Pembroke Pines, FL Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

The Pembroke Pines Code of Ordinances does not contain an owner-occupancy requirement for accessory dwelling units. Florida HB 1031 (2024), codified at FL Statute §163.31771, encourages local governments to allow ADUs in single-family zones and to avoid overly restrictive conditions; while not an absolute preemption of all local ADU regulation, the statute reflects state policy disfavoring owner-occupancy mandates. Practically, an owner who rents both the primary dwelling and the ADU faces no Pembroke Pines zoning-based occupancy condition. Florida Homestead Exemption rules — FL Constitution Article VII §6 and FL Statute §196.031 — limit the homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes 3% assessment cap to the owner's actual primary residence. If the owner moves out and rents both units, the homestead exemption is lost, property taxes increase substantially, and the Save Our Homes cap resets to current market value. The most binding occupancy rules in Pembroke Pines come from the master-planned communities: Pembroke Falls, Pembroke Lakes, SilverLakes, Chapel Trail, and Spring Valley all have mandatory-membership HOAs whose declarations under FL Chapter 720 commonly restrict accessory occupancy, rental terms, and the number of unrelated occupants. Those private restrictions are enforceable through the association independent of city law. Broward County source-of-income protections under Broward County Code Chapter 16 1/2 prohibit landlord discrimination against Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher tenants in the rental market.