A cedar tiny home with a large screened porch under live oaks in Florida, its owner standing on the path in front.

Tiny Homes in Florida: Laws, Communities and Real Tours

Updated November 4, 2026. Some laws may have changed since then. Confirm with your county before you buy land or a home.

The short answer

Yes, you can live in a tiny home full time in Florida on a permanent foundation, where zoning allows a house. It is built to the Florida Building Code like any other house, and the tiny house appendix applies only where a city or county adopts it. On wheels it is a vehicle, not a house, so where you can live in one full time is a local decision, and RV parks and tiny home communities are the places to start. Since July 1, 2026, cities and counties must allow modular homes, and manufactured homes treated as real property, wherever detached single-family homes are allowed. Florida has the 19th highest cost of living of the 50 states, no state income tax, an effective property tax rate of 0.78 percent (24th lowest), and homeowners insurance averaging $2,845 a year. We have filmed many tiny homes in Florida and list seven of them here.

On this page. Quick facts, the rules in plain words, where to start, living in Florida, communities, our tours and common questions.

Florida has one building code for the whole state, and a small home on a permanent foundation, meaning one anchored to a base built into the ground, is built to it like any other house. The tiny house rules are printed in that code, but they only apply where your city or county has adopted them, and many places set a minimum home size in zoning. A tiny home on wheels is treated as a vehicle, and state law calls the larger park model kind seasonal or temporary living quarters, so where you can live in one full time is mostly up to the city or county.

This guide covers the code, the 2026 law on factory-built homes, the ADU rules, hurricane and flood basics, communities and RV parks we have confirmed, and the Florida homes we have toured.

Quick facts

On a foundation: built to the Florida Building Code like any house. The 8th Edition is in force, and the 9th Edition is scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026.
Tiny house appendix: printed in the Florida code, but it applies only where a city or county adopts it. Palm Beach County has.
On wheels: a vehicle, not a house. Where you can live in one full time is a local decision. RV parks and tiny home communities are the places to start.
Modular homes, and manufactured homes treated as real property: since July 1, 2026, cities and counties must allow them wherever detached single-family homes are allowed, with no stricter zoning than a site-built home. Limited design rules can still apply.
ADUs (a second, smaller home on the same lot as a house): allowed only where your city or county allows them. A statewide ADU requirement did not pass in 2026.
Septic (an underground system that treats wastewater where there is no sewer): permits run through the state Department of Environmental Protection or the county health department.

Can you live in a tiny home full time in Florida?

Yes, on a permanent foundation, where zoning allows a house. There is no statewide maximum size for a house, but the minimum size is set locally, and some Florida cities set large minimum home sizes in zoning. Ask the planning office before you buy.

On wheels, it is harder. Florida law describes a park model (a park trailer) as seasonal or temporary living quarters. Bills to let movable tiny homes be permanent homes died in 2023 and 2024. Ask your city or county whether you can live in one outside an RV park or a community zoned for it. Brevard County, for example, issues permits to set up a tiny home on wheels as a primary home, with anchor details, an electric plan and septic approval. Ask the county which zones allow it.

The rules in plain words

Building code

The Florida Building Code is one statewide code. The 8th Edition (2023) took effect December 31, 2023. The 9th Edition (2026), based on the 2024 international codes, is scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026, for permits applied for on or after that date. The Florida Building Commission's October 2026 schedule still lists that date, but its final rule hearing had not been set, so ask your building department which edition your permit will fall under.

The tiny house appendix has been printed in the Florida residential code since the 2020 edition. It covers homes of 400 square feet or less, not counting lofts, and relaxes the rules for lofts, ladders and ceiling heights. Appendices apply only where a county or city adopts them, so ask your building department whether yours has. If you would rather skip the ladder, see tiny home layouts without a loft.

Wind and flood shape a small home in Florida as much as size does. Every house is designed for the wind speed at its site. Miami-Dade and Broward counties are in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, with stricter rules. In a mapped flood zone, the home must meet the code's flood rules and the local floodplain ordinance.

Tiny homes on wheels

State law defines several RV types. These two matter most for homes on trailers:

Travel trailer. Up to 8 feet 6 inches wide and 40 feet long.
Park model (park trailer). Up to 14 feet wide, on one chassis, for seasonal or temporary living, and no more than 400 square feet when built to the RV park model standard.

The state motor vehicle department (DHSMV) says a tiny home a person builds themselves is not built to the HUD or park model standards, so it does not regulate it as a home. The trailer still has to be titled as a trailer if it weighs 2,000 pounds or more. A park model used as a home in one place for more than 45 days has to be tied down to state standards.

Where it can be lived in full time is up to local zoning. In an RV park, if you stay more than six months in a row with the park's knowledge, the law presumes you are a long-term resident, and the state's residential eviction rules apply. The park can try to show otherwise.

Some parks and communities ask for proof the home is certified, such as RVIA or NOAH certification. Ask before you move.

After the Governor declares a state of emergency for a natural disaster that leaves a home unlivable, a county or city cannot stop you from placing one temporary shelter, such as an RV, on the property while you rebuild. This lasts up to 36 months from the date of the declaration, or until the home gets a certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first. You must be working in good faith to rebuild, the shelter must be hooked up to water and power, and you must live in it.

Modular and manufactured homes

Modular homes are built in a factory to the Florida Building Code, carry a state insignia, and are approved through the state's manufactured buildings program. The foundation, site work and hookups are permitted locally. Manufactured homes (HUD-code homes) are overseen by DHSMV, must be set up by a licensed installer, and must be built for the wind zone of the county.

Since July 1, 2026, a state-certified modular home cannot be denied a building permit to be placed on a mobile home lot, on a lot in an RV park, or in a mobile home condominium, cooperative or subdivision.

Two 2026 laws (HB 399 and HB 803) changed how cities and counties treat these homes. These rules have been in effect since July 1, 2026, through HB 803.

Modular homes, and manufactured homes treated as real property, must be allowed as of right in any zoning district where detached single-family homes are allowed.
No zoning rule may treat them more strictly than a site-built home in the same district.
Cities and counties can keep design, setback, height and bulk rules that apply equally to site-built homes, plus limited rules on roof pitch, living area, exterior finish, foundation skirting, attached structures such as porches, and setbacks, lot size and how the home faces on the lot.
HOA covenants and deed restrictions are not covered, so check them.

In a mobile home park with 10 or more lots for rent, the park must give mobile home owners 90 days' written notice before a lot rent increase. This also covers a park model on a mobile home lot, but not spaces rented for RVs. For tiny home lot leases in general, see lot rent.

ADUs

Florida law lets a city or county allow ADUs in single-family zones, but it does not require them. Bills to require them died in 2025 and 2026. So it is city by city:

St. Petersburg allows ADUs in more neighborhoods since 2022, on lots that meet its size rules, up to 800 square feet or 67 percent of the main home, whichever is less, and the owner does not have to live on site.
Sarasota County allows ADUs of up to 750 square feet in some residential districts.

For one real example of a small home in a backyard, see this backyard tiny home.

Other things to know

A state study of tiny homes. A 2026 law has the state's research office study whether tiny homes can help meet the need for affordable housing, with a report due by the end of 2027.
Septic. The program moved to the Department of Environmental Protection in 2021. DEP permits directly in Northwest Florida and Marion County; elsewhere you apply through the county health department. Get a site evaluation before you buy rural land.
Composting toilets. State rules let a composting toilet be approved if it meets the national standard (NSF/ANSI 41). Sink and shower water, and liquid from the toilet, still need an approved septic or sewer system. See composting toilets.
Wells. A well needs a permit from your water management district or the county that handles it.
Insurance. Check the flood map and get insurance quotes before you close. In a high-risk flood zone, a federally regulated or insured lender will require flood insurance.

Where to start

Not sure which office covers your land? USA.gov's local government finder points to a directory of Florida's counties and cities, with their websites and contacts.
Call the city or county planning office for the land. Ask how it is zoned, the minimum home size, whether homes on wheels are allowed outside RV parks, and whether ADUs are allowed and how big.
Call the local building department. Ask which code edition applies, whether the tiny house appendix has been adopted, and the wind and flood design for the lot.
Call DEP or the county health department about septic before you buy.
If you need a well, contact your water management district.
For a home on wheels or a park model, title the trailer through DHSMV. A trailer under 2,000 pounds cannot be titled. For a manufactured home, use a licensed installer. For a modular home, look for the state insignia.
Ask the title company about HOA rules and deed restrictions. The 2026 law does not override them.

Living in Florida

How Florida compares with the other 49 states on the things people weigh before a move. Figures as of November 2026.

Happiness score (WalletHub 2026). 53.44 out of 100, 21st happiest
Cost of living (MERIC, Q2 2026; U.S. average is 100). 100.8, 19th highest
State income tax on wages. None
Property tax, effective rate on owner-occupied homes (Tax Foundation, 2024 data). 0.78 percent, 24th lowest
Homeowners insurance, average a year with $400,000 in dwelling coverage (NerdWallet 2026; U.S. average $2,490). $2,845
Health care (U.S. News 2026). 20th
Education (U.S. News 2026). 3rd
Average temperature, 1991 to 2020. 71.4 degrees F
Average precipitation, 1991 to 2020. 54.4 inches a year
Sunshine in Tampa. 66 percent of daylight hours, 101 clear days a year

Florida has no state income tax and sits near the national average on cost of living. U.S. News ranks it 8th overall and 3rd in education, and WalletHub ranks it 21st happiest. The state averages about 71 degrees, and Tampa sees sun in about 66 percent of daylight hours.

Rankings mix many factors, and statewide averages hide big differences between regions. Weather and sunshine where you plan to live matter more than the state average.

Tiny home communities in Florida

We list communities only after checking them on their own websites. Rules, prices and openings change, so contact each one before you plan around it.

Circle Pond Tiny Community, Ruskin. Spaces for monthly or yearly rent for permanent tiny home living. Waitlist.
Orlando Lakefront, Orlando. A former RV park turned tiny home community, with monthly lot leases. Most homes are on wheels.
Escape Tampa Bay Village, Thonotosassa. You buy an ESCAPE home and rent the lot. Not bring-your-own.
Peacewind, Cocoa. A tiny home and small cottage community that says it is zoned for permanent homes. Lots for rent. Its site says lots for sale are coming soon, so ask.
Lakeshore at Lake Andrew, Oxford. A cottage-style community selling new homes from a set list of floor plans, the smallest from $159,500. Ask about lot terms and age rules.

RV parks that take tiny homes. We are seeing more RV parks take tiny homes as long-term homes. Each of these says on its own website that it takes tiny homes for long-term stays.

Gracious Tiny House Park, Okeechobee. Long-term leases for tiny houses on wheels, with full-time residents of all ages.
The Preserve at The Outpost RV Resort, Winter Haven. Tiny home sites on a one-year lease.

Tours we have filmed in Florida

We have filmed many tiny homes in Florida. Here are some of them. Each video description says more about the home and, where the owner is happy to share it, where it is.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you live in a tiny home full time in Florida?

Yes, on a permanent foundation where zoning allows a house and the home meets the Florida Building Code. On wheels, it is up to the city or county, since state law treats park models as seasonal or temporary living quarters. RV parks and tiny home communities are the places to start.

Does Florida use Appendix Q for tiny houses?

The tiny house appendix is printed in the Florida Building Code, Residential, but it applies only where a county or city adopts it, as Palm Beach County has. Ask your building department.

Are tiny houses on wheels legal in Florida?

Yes, to own. To tow one on Florida roads, the state's road limits apply, including a width of no more than 102 inches (8 feet 6 inches). DHSMV titles the trailer of a self-built tiny home if it weighs 2,000 pounds or more, and where you can live in one is up to the city or county.

Can I put a tiny home in my backyard in Florida?

Only if your city or county allows ADUs. State law lets local governments allow them but does not require it, and the 2026 bill to require them did not pass.

Do Florida cities have to allow modular or manufactured homes?

Yes, since July 1, 2026. Modular homes and manufactured homes treated as real property must be allowed as of right wherever detached single-family homes are allowed, and zoning cannot treat them more strictly than site-built homes. Limited design rules, such as roof pitch, can still apply. HOA covenants are not covered.

Sources

This page explains the rules in general terms and is not legal advice. Local rules vary. Confirm with your city or county before you buy land or a home.