. There is no additional parking requirement for the accessory unit, and parking surfaces are not counted as open space. | Permitted use |
| Kissimmee | Allowed | Allowed | 800 sq ft or 40% of the principal dwelling's gross floor area, whichever is less; 500 sq ft minimum | Required | 1 off-street space per ADU, in addition to the primary dwelling's required parking | Permitted use |
| Lakeland | ADUs are permitted in urban contexts where a legally conforming single-family detached dwelling is the principal structure on the lot, and where specifically allowed in a residential Planned Unit Development or Special Public Interest District; every ADU requires discretionary Planning and Zoning Board approval after a public hearing. Ordinance read July 2026 | Not allowed | 800 sq ft or 40% of the principal dwelling, whichever is less; minimum living area 300 sq ft. Maximum height 12.5 ft, or 24 ft when built over a garage. | Required | One off-street space for the ADU in addition to the spaces required for the principal dwelling; tandem parking in driveways is permitted. | Not labeled a conditional use permit, but approval is discretionary: the applicant submits a site development plan and architectural drawings to the Planning and Zoning Board, the Board mails notice to owners abutting or across the street and holds a public hearing, must make five findings (architectural compatibility, neighborhood scale, no excessive noise/traffic/parking, adequate open space and tree retention, no significant privacy/light/air impact), and may impose conditions. In designated historic districts the Historic Preservation Board separately issues a Certificate of Review/Appropriateness on the design findings. Ordinance read July 2026 |
| Largo | Allowed | Allowed | On residential lots: gross floor area may not exceed 800 sq ft or 50 percent of the living floor area (air conditioned/heated) of the principal structure, whichever is less; if 50 percent of the principal unit's living area is under 400 sq ft, the maximum ADU size is 400 sq ft. On non-residential properties: flat 800 sq ft cap. | Required | No minimum for the ADU itself if the property already meets the parking requirement for the primary use; otherwise 1 space per ADU (Table 9-2). The ADU also must not reduce the primary structure's parking below the Sec. 9.5 minimums (single-family minimum is 1 space per dwelling unit). | Permitted use |
| Lee County | Allowed | Allowed | 60 percent of the living area of the principal single-family residence, for either an accessory apartment or an accessory dwelling unit; nonliving areas are excluded from the computation provided the overall accessory structure complies with the division | Not required | One additional off-street space on top of the base requirement of Sec. 34-2020(a), which is 2 spaces per single-family unit, so 3 total on-site spaces in the typical case; all required parking must be provided on the site | Permitted use |
| Miami | Allowed | Allowed | Detached ADU: ten percent of the lot area, up to 800 sq ft max. ADU within or attached to the principal building: ten percent of the lot area, up to 500 sq ft max. Minimum sizes: efficiency unit 275 sq ft, one bedroom 450 sq ft, two bedroom 550 sq ft. No waivers may be applied to maximum unit size. | The single-family residence and the ADU must always be under the same ownership. Owner occupancy in the form of a current homestead exemption (the property is the owner's primary residence under Florida law) is required only to rent the ADU, and is verified at initial registration and every annual renewal. If homestead status lapses, the owner must notify the office of zoning within 30 days. Miami 21 Code Sec. 3.18(b) (Ownership and Use); City Code Sec. 2-214(a)(2)c, (a)(3)b, (b)Full rules for Miami Ordinance read July 2026 | Minimum of 1 parking space per ADU; within a TOD (transit oriented development) or Transit Corridor no parking is required (per the T3 and T4 residential rows of Art. 4 Table 4). Where an existing legal principal building prevents the ADU space from being placed within the second or third layer, it may be placed in the first layer with exemptions from driveway separation and first layer paving rules, using parking strips no wider than two feet. | Permitted use |
| Miami Beach | Allowed | Allowed | Greater of 600 sq ft or 10% of the main home's size, with an absolute maximum of 1,500 sq ft; minimum 200 sq ft. The ADU's area counts toward the site's overall unit size calculation (RS districts cap unit size at 40% of lot area). Accessory structures built before January 1, 2019 are exempt from the minimum and maximum areas unless expanded. | The code does not impose an explicit owner-occupancy requirement to build an ADU, but by default the ADU may only be used by the family occupying the primary dwelling, their temporary guests, or servants of the occupants. Owner occupancy becomes an express requirement in the only situation where leasing an ADU to an unrelated family is allowed (the two mapped exception areas), with evidence of ownership submitted to the planning director each year; if the property ceases to be owner-occupied, lease renewal is prohibited. Ordinance read July 2026 | No ADU-specific parking requirement found. The general accessory use provisions require off-street parking for accessory uses to comply with Chapter 5, but the Chapter 5 parking tables list no separate line item for accessory dwelling units; the underlying single-family detached dwelling requirement in Parking Tier 1 is two spaces. | Permitted use |
| Miami-Dade County | Allowed | Allowed | 400 to 800 sq ft of habitable area (set by the CDMP; ordinance defers to it) | Not required | 1 space in addition to the principal dwelling's required parking; waived within 660 ft of a transit-served major corridor, mixed-use corridor, or rapid transit activity corridor | Permitted use |
| Monroe County | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not applicable; no ADU provisions exist | Not applicable; no ADU provisions exist, so no owner-occupancy rule for ADUs can exist in the code. Land Development Code Sec. 101-1, definition of 'accessory use or accessory structure'Full rules for Monroe County Ordinance read July 2026 | Not applicable; no ADU provisions exist | No permit pathway for an ADU exists because the use is not authorized. Any additional dwelling unit requires its own residential ROGO allocation or exemption; Sec. 138-19 defines the annual residential ROGO allocation as the maximum number of dwelling units for which building permits may be issued during an annual allocation period, and units compete through the ROGO application process. Land Development Code Sec. 101-1, definition of 'dwelling unit'; Sec. 138-19, Residential Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO)Full rules for Monroe County Ordinance read July 2026 |
| Orange County | Allowed | Allowed | 50% of the primary dwelling's living area or 1,000 sq ft, whichever is less; on lots of 2+ developable acres, 50% or 1,500 sq ft, whichever is less; maximum 2 bedrooms | Required | 1 additional off-street space; may be met by the garage, carport, or driveway of the primary dwelling | Permitted use |
| Orlando | Allowed | Allowed | 1,000 sq. ft. absolute maximum; ADU must be smaller than the principal structure, and house plus ADU cannot exceed 0.50 floor area ratio (or the district FAR if less) | Not required | 1 space for the principal dwelling; ADUs over 500 sq. ft. require 1 additional space, ADUs of 500 sq. ft. or less require no extra space if the principal structure's parking was code-compliant when built | Permitted use |
| Palm Beach County | Allowed | The ordinance does not expressly address an attached configuration. The definition covers any complete, separate living quarter equipped with a kitchen and provisions for sanitation and sleeping located on the same lot as the owner-occupied principal dwelling, without specifying attached or detached; the only configuration-specific rule applies to detached units on Townhouse or Zero Lot Line lots. Confirm an attached layout with the Palm Beach County Zoning Division before designing one. Ordinance read July 2026 | 800 sq ft on lots under 1 acre; 1,000 sq ft on lots of 1 acre or more; plus up to 500 sq ft of additional roofed porch, patio, porte-cochere, carport, or garage area | Required | 1 space per unit | Permitted use |
| Pensacola | Allowed | Allowed | Living area capped at 60 percent of the principal dwelling's living area, up to a maximum of 1,500 sq ft. On lots under 5,000 sq ft, a 20 percent floor-to-lot-area ratio sets the maximum floor area instead. The unit (or combination of structures) may not occupy more than 25 percent of the required rear yard. | Not required | One additional off-street parking space for the accessory dwelling unit. | Permitted use |
| Pinellas County | Allowed | Allowed | 1,000 sq ft, reduced to 750 sq ft if the property is within the Coastal Storm Area or flood hazard areas established in LDC Sec. 158-23. Unconditioned space connected to and serving the ADU (such as garage or storage space for the ADU) counts toward the size calculation. A larger ADU may be approved pursuant to Sec. 138-77. | Required | ADUs larger than 750 sq ft must have at least one dedicated off-street parking stall. The ADU section imposes no parking requirement on ADUs of 750 sq ft or less; the county's announcement states certain ADUs are exempt from parking requirements. | Permitted use |
| Saint Petersburg | Allowed | Allowed | 800 sq ft gross floor area, and all areas under roof may not exceed 67 percent of the floor area of the principal dwelling | Not required | 1 off-street space for ADUs with up to 2 bedrooms, plus 0.5 space per additional bedroom; waived if five criteria are all met | Permitted use |
| Sarasota | Allowed | Allowed | 650 square feet of floor area maximum | Required | None when added to an existing home if at least one abutting street allows on-street parking; otherwise one additional space | Permitted use |
| Sarasota County | Allowed | Allowed | Varies by district. RE and RSF districts: total floor area may not exceed 750 sq ft; if the lot is at least twice the district minimum lot size, the ADU may instead be up to 50 percent of the principal dwelling's enclosed living area or 1,200 sq ft, whichever is less. OUR and OUE districts: no numeric cap, but the ADU's square footage must be less than the principal dwelling's. | Required | In RE and RSF districts, one additional parking space on the same premises is required for the ADU; tandem parking and shell or grass surfacing are permitted for that space. The OUR and OUE ADU standards state no additional parking requirement, and the Sec. 124-120 parking table has no ADU line item. | Permitted use |
| Seminole County | Allowed | Allowed | 35 percent of the gross floor area of the principal dwelling or 1,000 square feet, whichever is less; an administrative adjustment of up to 10 percent is possible under Sec. 5.19(b), but in no case may an ADU exceed 1,100 square feet | Required | One off-street space for the ADU, on the same lot and served by the same driveway as the principal dwelling; paved or a stabilized surface acceptable to the County Engineer | Permitted use |
| St. Augustine | St. Augustine regulates ADUs as 'accessory apartments'. The Sec. 28-2 definition expressly includes 'garage apartments', a detached form, so detached units qualify wherever the use is allowed. The use is listed among permitted uses only in RG-1 (Sec. 28-163), RG-2 (Sec. 28-164), RL-1 (Sec. 28-166), and HP-1 (Sec. 28-183); it does not appear in the RS-1 or RS-2 single-family district use lists (Secs. 28-161, 28-162), so allowance depends entirely on the zoning district. Code of Ordinances §28-2 (definition); §§28-163, 28-164, 28-166, 28-183 (district use lists)Full rules for St. Augustine Ordinance read July 2026 | The Sec. 28-2 definition covers a dwelling unit 'contained in an owner-occupied building or premises comprising three (3) or less dwelling units, including garage apartments and single-family type buildings used as apartments and sharing a common entrance', so attached and internal units qualify. Same district limitation as detached: permitted in RG-1, RG-2, RL-1, and HP-1 only; not listed in RS-1 or RS-2. Code of Ordinances §28-2; §§28-163(1)(g), 28-164(1)(b), 28-166(1)(b), 28-183(2)(b)Full rules for St. Augustine Ordinance read July 2026 | Less than 800 sq ft or 25 percent of the primary dwelling unit, whichever is less | Required | No ADU-specific requirement; rate of the most closely related listed use applies, and HP-1 through HP-4 are exempt from off-street parking | Permitted use |
| St. Johns County | Allowed | Allowed | Lesser of 35 percent of the main structure's square footage or 2,000 sq ft of living quarters, except the unit may be at least 800 sq ft | Required | Adequate parking as reasonably determined by the County Administrator; no fixed space count | Permitted use |
| St. Pete Beach | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not applicable; no ADU provisions exist | Not applicable; the code has no ADU provisions to attach an owner-occupancy rule to. Ordinance read July 2026 | Not applicable; no ADU provisions exist | There is no permit path for an ADU; the use does not exist in the code. Multi-unit building types in the Pass-a-Grille Overlay require units existing prior to redevelopment (Sec. 20.07 density rules). Ordinance read July 2026 |
| Tallahassee | Allowed | Allowed | 1,200 sq ft gross floor area under roof, up to two stories | Not required | No ADU-specific parking requirement found | Permitted use |
| Tampa | An ADU may be located within a conforming accessory structure (or a nonconforming one per Article VII), i.e. detached, but only through an S-1 special use permit and only inside the mapped ADU-eligible areas listed in the Sec. 27-156 use schedule footnote (Seminole Heights and Lowry Park area boundaries, East Tampa Overlay District); in the Tampa Heights Overlay District ADUs, including in accessory structures, are a permitted use in all residential districts. Ordinance read July 2026 | An ADU may be located within the single-family dwelling with a separate entrance, under the same S-1 special use permit and geographic limits; permitted use in the Tampa Heights Overlay District. Outside the eligible areas, the only internal option is an Extended Family Residence (S-1 in nearly all districts) restricted to family members. Ordinance read July 2026 | 950 sq ft of living space (ADU); 600 sq ft of living area for an Extended Family Residence | Required | No ADU-specific space count citywide; Tampa Heights Overlay requires 1 on-site space only for ADUs over 600 sq ft (tandem allowed); NMU districts require no additional spaces | Table 4-1 lists 'Dwelling unit, accessory' as X/S1 in the RS and RM residential districts plus CN and CG: permitted use (X) in the Tampa Heights Overlay District per §27-244, and an S-1 special use permit (zoning administrator administrative review, §27-127(b)(1)) in the other mapped ADU-eligible areas (Seminole Heights/Lowry Park areas and the East Tampa Overlay District). Seminole Heights SH districts (§27-211.8 Table SH-25.1) and NMU districts (§27-212.4) also list accessory dwelling as S1. The S-1 permit is reviewed annually by staff; if conditions change a new permit is required. Outside the eligible areas ADUs are not available at all. §27-156 Table 4-1 and note 17; §27-127(b)(1); §27-132; §27-211.8; §27-212.4; §27-244(e)Full rules for Tampa Ordinance read July 2026 |
| West Palm Beach | Accessory apartments are permitted with extra requirements only in the single-family high density (SF14) residential district, on lots of at least 6,000 sq ft with 60 ft width. They must comply with the development standards for residential accessory structures, and Sec. 94-304(a)(2) expressly permits converting detached garages or other accessory structures into a dwelling unit where that unit is permitted. The SF14 district regulations list accessory garage apartments among permitted accessory structures. Zoning and Land Development Regulations Sec. 94-303(a), (b)(1); Sec. 94-74(a)(7)(a); Sec. 94-304(a)(2), Ord. 3744-04 (2004)Full rules for West Palm Beach Ordinance read July 2026 | The code defines an accessory apartment as 'a dwelling unit that may be inhabited separable from the primary use or structure' and regulates accessory apartments under the residential accessory structure standards of Sec. 94-304, which assume a separate building (six foot building separation rule). No provision read expressly authorizes or prohibits an accessory apartment attached to or inside the principal dwelling. Zoning and Land Development Regulations Sec. 94-303(b)(1); Sec. 94-304(b)(3); definition of accessory apartmentFull rules for West Palm Beach Ordinance read July 2026 | 800 sq ft maximum unit size; maximum height 25 feet. Separately, the total floor area of all roofed accessory buildings on a lot may not exceed 75 percent of the primary structure's gross floor area, capped at 1,000 sq ft. | Not required | One parking space for the accessory apartment plus two spaces for the principal structure on site. Any required off-street parking deleted or rendered unusable by a garage conversion must be replaced consistent with Article XV. | Permitted use |
| Winter Park | True detached ADUs (garage apartments or accessory cottages that can be rented and separately metered) are allowed only on designated historic landmarks or resources, or on properties in a designated historic district, and only if the Historic Preservation Board determines them to be conforming uses; historic designation must be completed before a building permit is issued. On ordinary lots, detached guesthouses or garage apartments up to 1,000 sq ft are permitted accessory uses but may not have a kitchen or cooking facilities, separate utility meters, or be rented, so they are not true dwelling units. Ordinance read July 2026 | Not allowed | Historic-property ADUs: the code states it is desirable that garage apartments or accessory cottages not exceed 750 sq ft of living area; the Historic Preservation Board may reduce or enlarge that limit based on property size or configuration, but never above a hard cap of 1,000 sq ft. Ordinary (non-rentable, kitchenless) guesthouses or garage apartments: 1,000 sq ft of floor area maximum. | Not required | Yes, for historic-property ADUs: tenants must be provided on-site parking space(s) behind the front setback of the principal residence; every required space must be independently accessible without moving another vehicle, and all vehicles must park on site so no regular daytime or overnight parking occurs on city streets. Generally, residential projects of two units or less require two off-street spaces per dwelling unit. | Not a standard conditional use permit: a rentable ADU requires Historic Preservation Board approval through the historic preservation certificate of review process, and is available only after the property completes individual landmark, resource, or historic district designation. The HPB determines the garage apartment or accessory cottage to be a conforming use and sets its setbacks. Ordinary non-rentable guesthouses are permitted accessory uses under Sec. 58-71(10). Ordinance read July 2026 |
Summarized from each city's ordinance text, most recently read July 2026. Tap a value marked with an info icon to see exactly what it depends on, straight from the ordinance. Nearly every value has zone, lot-size, or process caveats beyond that; the per-city pages carry the full notes and code citations. Treat this as orientation, not a permit determination.
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Reading the table
- Detached ADU is the make-or-break column for backyard cottages: minimum lot sizes (often 8,000 to 14,500 sq ft) hide behind many of the "Allowed" values, so check your lot before celebrating.
- Attached / internal (basement apartments, additions) is legal almost everywhere and is usually the path of least resistance.
- Approval: "Permitted use" means staff-level sign-off; "Conditional use" means a public hearing, which adds time, cost, and uncertainty.
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