Erie County
Village of Gowanda, NY: zoning for new construction
The Village of Gowanda carries 3 zoning districts, each setting its own lot size, setbacks and height for what you can build. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is National Grid territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (716) 532-3353 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Gowanda →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1 One-Family Residential District | — | 30 / 10 / 50 ft | 40 ft | No |
| R-2 One and Two Family Residential District | — | 30 / 6 / 30 ft | 40 ft | No |
| R-3 Multiple and Two Family Residential District | — | 30 / 6 / 30 ft | 40 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. No local short-term-rental law found for the Village of Gowanda. Read in full 2026-08-27 — the Village's 402-page code book is a scan with no text layer and was OCR'd end to end for this check (~798,000 characters). 'Short-term rental' appears nowhere, and there is no rental-registration or rental-licensing chapter. GOWANDA OPERATES A PERMISSIVE-LIST CODE: every district's use list in Chapter 30 closes with 'Any use not herein specified is not permitted' — § 30.22 R-1, § 30.23 R-2, § 30.24 R-3, § 30.25 B-1, § 30.26 B-2, § 30.27 I-1 and § 30.29 ME all carry it. A use the chapter does not name is barred rather than allowed by default. THE CODE DEFINES THE ACTIVITY AND LISTS IT IN ONE DISTRICT ONLY. § 30, definition 51: 'Tourist Home shall mean a dwelling in which overnight accommodations are provided or offered for transient guests for compensation' — the language that captures whole-house short-term renting. Tourist home appears in exactly one use list: § 30.24(A)(3), the R-3 Multiple Residential District, where it is permitted by right alongside multiple-family dwellings, clubs and lodges, and fraternity and sorority houses. IT IS ABSENT FROM R-1 (one-family) AND R-2 (one- and two-family), the districts covering most Gowanda house lots, and both of those lists are expressly closed. So on the face of the code a whole-house short-term rental is available by right in R-3 and has no listed use in R-1 or R-2. That reading has not been confirmed with the Village, which is why this remains a dated negative finding rather than a ban — and the chapter dates from the 1960s (revised 4/14) and plainly never contemplated the activity. THIS VILLAGE ALSO STRADDLES THE ERIE–CATTARAUGUS COUNTY LINE, so a host may face a different county registry depending on which side the parcel sits. New York State's 2025 STR registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) separately requires every host statewide to register. Confirm with code enforcement at (716) 532-3353 ext. 104 before listing. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(716) 532-3353
- Last reviewed2026-08-06
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Gowanda, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Gowanda?
Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.
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Zoning figures for Village of Gowanda are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-06) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (716) 532-3353 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.