Sarasota, FL Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

Sarasota created its accessory dwelling unit rules to let homeowners, especially seniors, single parents and families with grown children, add a second income-producing unit without changing the look of a single-family block, per Section VII-602(cc)(1). Only one ADU is allowed per zoning lot and it does not count toward the lot's maximum density, but ADUs are barred outright in the Coastal Islands Overlay District and in cottage court housing developments, per (cc)(2)b-c. 1)c makes clear the city treats homestead exemption status, not a lease or a verbal claim, as the proof of which unit is owner-occupied.

The requirement applies whether the ADU is a garage conversion, an addition, or a new detached structure; the design standards elsewhere in (cc)(3) cap a Sarasota ADU at 650 square feet and set entrance, window and parking rules layered on top of the occupancy affidavit. Because the affidavit ties to the building-permit application itself, an applicant who cannot commit to owner-occupancy in one of the two units cannot obtain the ADU permit for these zones as the code is currently written.