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…