ADU · Putnam County
Can you build an ADU in Kent, NY?
Town of Kent has 7 districts. 4 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 require a special-use permit. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Kent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Kent
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Kent. 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. 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.
Good to know
- Residential lot minimum50 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityNYSEG territory.
- Building dept(845) 306-5620
- Last reviewed2026-07-27
ADU FAQ — Kent, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Kent, NY?
Town of Kent has 7 districts. 4 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 require a special-use permit. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 306-5620.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Kent?
It depends on the district: 3 of 7 require a special-use permit, the rest do not. Check the district that applies to your parcel before you design.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Kent?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Kent. 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 Kent
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $215k–285k 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 Kent, priced by size.
More on Kent: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Putnam County towns
ADU information for Town of Kent is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-27) 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 (845) 306-5620 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.