What Can I Build on a T5-O Lot in Miami?
On a T5-O lot you can build a mid-rise mixed-use building up to 5 stories, with apartments at up to 65 units per acre and retail, office, restaurants and hotels by right. Buildings can cover 80% of the lot, and the minimum lot is 5,000 SF (1,200 SF with rear vehicular access). On a 5,000 SF lot that's up to 7 units.
T5-O at a glance
| Rule | T5-O |
|---|---|
| Uses by right | Single-family, duplex, multifamily, hotel, inn, B&B, office, retail, restaurants, entertainment, places of assembly |
| By Warrant | Auto-related commercial, open-air retail, marine-related commercial |
| By Exception | Bars (alcohol beverage service) |
| Density | 65 units/acre |
| Max height | 5 stories (the code states no height in feet) |
| Benefit height | Up to 3 more stories in specified cases |
| Lot coverage | 80% (90% through the Flexible Lot Coverage Program) |
| FLR (floor lot ratio) | None stated (N/A) |
| Lot area | 5,000 SF min. (1,200 SF with rear vehicular access); 40,000 SF max. |
| Minimum lot width | 50 ft (16 ft with rear vehicular access) |
| Setback next to T3 | 10% of lot depth up to 39 ft high; 26 ft above 39 ft |
| Parking | 1.5 per unit + 1 visitor per 10 units; 3 per 1,000 SF commercial |
The worked example: a 5,000 SF lot
Footprint: 5,000 × 80% = 4,000 SF
Upper bound: 4,000 SF × 5 stories = 20,000 SF of building
Units round down, since 65 units per acre is a maximum. On a small T5 lot, density binds long before the envelope does: 7 units in a 20,000 SF envelope leaves room for big units or ground-floor retail. Land drives the count: 10,000 SF gets 14 units, 20,000 SF gets 29. Miami 21 sets no FLR for T5, so the envelope is a ceiling that setbacks and parking will cut.
Height
T5 is limited to 5 stories. Miami 21 measures T5 height in stories and states no maximum in feet. For scale, the code caps a story at 14 feet floor to floor, with a ground-level story up to 25 feet.
The code also allows a Benefit Height of up to 3 stories in specified cases, such as a lot abutting a D1 zone (but not one abutting T3), through the Public Benefits Program. It isn't available within or abutting the Coral Gate, Village West Island / Charles Avenue or Coconut Grove conservation districts.
Lot coverage and the T3 edge
Buildings can cover 80% of the lot, or 90% through the Flexible Lot Coverage Program. The rule that catches people is the edge next to houses. Where the side or rear abuts T3, the setback is 10% of the lot depth up to 39 ft in height and 26 ft above that. On a shallow lot backing onto homes, that cuts into the upper floors.
What you can build, use by use
Miami 21 allows housing of every type, hotels, office, retail, restaurants, entertainment and gyms by right in T5-O; auto-related commercial, marine-related commercial, open-air retail by Warrant (marine-related by right when certain criteria are met); bars (alcohol beverage service) by Exception. Industrial uses are prohibited.
Retail under apartments, a small hotel or an office building can all work. The code attaches conditions to commercial space in every T5 zone. We've verified the T5-L limits but not the T5-O ones, so check them before planning one very large store.
By right means allowed if the plan meets the code. Warrant means an administrative approval by City staff. Exception means a public hearing. Any use the code doesn't list for the zone is prohibited.
Parking
The code requires at least 1.5 spaces per unit plus 1 visitor space per 10 units, and 3 per 1,000 SF of commercial. Shared parking and transit-area reductions can lower it.
Bonuses and special programs
These may allow more, subject to program rules: the Public Benefits Program, the affordable housing bonus, the Workforce Living Development program, and the transit density transfer, up to a 50% density increase within three-quarters of a mile of a transit station.
What can kill a deal on a T5-O lot
- Flood zone. Can set a minimum floor elevation and raise build and insurance costs.
- Easements. A recorded utility or access easement can cross the spot you planned to build on.
- Recorded liens and judgments. Code liens and lawsuits against the property can follow it to the next owner.
- Open or expired permits. A past owner's unfinished permits can block new ones until they're closed out.
- Contamination nearby. A former gas station or dry cleaner next door can trigger environmental review.
- Lot size and width. T5 lots need at least 5,000 SF and 50 ft of width, or 1,200 SF and 16 ft with rear vehicular access.
- A T3 neighbor. The T3-edge setback cuts upper floors. Benefit Height is limited next to T3 and, inside a TOD, needs a City Commission Exception.
Frequently asked questions
How many units can I build on a T5-O lot?
Up to 65 units per acre, rounded down: 7 units on a 5,000 SF lot, 14 on 10,000 SF and 29 on 20,000 SF.
How tall can I build in T5-O?
5 stories, with no feet figure stated. Benefit Height can add up to 3 stories in specified cases.
Can I build a hotel in T5-O?
Yes. Hotels, inns and bed & breakfasts are all allowed by right in T5-O.
Can I open a bar in T5-O?
Only by Exception, which means a public hearing.
Is there an FAR in T5?
No. Miami 21 sets no floor lot ratio for T5.
What's the difference between T5-O and T5-L?
Same density and height. In T5-L, office and commercial uses must stay under 25% of the building's floor area, at most 55,000 SF per business, and entertainment venues need a Warrant. In T5-O they're allowed by right.
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Other Miami 21 zone guides
New to zone names? Read the plain-English guide to Miami 21.
General information about the Miami 21 code, not legal or zoning advice. Overlays, special plans and prior approvals can change the answer for a lot. Confirm with the City of Miami before you apply for permits.