Fort Myers, FL Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)
ADU rules in Fort Myers, FL, also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances, cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Key Facts
- Minimum lot size
- 10,000 sq ft
- Max guesthouse size
- 1,200 sq ft or 40% of home
- Owner occupancy
- Owner must be full-time resident
- Renting
- Leasing or renting prohibited
- Eligible districts
- RS-E, RS-5, RS-6, RS-7, RS-D, RM-12, RM-16
Summary
Fort Myers allows one non-commercial guesthouse per single-family lot in RS-E, RS-5, RS-6, RS-7, RS-D, RM-12 and RM-16 districts, but only for an owner-occupant housing family: never as a rental.
Non-commercial guesthouses are only permitted where the property owner is a full-time resident of the subject property. Full time resident means living at the residence for at least nine months of the year and possessing a current Florida Homestead Exemption for that property from the Lee County Property Appraiser. The property owner may reside in either the non-commercial guesthouse or the principal dwelling unit.D.Leasing or renting of non-commercial guesthouses prohibited. No guesthouse, whether freestanding or structurally integrated with the principal dwelling unit, may be leased, rented or utilized for commercial purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Fort Myers Land Development Code § 118.3.11 lets homeowners add one non-commercial guesthouse on lots of at least 10,000 square feet in the RS-E, RS-5, RS-6, RS-7, RS-D, RM-12 and RM-16 districts, but only where the owner is a full-time resident holding a current Lee County Homestead Exemption on that address. The unit cannot be leased, rented or used commercially: it houses children, elderly parents or other dependents. It is capped at 1,200 square feet or 40 percent of the principal dwelling's living area, whichever is smaller, with a 400-square-foot minimum, one bedroom maximum, one extra dedicated parking space, and a certificate of occupancy. Garage apartments vested before this rule instead follow separate chapter 98, article IV standards.
Violations & Fines
Building without a certificate of occupancy, leasing the unit, or exceeding the size or entrance-visibility standards is a code violation prosecutable via the code enforcement board or under Fort Myers Code of Ordinances § 1-14.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out a Fort Myers guesthouse?
How big can a Fort Myers guesthouse be?
Do older garage apartments in Fort Myers follow these guesthouse rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
How Fort Myers compares: Easiest Cities to Build an ADU·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Myers to another location·View the Florida accessory structures overview
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ADU Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle adu rules.