AskCodeMan

Inspected what is currently a halfway house last week that had 2 kitchens in it. The place was old (40's) and most likely everything done there like the addition, 2nd kitchen etc. was done illegally.

My question is; Is there a special zoning or occupancy that allows for 2 kitchens in what should be considered a single family residence?

I seem to remember a code section allowing only one kitchen in a single family residence. Thanks.

David McCabe

David,

The number of kitchens allowed per dwelling would be a local zoning regulation.

From the Florida Building Code, Residential:
[RB] DWELLING. Any building that contains one or two dwelling units used, intended, or designed to be built, used, rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied, or that are occupied for living purposes.

[RB] DWELLING UNIT. A single unit providing complete independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.

Note that a dwelling must contain "provisions for", but does not state a limit on how many "provisions for".

The reason for zoning limiting the number of kitchens is an attempt to limit the "dwelling" to one "dwelling unit", but using a "dwelling" as a halfway house already alters it from the "typical" single-family occupants, yet does not actually change any "occupancy" or "use" as the Residential code has neither.