Lee County, FL Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Lee County, 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.
Key Facts
- Tiny-home category
- Not used in the code
- Accessory dwelling units
- One per single-family residence
- Size cap
- 60 percent of principal residence
- Parking
- One additional on-site space
- RV as a home
- Prohibited as permanent residence
Summary
The Land Development Code has no tiny-home category. A small second unit behind a house is an accessory dwelling unit under Section 34-1177, limited to one per single-family residence and 60 percent of the main home's living area.
The maximum living area for the accessory apartment or accessory dwelling unit is 60 percent of the living area of the principal, single-family residence.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7 | Land Development Code: Supplement 3 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Section 34-2 defines an accessory dwelling unit as a living unit subordinate to a single-family home, either attached with cooking facilities or detached with or without them, that could be made available for rent or lease. Section 34-1177 allows a maximum of one accessory apartment or one accessory dwelling unit per principal single-family residence, caps its living area at 60 percent of the principal residence's living area, requires one additional on-site parking space beyond the normal requirement, and requires a lawfully existing lot of record or a lot meeting the district's minimum area, width and depth. A tiny home on wheels is a different problem: Section 34-762 expressly prohibits using a recreational vehicle as a permanent residence.
Violations & Fines
Building or occupying an unpermitted second unit is a Land Development Code violation heard by the County Hearing Examiner, with fines of $25 to $1,000 per day, or $50 to $5,000 for repeats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are tiny homes legal in unincorporated Lee County?
Can I live in a tiny home on wheels on my lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lee County to another location·View the Florida accessory structures overview
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