Davie Equestrian Property: Does No HOA Mean No Rules?

Does no HOA mean you can keep horses on Davie acreage?

No. A Davie equestrian property with no HOA still follows rules. In Davie, keeping horses is only allowed in the RR, AG, A-1, and R-1 zoning districts, so acreage alone does not make a parcel horse legal. Recorded deed restrictions can ban animals even when there is no HOA, and any barn or stable needs a permit. Confirm the zoning district, read the recorded covenants, and check usable acreage before you write an offer.

Buyers relocating for horse property in western Davie ask me the same question almost every week. They found a listing on a couple of acres in the 33330 corridor, the listing says no HOA, and they assume that means they can bring their horses and do what they want. That assumption is where expensive mistakes start. No HOA removes one layer of rules. It does not remove zoning, county code, recorded deed restrictions, permits, or flood requirements. On acreage you cannot undo a bad buy easily, so the due diligence happens before the offer, not after.

Here is exactly what I walk buyers through on a Davie equestrian and acreage property before we talk price.

Zoning, not lot size, decides whether you can keep horses

The controlling fact on any horse property is the zoning district, not the number of acres. Under the Town of Davie Land Development Code, Section 12-34(B)(6), the raising of horses, cattle, goats, sheep, poultry, and rabbits is not permitted in any residential zoning district except RR, AG, A-1, and R-1. A large lot zoned for standard residential use will not legally support horses no matter how much room it has.

That single rule undoes the most common misconception in this market. Two identical looking parcels on the same western Davie street can carry different zoning, which means one is horse legal and one is not. Before you fall for the pasture and the board fencing, confirm the actual district with the Town of Davie Planning and Zoning division and the official Davie government site.

Davie does not publish a single hard number for how many horses you can keep per acre for private use. Animal limits and setbacks are tied to the zoning district and verified per parcel. As a planning rule of thumb, pasture keeping runs about 1.5 to 3 acres per horse, and a managed dry lot with supplemental feed needs less land. The University of Florida IFAS Extension is the South Florida authority on stocking rates. For a relocation comparison, neighboring Southwest Ranches runs a 1 acre minimum with a roughly 2.5 acre sweet spot, which is why buyers weighing Davie against Southwest Ranches see different acreage math.

The high acreage horse pockets sit in far western Davie. Long Lake Ranches (33330) and Hawkes Bluff (33330) anchor the corridor, and the surrounding no HOA acreage runs through the 33330 and 33325 areas. Zoning still varies parcel by parcel inside those ZIPs, so the ZIP tells you the neighborhood, not the zoning.

No HOA still means recorded deed restrictions

This is the part that catches the most buyers. A property with no HOA can still carry recorded deed restrictions, and those restrictions are enforceable.

Deed restrictions in Florida are recorded covenants that run with the land. They pass to every new owner and stay legally enforceable even when no active HOA exists to police them. Many older Davie and Broward acreage parcels carry covenants that were recorded decades ago covering animals, rentals, commercial use, architecture, and fencing. The listing marketing says no HOA. The recorded title can still say no livestock.

Two things every acreage buyer needs to understand:

• Covenants can be stricter than zoning. A horse legal zoning district can still be blocked by a private covenant that bans animals or commercial stables. Zoning permission is the floor, not the guarantee.
• A title search plus reading the actual recorded covenants is required. You cannot rely on the listing language or a seller’s verbal assurance. The recorded documents in the Broward County public records are the truth. You can start with the Broward County records and confirm ownership and assessment details through the Broward County Property Appraiser.

When a buyer tells me a property is perfect because it has no HOA, that is the moment I slow the process down. No HOA is a feature, but it is not a free pass. It means no board is enforcing rules today, not that no rules exist.

Barns, permits, and how much acreage you can actually use

Once zoning and covenants clear, two practical questions decide whether the property works: is the infrastructure permitted, and how much of the land can you actually use.

Permits. Barns, stables, and shelters are permanent structures. They require building permits, they must meet setbacks, and they must comply with the Florida Building Code. An unpermitted barn or a converted structure with no permit history complicates financing and insurance at closing, and it can become your problem the moment you take title. Verify open or unpermitted work before you commit. This is the same trap that shows up on any older Davie acreage parcel, equestrian or not.

Usable acreage. In Broward County, usable acreage is not the same as total acreage. Wetlands, drainage and canal easements, and flood areas reduce the land you can actually turn out horses on or build a barn and arena on. Western Davie acreage sits largely in flood zone AE, so before you count on every acre, check the Davie flood zones and confirm the property on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. South Florida rain and year round grazing pressure also stress pasture, and manure storage carries setbacks from canals and water bodies.

There is a tax angle worth knowing too. The Broward County Property Appraiser governs the agricultural classification, sometimes called greenbelt, which can lower the taxable value on land in genuine agricultural use. If the parcel currently carries that classification, confirm whether it transfers or must be reapplied after you buy. That verification is part of the same due diligence pass, and it ties directly into the cost side of buying a home in Davie.

Run these checks in order and the picture is clear before you write the offer. Skip them and you can close on acreage that turns out to be un horse able because of the wrong zoning, a blocking covenant, an unpermitted barn, or unusable wetland. Your specific parcel is its own puzzle, and that is exactly the kind of due diligence I run with buyers before we make an offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does no HOA mean I can do whatever I want with my horses in Davie?

No. No HOA only means there is no homeowners association enforcing rules. Zoning district limits, Town of Davie code, recorded deed restrictions, and county permit requirements all still apply. A no HOA Davie equestrian property can still be legally blocked from keeping horses by its zoning or by a recorded covenant.

Which Davie zoning districts allow horses?

Under the Town of Davie Land Development Code, Section 12-34(B)(6), horses and other livestock are only permitted in the RR, AG, A-1, and R-1 zoning districts. Standard residential districts do not allow them regardless of lot size. Always verify the specific district for the parcel with the Town of Davie Planning and Zoning division.

How many acres do I need per horse in Davie?

Davie does not publish a single fixed number for private keeping. Animal limits are tied to the zoning district and verified per parcel. As a general pasture guideline, plan for about 1.5 to 3 acres per horse, with less needed for a managed dry lot with supplemental feed.

Can a deed restriction ban horses even if there is no HOA?

Yes. Deed restrictions are recorded covenants that run with the land and stay enforceable with or without an active HOA. An older Davie or Broward acreage parcel can carry a decades old covenant that bans animals or commercial stables even when the zoning would otherwise allow horses. A title search and a full read of the recorded covenants is required before you buy.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

If you are evaluating a specific Davie equestrian or acreage parcel, the smartest next step is to verify the zoning, the covenants, and the usable acreage before you write an offer, not after. Anthony is a Davie native, a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, and the agent who built livingindavieflorida.com. Schedule a Davie strategy call and walk through your parcel together.

Anthony Spitaleri

Living in Davie Florida

954-235-5783

Davie, Florida

livingindavieflorida.com

Written by Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker and a Davie native. More about Anthony