Tiny Homes have been taking the internet and world by storm, especially in the good old sunshine state Florida. A tiny home is a smaller version of a house, usually falling between 100 to 400 square feet. There isn't really a guideline to sizing but they generally don't venture beyond the 400 square foot range. 

When owning a tiny home there are still plenty of rules and regulations you need to follow. Below this article, we will go over some of these rules and regulations when owning a tiny home in Florida.

1. What Counties Allow Tiny Homes

Florida is generally very accepting of the tiny home community, however, you still need to check with the county you're moving to in order to make sure they are, in fact, allowed. Going to your local jurisdiction office will help you find out if you are able to build or place a tiny home on your property by checking the zoning and building ordinances. 

These are some of the counties that allow tiny homes already, some of those include:

• Orange County

• Osceola County 
• Petersburg
• Sarasota County
  

Each of these counties does have its own rules and regulations for tiny homeowners to abide by, however. Some restrictions and rules could include how you build and develop your home and what you can do with it as well. As long as you follow the rules you shouldn't run into any trouble when building your forever tiny home.

Certain counties also enforce a minimum square footage rule. Some counties you can keep on your radar include:

• Dixie County
• Levy County
• Hamilton County
  

There are plenty more to choose from but these are just a few of the counties that require the 600 square footage or mpre rule. 

2. Rules and Regulations you Have to Know

There are plenty of counties within the sunshine state that are coming to love the idea of tiny homes. However, even with Florida becoming more comfortable with it, there are still lots of rules and regulations to go over before owning one.

For example, Ormond Beach is one of the most famously known spots for tiny homes and tiny home builders. However, if you want to travel with your tiny home that is where you could run into some problems. You will need to know where you can park your tiny home on wheels. If you are going to set up your home in an RV park you have to move it every 45 days according to the regulations. 

On top of you having to move it, you'll also need to invest in a foundation for your home for those 45 days. As another part of the regulation, your home will have to be registered under the Department of Motor Vehicles in Florida. Something else to watch out for when traveling between counties is the different codes for building and ordinance as rules may change from county to county. 

St. Petersburg is another spot tiny home lovers flock to, however, their square footage requirements are a must and have to be met. Whichever plan you have chosen for your lovely little home it has to be more than 375 square feet but no bigger than 700 square feet. The general minimum of this county is 400 square feet in order to be qualified.

3. The Sizing of Your Tiny Home

Florida has incredibly specific rules about the minimum and overall size of your tiny home, meaning they will decide just how tiny your tiny home can be. Each housing area has different expectations such as a minimum size could be 1,500 square feet. It is dependent on where you are and what you should expect out of each area.

The best thing you can do when searching for your spot is to look into the counties that have no minimum square footage on tiny homes. Some of the best counties for this include:

• City of Oviedo
• City of Casselberry
• City of Longwood
  

These areas do not have the minimum square footage to worry about when moving your tiny home there. The general public of the tiny home community wants or needs to have the tiny home aspect. Generally, this means they want under 1000 Square footage to achieve that tiny feel they desire.

Some counties others invest in can have higher minimum square footage requirements such as:

• Columbia County
• Pasco County
• Wakulla County
  

All of these counties and quite a few more require your tiny home to have 700 square footage or less in order to qualify and meet the requirements. If you're looking for some of the tiniest footage restrictions then the counties for you include:

• St. Petersburg 
• Pasco County
  

St.Petersburg and Pasco County and others, fall between the 375 and 450 square foot mark which is pretty small, even for a tiny home.

4. Where can you find land for your tiny home

Finding the perfect plot of land for your tiny home is a much bigger task than one might think. Purchasing a piece of land for a tiny home endeavor may not be possible in the county in which you live.  People wanting an off-grid lifestyle may find it harder to achieve than originally thought as it may not be legal where you are.

Before you go out and buy your perfect little plot of land it is an absolute must that you check your local zoning and land use regulations before buying. Knowing what you want out of your tiny home is a good start to figuring out what piece of land best suits you. 

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Is this home going to be a vacation spot, all year round house or maybe just a seasonal thing? Whatever you choose will affect where you put your home and how you use it, along with figuring out which zone fits you best. If you have concerns about the land you're interested in buying for your home and want to make sure you can build there, you should contact your local building officials for help and advice.

Lastly, using this list and checking with your zoning and building offices before buying land or moving counties, will help you find the right spot. Florida is incredibly accepting of tiny homes and the tiny home community. Doing your research before making the big jump to a tiny home will benefit you. Hopefully, this list will assist you with the regulations and rules that may follow after you've found your dream spot for your tiny home.