Tiny home rules in Clearwater, FL — covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds — determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Clearwater treats tiny homes as accessory dwelling units or principal dwellings subject to Community Development Code minimums, with movable tiny homes generally prohibited on residential lots.
Clearwater does not have a freestanding tiny-home zoning category. A tiny home built to Florida Building Code Appendix Q standards may serve as an accessory dwelling unit under Article 3 if it does not exceed 750 square feet or 50 percent of the principal dwelling's floor area. Recreational vehicles, park trailers, and movable tiny homes on wheels cannot be used as permanent dwellings outside licensed mobile home or RV parks. As a principal dwelling, a tiny home must meet the minimum floor area of the underlying residential zoning district. Florida HB 557 frameworks for movable tiny homes do not override local zoning. Building permits and Florida Building Code review are required.
Living in an unpermitted tiny home or RV on a residential lot can result in code compliance citations, daily fines, and orders to remove the structure. Repeat occupancy can trigger municipal court action.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Pinellas County.
See how other cities in Pinellas County handle tiny homes.
See how Clearwater's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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