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All About Florida’s Tiny Houses on Wheels
Florida, the Sunshine State, is at the forefront of the tiny home movement that has swept the internet and the globe.
One definition of a “tiny house” is a residence with a floor plan of 100 square feet (or less) to 400 square feet (or less). There is no set rule about size, but most are less than 400 square feet.
Even if you want to live in a tiny house, you must follow many laws and guidelines. This article will go through some of Florida law’s rules and requirements for people who own tiny homes.
1. In Which Counties Are Tiny Houses Allowed?
Although the state of Florida is typically highly tolerant of the tiny house community, you should still double-check with the county where you’re going to ensure that tiny homes are permitted.
You can find out if you can build or put a tiny house on your land by checking with the local authority office about zoning and building rules. The following are examples of counties that have approved Petersburg zoning:
- Petersburg
- Osceola County
- Sarasota County
Tiny houses are subject to different laws in each of these counties. What you may do with your home and how you develop it may be subject to specific rules and regulations.
As long as you follow the rules, building your long-awaited tiny home shouldn’t give you any trouble. However, mandatory minimum square footage is also in place in several counties. Some regions to keep an eye on are:
- Dixie County
- Hamilton County
- Levy County
These are just a few counties that follow the rule that a home must be at least 600 square feet, but there are many more you can choose to build your custom tiny home.
2. Rules and Regulations You Must Be Aware of
In some parts of the Sunshine State, tiny houses are becoming more and more popular. As a result, Florida is getting more open to the idea. However, you must overcome many hurdles before calling yourself a proud tiny house owner.
Ormond Beach is a place to think about if you want to own a tiny house. But you might run into trouble if you’re going to take your little house on the road. In an RV park, the rules say that people must move their homes every 45 days.
You will also need to spend money on a foundation for it. Register your house with Florida’s Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department.
St. Petersburg is another place people who like tiny houses like to go. First, however, their square footage must be satisfied.
No matter what design you choose for your cute little house, it must be at least 375 square feet and no more than 700 square feet. For this county, you must have at least 400 square feet.
3. Recommended Size for Your Tiny House
Suppose you want to construct a tiny house in Florida. In that case, you’ll have to follow the state’s strict rules, which include the minimum and maximum sizes allowed.
You might have to have at least 1,500 square feet in some places. Your expectations may differ depending on where you reside and how well you know the area.
The best thing to do is find a county that doesn’t have a minimum size for tiny homes. Some of the best counties for it are:
- The Oviedo County
- The Longwood County
- The Casselberry County
You won’t have to worry about meeting any square footage requirements if you move your tiny house to one of these zones. Most people who want or need to live in a small house want or need this.
In most cases, this translates to a preference for dwellings with floor plans of less than 1,000 square feet. However, minimum square footage restrictions may be higher in some counties, such as:
- Columbia County
- Pasco County
- Wakulla County
These counties and many more have minimum square footage criteria of 700 square feet or less for tiny homes to be legal and acceptable. If you want some of the smallest restrictions on how much land you can use, you should look at the following counties:
- Pasco County
- Petersburg
Tiny houses in Petersburg, Pasco County, and other nearby areas range from around 375 to 450 square feet, which is on the small side, even for a little house.
4. Where to Get Land for Your Tiny House
Finding the right piece of land for your tiny house is much harder than you think. For example, in the county where you live, you might need help to buy a piece of land for a tiny house.
Also, people who want to live off the grid might find it harder than they thought because it might not be legal where they live. Check your land use and local zoning laws before you go out and buy that perfect little plot of land.
Then, if you know what you want from your tiny house, you can figure out what land parcel will do the job for you.
Is this house going to be a place to go on vacation, a place to live all year, or just a short-term thing? Whatever you decide will affect where you put your house, how you use it, and which zone is best for you.
If you have questions about the land you want to buy for your home and want to be sure you can build a good structure there, you should talk to the people in charge of making in your area.
Lastly, you can find the right spot by using this list and checking with your local zoning and building offices before you buy land or move counties. Florida is very open to tiny homes and Its community.
Before you move into a tiny house, it will help you if you do some research. If you’ve found your dream spot for your tiny home, this list should help you figure out the rules and regulations that may come next.