Putnam County
Town of Kent, NY: zoning for new construction
The Town of Kent sets a residential minimum of about 50 acres in Planned Residential Development — a floating district, one of its 7 zoning districts. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is NYSEG territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 306-5620 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Kent →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential 80 — rural/low-density (min lot 80,000 sf; 250 ft lot width; 250 ft highway frontage; 40 ft front, 20 ft each side, 50 ft rear; 10% building coverage AND a separate 30% maximum impervious surface coverage; 2 1/2 stories / 30 ft. Intended to conserve the Town's rural land; one-family dwellings are the principal permitted use. Minimum lot area is subject to the supplementary lot-area regulations of § 77-34.2 and every lot must qualify as a buildable lot under § 77-34.3) | 1.84 ac | 40 / 20 / 50 ft | 30 ft | Special permit |
| Residential 40 (min lot 40,000 sf; 150 ft lot width; 100 ft highway frontage; 40 ft front, 20 ft each side, 50 ft rear; 20% building coverage AND a separate 30% maximum impervious surface coverage; 2 1/2 stories / 30 ft. Minimum lot area is subject to § 77-34.2 and every lot must qualify as a buildable lot under § 77-34.3) | 0.92 ac | 40 / 20 / 50 ft | 30 ft | Special permit |
| Residential 10 — the Town's densest residential district (min lot 10,000 sf; 100 ft lot width; 50 ft highway frontage; 15 ft front, 8 ft each side, 20 ft rear; 35% building coverage AND a separate 35% maximum impervious surface coverage; 2 1/2 stories / 30 ft. Minimum lot area is subject to § 77-34.2 and every lot must qualify as a buildable lot under § 77-34.3) | 0.23 ac | 15 / 8 / 20 ft | 30 ft | Special permit |
| Planned Residential Development — a floating district (minimum 50 CONTIGUOUS acres to qualify; gross density may not exceed 3 dwelling units per acre exclusive of environmentally sensitive lands as defined in § 77-72; no structure may exceed 2 1/2 stories or 30 ft. The site must have access to a major state or county road. Individual lot setbacks and coverage inside a PRD are fixed by the Planning Board at approval rather than by the schedule, so no district-wide yard or coverage figures exist — the 50 acres is the qualifying site area, not a conventional minimum lot size) | 50 ac | — | 30 ft | No |
| Commercial (min lot 15,000 sf; 100 ft lot width; 100 ft highway frontage; 30 ft front, 10 ft each side, 30 ft rear; 50% coverage by all principal AND accessory buildings, plus a separate 75% maximum impervious surface coverage; 2 1/2 stories / 30 ft. Accessory buildings and uses, including off-street parking and loading, must stand at least 30 ft from any property line) | 0.34 ac | 30 / 10 / 30 ft | 30 ft | No |
| Industrial-Office-Commercial (min lot 60,000 sf; 200 ft lot width measured at the street line; 200 ft highway frontage; 40 ft front, 20 ft each side, 40 ft rear; 50% maximum building coverage plus a separate 75% maximum impervious surface coverage; 3 stories / 40 ft — the only district in Kent allowed above 30 ft. Accessory buildings and uses, including off-street parking and loading, must stand at least 25 ft from any property line) | 1.38 ac | 40 / 20 / 40 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Business Park Overlay District (the parent parcel must contain at least 25 CONTIGUOUS acres and have 200 ft of continuous unbroken frontage on — or easement access to — an existing state or county highway; maximum total lot coverage 50% of the site; maximum building height 50 ft, the tallest in Kent. Setbacks: no less than 75 ft from the state or county highway right-of-way, and no building or parking area closer than 100 ft to any other property line of the parent parcel — rising to 200 ft where the business park abuts a residential property in a residential district. Individual yard setbacks and the minimum size of each lot inside the park are set by the Planning Board. A business park must connect to adequate water supply and sewage treatment, and all utilities must be installed underground unless waived) | 25 ac | 75 / 100 / 100 ft | 50 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Short-term rental status not confirmed for the Town of Kent. Chapter 77 (Zoning) lists no short-term-rental, tourist-home or transient-occupancy use in any district, and a review of all 70 chapters of the Town Code found no rental, short-term-rental or transient-occupancy chapter. Absence of a found provision is NOT permission — call the Building Department at (845) 306-5620 before listing a property. Separately, since 2025 New York State requires every short-term-rental host to register the unit with the State through the county registry, regardless of what the municipality allows.
Good to know
- UtilityNYSEG territory.
- Building dept(845) 306-5620
- Last reviewed2026-07-27
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $222–$291/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $2,857,150 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Kent, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Kent?
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.
Other Putnam County towns
All Putnam County zoning: Carmel · Patterson · Philipstown · Putnam Valley · Southeast · Brewster (Village) · Cold Spring (Village) · Nelsonville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Kent are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-27) 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 (845) 306-5620 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.