Florida lawmakers could, once again, consider legalizing "granny flats."
Also known as accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, they're additional living quarters on single-family home lots — like a converted garage or a detached studio.
A bill filed by Florida Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville), SB48, would require cities and counties to adopt or amend an ordinance to allow ADUs in specified areas.
ADU law would do away with home rule
State law currently leaves the regulation of ADUs up to local governments.
In Florida, where there are more than 400 municipalities, this has led to a lot of variety in the rules around the additional living spaces, according to Kody Glazer, the chief legal and policy officer of the Florida Housing Coalition.
"We have over 400 different ways that ADU laws are structured, right? And sometimes it's hard for, like, individual homeowners that aren't really experienced developers to be able to navigate those processes," Glazer said.
If those processes were standardized, he said, it's estimated that between 30,000 and 60,000 ADUs could be built in the next decade.
Death by vacation rental (regulations)
Since they're typically smaller units that can be rented at low cost, ADUs are often touted as part of the affordable housing solution in Florida.
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But, Glazer said, not everybody is on board.
"I think the main counterargument — I see this all the time, even before these bills were filed — is this, like, concern over short-term rentals and fear that if you allow ADUs, then you just open up these party houses, which sometimes I don't think is entirely fair."
Last year, disagreement over whether to permit or prohibit ADUs as short-term rentals — and how to regulate that — killed a bill similar to SB48 in the final hours of the session.
"The bill was like zoomin' through the process. It was ready to pass, and it ultimately died on, literally, the last like hour of session over disagreements between the House and Senate about how to regulate short-term rentals," he said.
The Senate version, SB184, proposed giving municipalities the authority to prevent ADUs from being rented for less than a month. House lawmakers disagreed.
Now, ahead of the 2026 legislative session, both versions of the bill include the short-term rental provision.
Glazer said he expects another showdown over vacation rental regulations come spring, if lawmakers take up the issue of standardizing ADUs in Florida.
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. Here’s how you can share your story with her.
