Zoning explained · Broward County

Residential Office District Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Residential office district allowing professional/business/financial offices, organization headquarters, medical and dental clinics and hospitals, B&Bs and a limited accessory retail component, plus (by cross-reference) every use permitted in RMH-60 (multifamily, hotel, etc.). Merchandise sales/display/storage, trade schools, personal service shops, mortuaries and employment agencies are expressly prohibited and all uses must be inside a completely enclosed building.

3 buildings zoned RO20 permitted business types

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Insights › Zoning & land use › Fort Lauderdale — RO

Permitted uses

What you can operate in RO, Fort Lauderdale

The businesses the RO district in Fort Lauderdale allows. The ones on the left are permitted by right; the ones on the right need a special approval first. (Zoning codes are set by each municipality, so RO here means specifically Fort Lauderdale's RO district.)

Allowed by right

Professional, business and financial offices, not including sale, display, storage or handling of merchandise on the premisesOffice and headquarters of trade, business, labor, political, social, religious, economic or other similar organization, not including sale, display, storage or handling of merchandise on the premisesRetail and service facilities within an office building (barbershops, beauty shops, newsstands, retail stores for books, gifts, flowers, tobacco, drugs and sundries), limited to 25 percent of the building floor spaceMedical and dental clinics and hospitalsBed and breakfast dwellingsActive and Passive Park (Sec. 47-18.44)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Single Family Dwelling[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Single Family Dwelling, Attached: Cluster (Sec. 47-18.9)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Single Family Dwelling: Zero-lot-line (Sec. 47-18.38)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Single Family Dwelling, Attached: Duplex/Two (2) Family Dwelling (Sec. 47-18.45)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Single Family Dwelling, Attached: Townhouses (Sec. 47-18.33)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Single Family Dwelling, Attached: Rowhouse (Sec. 47-18.28)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Multifamily Dwelling: Coach Home (Sec. 47-18.10)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Multifamily use[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Community Residence, 3 residents maximum (Sec. 47-18.47)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Community Residence, 4 to 10 residents; 1,000' distance separation (Sec. 47-18.47)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Multifamily Dwelling[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Hotel (Sec. 47-18.16)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Social Service Residential Facility, Levels I-IV (Sec. 47-18.32)[via RMH-60, Sec. 47-5.60.D.1.a] Family Day Care Home, Small, Intermediate and Large Child Day Care Facility (Sec. 47-18.8)

With special approval

None noted for this district.

Build envelope

Development standards

Headline dimensional limits for this district. Confirm exact figures against the current code for your specific parcel.

StandardMax height 55 ft (33 ft when adjacent to or separated only by an alley from residential zoned more restrictive than RMM-25)

Siteresidential bldgs 5,000 sf and 50 ft wide; business/professional/financial offices 5,000 sf or 50 ft; other uses 10,000 sf and 100 ft; per dwelling unit same as RMM-25

Yardsfront 25 ft; side 10 ft or half bldg height (greater); rear 20 ft

Lot coverage by height1-11 ft 50%, 12-22 ft 45%, 23-33 ft 40%, 34-44 ft 35%, 45-55 ft 30%

StandardExcept accessory parking, all uses entirely within a completely enclosed building; no show/display windows

Standard6 ft 6 in masonry wall on property line abutting RS-4.4 or RS-8 if used other than single/two-family dwelling

StandardNo new rezoning to RO unless compliant with mixed-use regs (Sec. 47-18.21) and Flexibility Rules (Sec. 47-28), except in RAC land use

Accessory usesAccessory parking (Sec. 47-5.60.D.3.a); Signs accessory to a permitted use (restricted by Sec. 47-5.60.D.3.b); Accessory uses, buildings and structures per Sec. 47-19 (RMH-60 list item 7.a, incorporated by reference)

StandardRead from Sec. 47-5.60.D (Residential Office zoning districts); cross-ref Sec. 47-5.21 (RMH-60 use list); permitted = by right, conditional = needs conditional-use / special-exception approval

The fine print

In plain English

BY RIGHT No hearing needed

If your business is on the by-right list, you can occupy a space in this district and open — no zoning hearing. Building permits and licensing still apply, but the use itself is already allowed.

SPECIAL Approval first

Special-approval uses can work here too, but they go through a public review before opening. Plan for extra time and possible conditions — we'll tell you which path a space needs.

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