City · Florida

ADU rules in Daytona Beach

3 sources

These are the primary sources for accessory dwelling unit regulations in Daytona Beach: the city's own zoning code, planning department pages, and permit guides. Start here before talking to anyone: the rules below are what your permit reviewer will apply.

Rules at a glance

Detached (backyard) ADU

Allowed

The LDC definition of ADU expressly includes a separate detached dwelling unit on the same lot as the principal single-family dwelling, and Sec. 5.3.C.32.b permits ADUs by right on lots where a single-family detached dwelling is a permitted principal use, subject to the use standards.

Land Development Code Sec. 11.5 (definition of Accessory Dwelling Unit) and Sec. 5.3.C.32.b

Attached or internal ADU

Allowed

The definition also includes a separate dwelling unit within, or attached to, the principal single-family dwelling, provided the unit has a distinctly separate entrance from the main entrance of the principal dwelling. In the Transitional Overlay D district, Sec. 4.9.C.4.b likewise states the unit may be attached or detached from the principal structure.

Land Development Code Sec. 11.5 (definition of Accessory Dwelling Unit); Sec. 4.9.C.4.b

Maximum size

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.

Regardless of zoning district, the ADU must also comply with the special standards for accessory structures of single-family dwellings in the SFR-5 district set forth in Sec. 4.2.B.3.

Land Development Code Sec. 5.3.C.32.d, Table 5.3.C.32.a (Floor Area Standards Based on Lot Size and ADU Type)

Owner occupancy

Required

Either the principal dwelling or the ADU shall be owner occupied.

Land Development Code Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.v

Extra parking

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.

Rates from the Sec. 6.2 off-street parking table (Accessory Dwelling Unit row; Single-family detached dwelling: 2 per dwelling unit). The additional-space and no-exemption rules are in Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.iv. In the Transitional Overlay D district, paved parking must be provided behind the front building line (Sec. 4.9.C.4.b).

Land Development Code Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.iv and Sec. 6.2 (Minimum Number of Off-Street Parking Spaces table)

Approval process

Permitted use

Shown as 'A' (allowable as an accessory use by right, subject to the use-specific standards of Sec. 5.3.C.32) in Tables 5.3.B.4 and 5.3.B.5 for the districts where ADUs are allowed; blank cells in those tables mean the use is prohibited. In Planned Development districts ADUs are 'PD' (allowed only subject to a PD Plan/Agreement, Table 5.3.B.6).

Land Development Code Sec. 5.3.B.3 (abbreviations), Tables 5.3.B.4, 5.3.B.5, 5.3.B.6; Sec. 5.3.C.32.b

Rental restrictions

If the ADU is rented, there must be a written lease with a minimum lease period greater than six months. The ADU may be occupied solely by a single household.

Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.vii (lease) and Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.vi (single household). Short-term rental of an ADU is effectively excluded by the greater-than-six-month lease requirement.

Land Development Code Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.vi and c.vii

The fine print: 6 caveats that can change the picture

ADUs are allowed only in zoning districts where a single-family detached dwelling is a permitted principal use, and only in the districts marked 'A' in the accessory use tables (Tables 5.3.B.4 and 5.3.B.5); blank cells mean the use is prohibited in that district.
An ADU is authorized only on a lot with an existing single-family detached principal dwelling, and only one ADU is permitted per lot (Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.i and c.ii).
In Planned Development (PD-G and PD-RD) districts, ADUs are permitted only when specifically authorized in the Planned Development Agreement (Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.viii and Table 5.3.B.6).
In the Transitional Overlay D (TD) district, Sec. 4.9.C.4.b allows one ADU for a single-family detached dwelling only if total lot area is at least 7,260 sq ft and adequate paved parking is provided behind the front building line; Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.ix cross-references this provision.
The ADU design must be compatible with the principal dwelling and the surrounding neighborhood (Sec. 5.3.C.32.c.iii).
Staff may administratively approve minor adjustments to dimensional standards: parking space dimensions, maximum lot coverage, and maximum required yard encroachment can each be flexed 10 percent in most districts and 15 to 20 percent in redevelopment districts (Table 5.3.C.32).

Summarized from Daytona Beach's ordinance text, read July 2026; every row links the code section it came from. Rules often vary by zone and lot, so treat this as orientation, not a permit determination, and confirm with the planning department before you commit to a design.

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ADU regulations

Florida statewide law also applies

Florida sets baseline ADU rights at the state level. Where local rules are stricter than state law allows, state law usually wins, so both are worth reading.

See Florida statewide rules

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