Fort Myers, FL Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)
Garage conversion rules in Fort Myers, FL, sometimes called garage-to-ADU or accessory living unit conversions, govern permits, ceiling height, egress, and parking replacement.
Key Facts
- New garage apartments
- Banned citywide except Dean Park Historic District
- Vesting cutoff
- Must have been rented by Dec. 31, 2002
- Annual renewal fee
- $50, due by October 1
- Enforcement
- Referred to code enforcement, City Code ch. 2
Summary
Fort Myers bars new garage-apartment conversions in every single-family zoning district except the Dean Park Historic District; older garage apartments needed 2004 registration to keep operating.
No new garage apartments shall be permitted to be constructed in any single-family zoning district except the Dean Park Historic District.b.Garage apartments registered pursuant to this section shall be treated as a lawful nonconforming use subject to the additional standards contained in this section.c.Registered garage apartments will be permitted to continue the residential occupancy and rental of the apartment until January 1, 2007, after which the occupancy of the garage apartment shall be limited to only members of the family consistent with single-family residential use. These structures must comply with applicable Life Safety Code regulations.d.Code enforcement of non-designated accessory structures used as garage apartments. Any accessory structure which has not received a written designation as a garage apartment pursuant to the foregoing registration and designation process or approved as a non-commercial guesthouse pursuant to an administrative approval per section 98.3.6.E. of this Code will be presumed not to be a permitted garage apartment. Residential occupancy and use of an accessory structure for living and sleeping quarters without it being designated and registered as a garage apartment pursuant to the foregoing provisions of the Land Development Code is prohibited and is subject to code enforcement pursuant to the chapter 2 of the City Code. (Ord. No. 3422, 3, 1-14-2008; Ord. No. 3840, § 1(Exh. A), 9-19-2018; Ord. No. 3883, § 1(Exh. A), 1-6-2020)
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
The Land Development Code treats a "garage apartment", a detached accessory building converted to separate living and sleeping quarters, as a use the city no longer allows to be created outside the Dean Park Historic District. A garage apartment already rented before December 31, 2002 could register as "vested," pay a $50 annual renewal fee due each October 1, and keep operating under conditions such as owner-occupancy of the main house and Life Safety Code compliance. Any accessory structure occupied as living quarters without that registration is presumed an unpermitted garage apartment and referred to code enforcement.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or renting an unregistered garage apartment is presumed an unpermitted use and gets referred to code enforcement under chapter 2 of the City Code; missing the annual renewal can also cost a structure its vested status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert my garage into an apartment in Fort Myers?
What happens if I rent out an unregistered garage apartment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Myers to another location·View the Florida accessory structures overview
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Garage Conversions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle garage conversions.