What each city and county around Oviedo and Orlando allows for accessory dwelling units — summarised from the code sections we read in October 2026, with links to the source.
We typically reply the same business day.
Short answer: most places around Oviedo allow some form of ADU, but the rules differ sharply. Oviedo and the City of Orlando allow one per lot with a permit; unincorporated Seminole County allows one with owner occupancy and leases of at least 30 days; unincorporated Orange County allows them on homestead property only; Winter Springs requires a conditional-use hearing; Sanford allows one for the owner, family or a caretaker; Longwood treats them as accessory structures; Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs, Winter Park and Maitland allow only guest houses or cottages that can't be rented; Winter Garden, Kissimmee and St. Cloud allow them with permits (Winter Garden and Kissimmee on homesteaded lots); and Casselberry has no ADU ordinance yet. Checked October 2026 by Right Image Inc — rules change, so we confirm them for your parcel.
Each row summarises the ADU section we read for that jurisdiction in October 2026, with a link to the source. Tap a code section to read it.
| Jurisdiction | ADUs allowed? | Key limits | Code section |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Oviedo | Yes — with a zoning permit | Size: the lesser of 1,000 sq ft or 50% of the main structure, measured under roof; One ADU per lot; not on non-conforming lots or lots that already have more than one dwelling; No taller than the main structure is allowed to be; not in front of the main house | Oviedo Land Development Code Sec. 5.10 (amended by Ord. 1762, Feb. 2026) |
| City of Winter Springs | Yes — by conditional use (two public hearings) | Owner occupancy, recorded in a declaration of restrictions before the building permit; Residential leasing only; no separate sale; Must meet the main house's setbacks | Winter Springs City Code Sec. 6-85, per the city's ADU conditional-use application |
| Unincorporated Seminole County | Yes — by right or administrative approval | Size: the lesser of 50% of the main home's living area or 1,100 sq ft (1,600 sq ft on A-3, A-5, A-10 and A-1 parcels over 3 acres); 700 sq ft always allowed — for complete applications from Aug. 1, 2026; One ADU per lot; the main house's setbacks apply; One off-street parking space served by the main driveway | Seminole County Land Development Code Sec. 30.6.1.3 (amended July 14, 2026) |
| City of Casselberry | Not currently — no ADU ordinance | No ADU use in the city's land development regulations as of October 2026; Accessory structures over 500 sq ft need conditional-use approval and carry a no-dwelling condition | Casselberry Planning & Zoning staff report, Oct. 14, 2026 (ULDR Sec. 2-7.9)) |
| City of Longwood | Yes, as an accessory structure — confirm the path | Accessory-structure setbacks and site standards of the district apply; A current survey is required for an ADU permit; Downtown historic area: accessory structures in rear or side yards only | Longwood Development Code §5.3.0 (Accessory structures) |
| City of Lake Mary | Guest house only, A-1 and R-CE | A-1 and R-CE districts only; Family or non-paying guests; no rental; Sized as a share of the main house's floor area; one off-street parking space | Lake Mary Zoning Code §154.14(C) and §154.09 |
| City of Sanford | Yes — owner, family or caretaker occupancy | One unit; occupants limited to the owner, a relative of the owner-occupant or an on-site caretaker; All accessory buildings together no larger or taller than the main house; 200 sq ft and up must match its materials and style; One parking space per unit | Sanford Land Development Regulations, Schedule B and Schedule A §2.0 |
| City of Altamonte Springs | Not by right — guest houses in R-1AAA, R-1AA, R-1A | Guest houses only in R-1AAA, R-1AA and R-1A; one per home; With cooking facilities: conditional use after a public hearing; Lot coverage caps apply (30–45% by district) | Altamonte Springs LDC §3.6.2(k) and §3.6.3(c), per the city's guest-house FAQ |
| City of Orlando | Yes — permitted use | Size: up to 500 or 1,000 sq ft depending on district and lot size (in R-1, a 6,000 sq ft lot for up to 500 sq ft and 9,000 sq ft for up to 1,000 sq ft); always smaller than the house; house plus ADU at most 0.50 FAR; Lake Nona PD: one 1,000 sq ft ADU on any residential property; Southeast Orlando Sector (e.g. Laureate Park): up to 1,000 sq ft with no minimum lot size; Historic districts: up to 700 sq ft with a Certificate of Appropriateness | Orlando City Code Ch. 58, Part 3A (Secs. 58.500–58.501), per the city's ADU guide |
| Unincorporated Orange County | Homestead property only | Living area: no more than 50% of the main home's living area or 1,000 sq ft, as the county quotes Sec. 38-1426; Detached: at least 5 ft from the rear line (one story) or 15 ft (two stories), with the main house's side setbacks; No rentals of 180 days or less (R-3 exception) | Orange County Code Sec. 38-1426, per the county's ADU permit page |
| City of Winter Park | Guesthouse only — not a rentable ADU | Guesthouse or garage apartment: up to 1,000 sq ft; No kitchen, no separate meters, no rental; Occupants limited to guests, domestic staff or family of the main house | Winter Park Code Sec. 58-71(h)(10), as renumbered by Ord. 3295-24 (2024) |
| City of Maitland | Cottage residence — limited | No rental or separate-unit use outside RSF-D; No separate utility meter; Not in a required rear yard; the main house's yards apply | Maitland Land Development Code Sec. 4.3.4(e), as adopted in 2022 |
| City of Winter Garden | Yes — on homesteaded lots (Ord. 26-17, 2026) | Size: at least 300 sq ft, at most 1,200 sq ft and under 50% of the main house's living area; One ADU per lot; homesteaded lot; owner lives in the main house; One off-street space for the ADU on top of the house's two | Winter Garden Code Sec. 118-1310(k), as amended by Ordinance 26-17 (2026) |
| City of Kissimmee | Yes — LDC Sec. 14-6-2 | Size: 500 sq ft minimum; the lesser of 800 sq ft or 40% of the main house; One per lot; a detached ADU needs 1.5 times the district's minimum lot size; Main house owner-occupied with a homestead exemption | Kissimmee Land Development Code Sec. 14-6-2 |
| City of St. Cloud | Yes — permitted use | Permitted use in R-E, R-1, R-1A and R-1B; Standards in Sec. 3.14.30, under revision in 2026; Building permit required | St. Cloud Land Development Code Sec. 3.14.30 |
| Unincorporated Osceola County | Yes — accessory living unit | Permitted accessory use in single-family districts such as RS-1 and E-2; Standards in LDC Sec. 3.6.1.A, confirmed per lot; Celebration: design guidelines and architectural review apply | Osceola County Land Development Code Sec. 3.6.1.A |
Summaries for planning, not legal advice. Codes change and HOA covenants can be stricter than the code; we confirm the rules for your parcel with the zoning and building departments before design.
Oviedo allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, attached or detached, in its single-family, agricultural and downtown-neighborhood districts with a zoning permit and a building permit — no public hearing. The ADU must have its own entrance, kitchen and full bathroom, match the main house, sit no closer to the street than the house, and can't be sold separately.
Approval: Permitted use: zoning permit from the Land Use Administrator, then a building permit — no public hearing · Owner occupancy: None found in the ADU section · Rental: No ADU-specific rental rule found; the ADU can't be sold separately
Source: Oviedo Land Development Code Sec. 5.10 (amended by Ord. 1762, Feb. 2026) (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Oviedo Building Services
Winter Springs allows an attached or detached ADU only through a conditional-use approval: a community workshop, a Planning & Zoning Board recommendation and a City Commission decision, with notice to neighbors within 150 feet. The owner must live in the main house or the ADU, it may be leased only for residential use and can't be sold separately, and HOA covenants that prohibit ADUs block approval.
Approval: Conditional use: community workshop, Planning & Zoning Board recommendation, City Commission decision, then a building permit · Owner occupancy: Required (recorded declaration) · Rental: Residential leases only
Source: Winter Springs City Code Sec. 6-85, per the city's ADU conditional-use application (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Winter Springs Building Division
Unincorporated Seminole County — including Chuluota, Geneva and Black Hammock addresses outside city limits — allows one ADU per single-family lot: by right in A-3, A-5 and A-10, and with the Planning Manager's administrative approval in the R-1 districts, RC-1, A-1 and single-family PD lots, with no public hearing. The owner must live in one of the units, leases must run at least 30 days, and the ADU can't be sold separately.
Approval: By right in A-3, A-5 and A-10; Planning Manager approval during the building-permit zoning review elsewhere — no hearing · Owner occupancy: Required (notarized owner acknowledgment) · Rental: Leases of at least 30 days; no short-term rentals
Source: Seminole County Land Development Code Sec. 30.6.1.3 (amended July 14, 2026) (checked October 2026) · Permits: Seminole County Building Division
Casselberry has not adopted an ADU ordinance. City staff conditions on recent accessory-structure approvals state that an accessory structure may not be used as a dwelling unit until the city adopts one, so a separate rentable unit isn't available today. An attached in-law suite without a full kitchen, permitted as a room addition, is the usual alternative.
Approval: No ADU approval path; accessory structures over 500 sq ft need conditional use · Rental: Not applicable
Source: Casselberry Planning & Zoning staff report, Oct. 14, 2026 (ULDR Sec. 2-7.9) (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Casselberry Building Division
Longwood's development code treats accessory dwelling units, including mother-in-law suites, as accessory structures that must meet the setbacks and site standards of their district. One ADU in 2024 went through a conditional use permit before the City Commission, so we confirm the approval path and the size limit with the city for your lot before design.
Approval: Building permit as an accessory structure; a conditional use permit has been required in at least one case · Rental: Not addressed in the sections reviewed
Source: Longwood Development Code §5.3.0 (Accessory structures) (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Longwood Building Division
Lake Mary has no ADU use. A guest house or garage apartment is permitted only in the A-1 and R-CE districts, for family members of the main household or their non-paying guests — it can't be rented. It is sized as a share of the main house, keeps unity of title and needs one off-street space on the same driveway. The R-1 and R-2 districts allow only customary accessory uses.
Approval: Permitted use in A-1 and R-CE with a building permit · Owner occupancy: Family of the main household or non-paying guests · Rental: Not allowed
Source: Lake Mary Zoning Code §154.14(C) and §154.09 (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Lake Mary Building Division
Sanford allows one accessory dwelling unit inside the main house or one separate accessory residential structure on the lot. Either may be occupied only by the owner, a relative of the owner-occupant, or a caretaker employed on the premises. They're approved administratively in SR-1AA, SR-1A and SR-1 (with a published notice of approval) and by conditional use at a Planning and Zoning Commission hearing in other districts.
Approval: Administrative approval in SR-1AA, SR-1A and SR-1; conditional use (public hearing) in other districts · Owner occupancy: Occupancy limited to the owner, a relative or a caretaker · Rental: No rental to the general public provided for
Source: Sanford Land Development Regulations, Schedule B and Schedule A §2.0 (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Sanford Building Division
Altamonte Springs does not permit ADUs, granny flats or garage apartments by right anywhere in the city. A guest house without kitchen facilities is permitted in the R-1AAA, R-1AA and R-1A districts, one per home; a guest house with cooking facilities needs a conditional use approved by the Planning Board after a public hearing. The R-1 districts don't allow guest houses.
Approval: Guest house without a kitchen: building permit; with cooking facilities: conditional use (Planning Board hearing) · Rental: Not addressed in the city's guidance
Source: Altamonte Springs LDC §3.6.2(k) and §3.6.3(c), per the city's guest-house FAQ (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Altamonte Springs Building and Fire Safety
The City of Orlando allows one ADU per lot — attached, detached, above a garage or as a garage conversion — in all R and MXD districts and in O-1 and O-2, subject to minimum lot size. It is a permitted use, with appearance review alongside the building permit. Long-term rental is allowed and there is no owner-occupancy rule, but both units stay under one owner, and the ADU needs its own electric and water meters and a full kitchen.
Approval: Permitted use; a design matching the house is reviewed with the building permit, while alternative designs and corner lots need an Appearance Review Determination first · Owner occupancy: Not required; one owner for both units · Rental: Long-term leases allowed; under 30 days needs home-sharing registration
Source: Orlando City Code Ch. 58, Part 3A (Secs. 58.500–58.501), per the city's ADU guide (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Orlando Permitting Services
Unincorporated Orange County allows an attached or detached ADU only on homestead property: the main home and the ADU must stay under one owner, who must live in one of them, and the certificate of occupancy is held until the parcel qualifies as homestead. Long-term rental is allowed; rentals of 180 days or less are prohibited. The county's Ready Set Orange program offers free pre-reviewed ADU floor plans.
Approval: Building permit through Fast Track Online Services, with zoning and plan review · Owner occupancy: Required; homestead property only · Rental: Long-term only (more than 180 days)
Source: Orange County Code Sec. 38-1426, per the county's ADU permit page (checked October 2026) · Permits: Orange County Division of Building Safety
Winter Park doesn't allow a rentable ADU. Guesthouses and garage apartments of up to 1,000 sq ft are permitted only to house guests, domestic staff or family members of the main house, with no kitchen or cooking facilities, no separate utility meters and no rental of any kind, and they can't be occupied before the main house is finished.
Approval: Permitted accessory use with a building permit · Owner occupancy: Occupancy limited to guests, staff or family · Rental: Prohibited
Source: Winter Park Code Sec. 58-71(h)(10), as renumbered by Ord. 3295-24 (2024) (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Winter Park Building & Permitting Services
Maitland permits a 'cottage residence' by right in its RSF-1, RSF-2, RSF-3 and RSF-D single-family districts and several others, but outside RSF-D it may not be rented or used as a separate dwelling unit, except by people who provide services only to that property. It has no separate utility meter, a deed restriction is recorded first in RSF-1, -2 and -3, and the occupant needs one dedicated parking space.
Approval: Permitted by right with a building permit; a deed restriction is recorded first in RSF-1, -2 and -3 · Rental: Not allowed outside RSF-D
Source: Maitland Land Development Code Sec. 4.3.4(e), as adopted in 2022 (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Maitland Building Permits
Winter Garden made an ADU a permitted accessory use in 2026 (Ordinance 26-17) on a homesteaded lot with one single-family home, across its single-family districts, residential PUDs and the Historic Downtown overlay. One ADU per lot, the owner must live in the main house, and the ADU needs a full kitchen and bath. Standard residential leases are allowed; rentals under 30 days are not, and the ADU can't be sold separately.
Approval: Permitted accessory use: zoning and building permits · Owner occupancy: Required — owner occupies the main house; homestead lot · Rental: Standard leases; nothing under 30 days
Source: Winter Garden Code Sec. 118-1310(k), as amended by Ordinance 26-17 (2026) (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Winter Garden Building Division
Kissimmee's land development code allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot that meets the district's minimum lot size. The ADU must be 500 to 800 sq ft and no more than 40% of the main house, the main house must be owner-occupied with a homestead exemption, and a detached ADU needs a lot 1.5 times the district minimum. Whether your district needs a conditional-use review, we confirm with the city first.
Approval: Building permit subject to Sec. 14-6-2; conditional-use review in some districts — confirmed per lot · Owner occupancy: Required — homesteaded main house · Rental: Not addressed in the sections reviewed
Source: Kissimmee Land Development Code Sec. 14-6-2 (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of Kissimmee Development Services
St. Cloud lists accessory dwelling units as a permitted use in its single-family districts (R-E, R-1, R-1A and R-1B) under LDC Sec. 3.14.30, and ADUs are a standard building-permit type with the city. The size, occupancy and parking standards sit in Sec. 3.14.30, which the city was revising in 2026 (Ordinance 2026-17), so we confirm the current standards for your lot before design.
Approval: Permitted use with a building permit · Rental: Confirmed per lot
Source: St. Cloud Land Development Code Sec. 3.14.30 (checked October 2026) · Permits: City of St. Cloud Building Department
Unincorporated Osceola County lists an 'accessory living unit / guest home' as a permitted accessory use in single-family districts such as RS-1 and E-2. Its size, rental and siting standards are in LDC Sec. 3.6.1.A, which we confirm for your lot. In Celebration, the community's design guidelines and architectural review also govern any new structure, so that review comes first.
Approval: Permitted accessory use with an application and a building permit · Rental: Confirmed per lot
Source: Osceola County Land Development Code Sec. 3.6.1.A (checked October 2026) · Permits: Osceola County Building Office
Florida Statutes §163.31771 lets local governments allow accessory dwelling units in single-family zones but does not require it. It also says a building-permit application for an ADU allowed under that section must include an affidavit that the unit will be rented at an affordable rate, and those units count toward the local affordable-housing plan. A 2026 bill that would have required every local government to allow ADUs (SB 48) died in March 2026, so the local rules on this page still decide what you can build. Read §163.31771.
Two official programs can lower the cost of an ADU in our area. Both have conditions — read the program pages before you plan around them.
Our October 2026 planning range for an ADU or garage conversion in Greater Orlando is $50,000 – $180,000: a conversion that reuses an existing slab, walls and roof sits toward the lower end; a detached new-build cottage with a full kitchen and bath sits toward the upper end. See the room addition cost guide for what moves the number, and the ADU builder page for how we build them.
Quoted word for word from our Google Business Profile (Oct 2026). Reviewers name the work; we add nothing.
Right Image Inc. built my ADU and installed a new roof, and I’m very pleased with how everything turned out. Vladimir and his team were easy to work with, answered my questions, and paid attention to the details. Thank you for helping bring this project to life!
Thank you, Right Image Inc., for our new roof, stucco, and bathroom remodel! Our home looks refreshed, and we’re very happy with the results. Vladimir and his team were helpful throughout the project and took care of the details. We appreciate your hard work and highly recommend your services!
Excellent service at a reasonable price! They repaired a roof leak around a pipe vent, and I’m very happy with the work. I appreciate their help and would highly recommend them to anyone needing a roof repair.
Call (407) 993-6889 or send your project details — we’ll get right back to you.