Tampa homeowners turn to backyard units as housing costs climb

For years, Tampa homeowners hoping to turn a backyard cottage, garage apartment or detached “in-law suite” into housing for anyone outside the family had few options under city rules.

A zoning change approved in 2024 opened that possibility to more neighborhoods. Now city officials are pointing to the first wave of projects as one small piece of Tampa’s effort to address its housing shortage.

In the years since the regulations changed, 28 homeowners started the process of adding an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, to their properties, city officials announced this week. Seven have completed construction.

Among those moving forward is Sulphur Springs homeowner Hope Kiriisa, who is nearing completion of an approximately 400-square-foot unit behind her home on North Marks Street.

Kiriisa said she envisioned the space as something that could change with her family’s needs — housing for aging parents, a home office, a recreation room or a rental that could provide additional income.

“I have aging parents, so I wanted to have that as an option in the future,” Kiriisa says in the release. “But I also wanted the flexibility to use it as a home office, a rec room or a rental unit. I wanted an open-concept space so that I could decide how to use it.”

Accessory dwelling units are independent living quarters built on the same property as a primary home. Sometimes called garage apartments, backyard cottages, tiny homes or in-law suites, they typically include a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area.

Because they are smaller than most houses and apartments, city officials say the units can add relatively lower-cost housing to the area without requiring large apartment developments or substantial changes to a neighborhood’s appearance.

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“Accessory dwelling units give homeowners alternative housing opportunities to serve immediate family needs or create a possible rental opportunity,” Mayor Jane Castor says in the release. “We are proud to see Tampa homeowners taking advantage of these opportunities and finding creative ways to make their homes work for them.”

The ADU changes are part of Tampa’s wider effort to create 10,000 affordable housing opportunities under Castor, who announced the target after taking office in 2019. In May, city officials said more than 8,300 affordable units had been completed or were in development, including approximately 4,100 finished homes and about 4,000 in active development. Tampa invested more than $100 million in housing initiatives and assistance programs during that period, according to city figures.

Castor says the city is unlikely to reach the full 10,000-unit goal before her term ends in 2027.

ADUs offer a different strategy from major developments such as West River, Rome Yard and the planned North Downtown redevelopment. Rather than concentrating hundreds of homes on a single site, accessory units add housing one backyard at a time — an approach sometimes described by planners as “gentle density.”

Tampa’s previous regulations limited conventional ADUs primarily to Seminole Heights and the area around Lowry Park. Elsewhere, secondary residences generally could be created only for relatives.

The 2024 changes expanded the areas where ADUs are allowed and relaxed the city’s owner-occupancy requirement. Property owners may now live in either the main house or the accessory unit, allowing the other residence to be rented.

The rules do not, however, make ADUs available on every residential lot. Homeowners must verify that their property falls within an eligible area and comply with zoning, parking, setback and permitting requirements. Tampa’s general standards allow an ADU of up to 950 square feet and require one parking space for the unit, according to the city’s ADU guide.

Of course, there’s no guarantee these units will become affordable housing for the city. That’s up to homeowners. City officials have also said ADUs may be used as short-term rentals because Florida law limits local governments’ ability to regulate vacation rentals, raising the possibility that some units could serve tourists instead of long-term residents.

For Kiriisa, who works in project management, navigating construction became a project of its own. She said meeting directly with city employees helped her understand the requirements and reinforced the importance of researching the process and hiring qualified professionals.

City officials recommend that interested homeowners begin by checking whether their property is eligible before spending money on designs or construction plans. Information about eligible areas and development standards is available on the city’s ADU website.