County · Florida

ADU rules in Sarasota County

3 sources

These are the primary sources for accessory dwelling unit regulations in Sarasota County: the county'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.

Unincorporated areas only

County zoning applies only outside city limits. If your property is inside a city or town, that municipality's own ADU ordinance governs instead, even though it sits within Sarasota County.

Find your city's rules in Florida

Rules at a glance

Detached (backyard) ADU

Allowed

In RE and RSF districts the ADU 'may be part of or attached to the principal structure, and or may be a separate structure'; in OUR and OUE districts one 'accessory dwelling unit (attached or detached)' is permitted per parcel. Only one ADU is allowed per lot or parcel, it must meet all principal structure setbacks and yard requirements, and in RE/RSF it may not exceed the height of the principal structure and must match its architectural style and exterior finish. ADUs are prohibited on the Barrier Islands and within cluster subdivisions.

Unified Development Code (Code of Ordinances Ch. 124), Sec. 124-76(a)(3) OUR standard 10, (a)(4) OUE standard 8, (b)(1) RE standard 4, (b)(2) RSF standard 4

Attached or internal ADU

Allowed

Expressly allowed: OUR/OUE permit one ADU 'attached or detached', and RE/RSF state the ADU 'may be part of or attached to the principal structure'. The Sec. 124-305 definition likewise covers 'a dwelling unit either attached to a single-family principal dwelling or located on the same lot and having an independent means of access'.

UDC Sec. 124-76(a)(3), (a)(4), (b)(1), (b)(2); definition at Sec. 124-305 'Dwelling Unit, Accessory'

Maximum size

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.

In RE/RSF the principal dwelling and ADU together also may not exceed the maximum district building coverage, and the ADU may not exceed the height of the principal structure. The ADU may include a kitchen (RE/RSF standard 4.xi).

UDC Sec. 124-76(b)(1) and (b)(2) standard 4.iv, 4.vi, 4.viii; Sec. 124-76(a)(3) standard 10(b)iii and (a)(4) standard 8(b)iii

Owner occupancy

Required

In every district that allows ADUs (OUR, OUE, RE, RSF): 'The property owner shall occupy either the principal dwelling or the accessory dwelling unit.'

UDC Sec. 124-76(a)(3) standard 10(b)i, (a)(4) standard 8(b)i, (b)(1) standard 4.iii, (b)(2) standard 4.iii

Extra parking

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.

Countywide, Sec. 124-120 allows ADU driveways, access aisles, and parking spaces (except handicapped) to be surfaced in grass lawn, shell, or other substantially pervious material, subject to Administrator and County Engineer approval. The general residential parking table requires 1 space per single-family unit under 900 sq ft and 2 per unit above 900 sq ft; guest houses are listed at 1 space per unit.

UDC Sec. 124-76(b)(1) and (b)(2) standard 4.ix; Sec. 124-120, Grass Lawn or Shell Parking, Alternative Parking for Specific Uses

Approval process

Permitted use

ADUs appear in each district's 'Permitted Principal (and Limited) Uses and Structures' list, defined as 'Uses allowed by right in the district', subject to the enumerated use standards. No special exception or conditional use hearing is required in OUR, OUE, RE, or RSF. Standard building permits still apply.

UDC Sec. 124-76(a)(3)b, (a)(4)b, (b)(1)b, (b)(2)b (Permitted Principal and Limited Uses and Structures)

Rental restrictions

Geography decides everything. On the mainland (outside cluster subdivisions), ADUs are allowed and district rental restrictions carry over: under Sec. 124-131, dwellings in OUA, OUR, OUE, RE, RSF, RMF (not on barrier islands), RC, and RMH may be rented only as a whole, for periods greater than 30 days, and not more than once every 30 days (partial rentals require the owner to physically occupy the dwelling for more than 50 percent of the lease term). On the Barrier Islands and in cluster subdivisions, ADUs are prohibited outright; only guest houses are allowed there, and a guest house 'shall not be rented, leased, or otherwise be made available for compensation of any kind'. Previously permitted guest houses elsewhere are automatically reclassified as ADUs.

The Sec. 124-305 definition repeats the island ban: 'Accessory dwelling units are not permitted on the Barrier Islands.'

UDC Sec. 124-76(a)(3) standard 10(a)-(b), (a)(4) standard 8(a)-(b), (b)(1) and (b)(2) standards 4-5; Sec. 124-131(a); Sec. 124-305

The fine print: 6 caveats that can change the picture

These rules cover unincorporated Sarasota County only; the cities of Sarasota, Venice, North Port, and the Town of Longboat Key have their own ADU rules.
ADUs are prohibited on the Barrier Islands and within cluster subdivisions; in those areas only guest houses (occupancy by guests only, no rental for compensation) remain allowed.
ADUs are authorized only in the OUR, OUE, RE, and RSF zoning districts; the OUC, OUA, RMF, RMH, and commercial/industrial base district use lists contain no ADU provision (OUA allows guest houses only).
Size and parking standards split by district family: RE/RSF carry the 750 sq ft cap (1,200 sq ft or 50 percent of the principal dwelling on double-size lots) plus the one-space parking requirement; OUR/OUE only require the ADU to be smaller than the principal dwelling.
ADUs do not count toward district density, but in RE/RSF the principal dwelling and ADU together must stay within maximum district building coverage, and the ADU must match the principal structure's architectural style and not exceed its height.
Previously permitted guest houses on the mainland (outside cluster subdivisions) are automatically considered ADUs and inherit ADU rules, including the district rental restrictions.

Summarized from Sarasota County'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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