How Miramar Handles Accessory Structures: A Practical Guide

Miramar maintains 135 local ordinances across all categories, and 6 of those deal specifically with accessory structures. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Miramar falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Shed & Carport Rules

Miramar's Table 505-1 accessory-use standards cap utility sheds at 240 square feet and 10 feet tall, but only in the Rural, Estate, and Residential Single-Family 1 districts, where sheds need a 25-foot side and rear setback. Everywhere else on single-family, duplex, or triplex lots, sheds max out at 100 square feet and 8 feet tall with just a 3-foot side and rear setback.

Key details: RL/E/RS1 shed max: 240 sq ft, 10 ft tall. RL/E/RS1 side and rear setback: 25 feet. Other single-family shed max: 100 sq ft, 8 ft tall. Other single-family setback: 3 feet side and rear. Non-residential shed max: 200 sq ft, 10 ft tall.

Table 505-1's accessory-use standards are enforced through the LDC's general permitting requirement in Section 103.1, which bars any development or use of land without a prior development order or permit. A shed that exceeds the applicable square footage or height cap, sits closer to a property line than the table allows, or encroaches a utility, drainage, or bufferyard easement is a Code violation subject to a code compliance notice and correction order, and it can block issuance of a certificate of occupancy or completion for the structure.

ADU Rules

Miramar allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot as an accessory to a single-family detached home, capping it at 1,200 square feet, requiring it stay under 50% of the primary home's floor area and under two stories, per Land Development Code § 405.1.

Key details: ADUs allowed per lot: one maximum. Size cap: 1,200 sq ft, min 300 sq ft. Floor-area ratio limit: 50% of primary home. Height limit: two stories, never taller than house. Detached rear setback: 10 ft (1-story), 15 ft (2-story).

An ADU built over the 1,200-square-foot cap, taller than two stories, exceeding the primary home's height, or exceeding the 50%-of-floor-area ratio is a Land Development Code violation subject to code enforcement, which can require modification or removal of the noncompliant structure and, per § 405.1.6(k), bars the unit from creating or expanding any nonconformity on the lot.

ADU Rental Restrictions

Miramar's Land Development Code lets homeowners rent out an accessory dwelling unit to anyone, not just relatives, but the ADU must share utility meters with the main house and the owner must file an affidavit certifying compliance with city, county and state housing standards.

Key details: Renting to non-family allowed: yes, § 405.1.3. Separate utility meter: not permitted. Compliance affidavit: required from owner. State law cross-referenced: Fla. Stat. § 163.31771.

Renting an ADU without the § 405.1.5 compliance affidavit on file, or installing a separate utility meter in violation of § 405.1.4, is a Land Development Code violation enforceable through the city's code compliance process and can jeopardize the certificate of use for the accessory unit until the deficiency is corrected.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Miramar gives residents more flexibility on adu rental restrictions.

Garage Conversions

Miramar lets homeowners convert a detached garage or other accessory structure into an accessory dwelling unit, but only if the resulting unit is a permitted use and meets every ADU code requirement, and the conversion can never create or expand a zoning nonconformity.

Key details: Conversion allowed: yes, if fully code-compliant. Nonconformity created/expanded: never permitted. Must meet: all § 405.1.6 ADU standards. Governing section: LDC § 405.1.6(k).

Converting a garage into livable space without a permit, or in a way that creates or worsens a zoning nonconformity, violates § 405.1.6(k) and is enforced through the city's code compliance process, which can require the space be restored to non-habitable accessory use until it meets every ADU standard or is properly permitted.

Tiny Homes

Miramar's Land Development Code defines a tiny home as any residential structure under 600 square feet, then sets its own floor-area floor: Table 402-4 requires a minimum 300 square feet for a tiny house, the same minimum the table sets for accessory dwelling units.

Key details: Size ceiling: Under 600 square feet (§ 201). Minimum floor area: 300 square feet (Table 402-4). Same floor as: Accessory dwelling units (also 300 sq ft). Cross-reference: Table footnote points to LDC § 405. No dedicated subsection: Unlike ADUs' numbered § 405.1.

A residential structure marketed or built as a 'tiny home' that falls under the 300-square-foot Table 402-4 floor, or that reaches 600 square feet or more and no longer meets the Section 201 definition, does not qualify for tiny-house treatment and must instead comply with the standard minimum floor area and dimensional requirements of its zoning district; building without the required permits or below the applicable floor area is enforceable as a Land Development Code violation subject to the city's code enforcement process.

ADU Impact Fees

Every accessory dwelling unit approved in Miramar triggers impact fees covering police and fire protection, water and sewer capacity, and parks and recreation, assessed for the added burden the unit places on city services, under Land Development Code § 405.1.6(l).

Key details: Fee categories charged: police/fire, water/sewer, parks. Fee basis: per additional unit created. Applies to: every approved ADU. Governing section: LDC § 405.1.6(l).

Occupying or renting an ADU before the required police, fire, water/sewer and parks impact fees under § 405.1.6(l) have been paid is a Land Development Code compliance failure that can hold up issuance of the certificate of use or certificate of occupancy for the unit until the fees are satisfied.

The Bottom Line

Miramar's accessory structures rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Miramar is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Miramar's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.