ADU · Erie County
Can you build an ADU in Farnham, NY?
Village of Farnham has 1 district. The only district prohibits ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Farnham code indicates by district
The table below shows how each district treats ADUs, alongside the lot and setback standards that govern a second unit. District boundaries and conditions vary, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the district that applies to your parcel.
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R Residential District | — | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Farnham
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Farnham. No local short-term-rental law found for the Village of Farnham. The Village's code IS reachable, contrary to what was previously assumed here — villageoffarnham.com publishes the complete Village of Farnham Code Book as a single document (26 chapters, ~570,000 characters, adopted 1-15-89 with amendments). Read in full 2026-08-27. Nothing in it regulates short-term rental or transient occupancy, and Chapter A108, the code's own 'Table of Required Licenses and Permits' — which states that it 'enumerates all licenses and permits required by the Village of Farnham' — lists bingo, fire prevention and building construction, games of chance, hawker, peddler, solicitor, circus, carnival, theater, sound truck, tree cutting, sidewalk construction and use, trailer park, tractors on streets, building, zoning, special use and certificate of occupancy. No rental permit and no rental registration. BUT THE FEE SCHEDULE APPENDED TO THE CODE BOOK CHARGES A 'RENTAL PERMIT FEE — $50 PER UNIT PER YEAR', alongside a separate '$50 per year' Operating Permit. So the Village does administer a rental permit that no codified chapter creates, and an owner should establish with the code enforcement officer what it covers and whether it reaches a short-term let — a rental permit regulates without authorising in any case, and holding one is not evidence the use is allowed. THE CODE DEFINES A TOURIST HOME AND NEVER LISTS IT AS A USE. § 101-5: 'TOURIST HOME — A dwelling in which overnight accommodations are provided or offered for transient guests for compensation' — the language that captures whole-house short-term renting — but the code's own index shows Tourist Homes with a 'Defined' entry only, and the use appears in no district's list. THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT LIST IS SHORT AND HAS NO LODGING IN IT. § 101-10 permits one- and two-family dwellings, places of worship, schools, municipal and government parks and buildings, county/state/federal parks, nursing homes, and professional offices and home occupations; its accessory uses are garages, storage structures, animal shelters, pools and home occupations; and ITS ONLY SPECIAL PERMIT USE IS PUBLIC UTILITY USES. 'House, Lodging or Boarding' — defined as a multiple dwelling furnishing lodging to fifteen or fewer transient occupants for compensation — is a permitted principal use in the Commercial District (§ 101-11B(1)(h)) and in the Industrial District (§ 101-12), and nowhere in the Residential District. The code states conformance generally (§ 101-13) rather than saying in terms that an unlisted use is prohibited, so the closure is by implication from the enumerated lists rather than by an express clause. That reading has not been confirmed with the Village. New York State's 2025 STR registry separately requires every host statewide to register through the Erie County registry. Confirm with the code enforcement officer at (716) 954-0159 before listing. These are separate questions from whether you can build an ADU — a unit you're allowed to add isn't automatically one you're allowed to rent nightly, so check both. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(716) 954-0159
- Last reviewed2026-08-06
ADU FAQ — Farnham, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Farnham, NY?
Village of Farnham has 1 district. The only district prohibits ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (716) 954-0159.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Farnham?
No. No district in Village of Farnham permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (716) 954-0159 before ruling it out.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Farnham?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Farnham. ADU occupancy and short-term-rental rules are separate: an ADU you can build isn't automatically one you can rent nightly. Confirm both before you count on STR income.
What an ADU costs to build in Farnham
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–260k at a standard finish, and the per-square-foot rate comes in above a full house because the kitchen, bath, panel and heating plant cost the same either way. See the full cost to build an ADU in Farnham, priced by size.
More on Farnham: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Erie County towns
ADU information for Village of Farnham is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-06) and provided for decision-support only — not legal or architectural advice. ADU eligibility, size, owner-occupancy and permit conditions vary by district and often carry exceptions; verify with the building department at (716) 954-0159 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.