Putnam County
Town of Southeast, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Southeast run from a 0.46-acre minimum in Residence. Inherits R-80's conditional uses; short-term rental is a conditional use here up to 10 acres in Lake Tonetta Watershed, across 19 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. 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) 279-2123 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Southeast →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residence (use group p: min lot width 300 ft; combined side yards 200 ft; required street frontage 250 ft; FAR 0.20). Accessory apartments and short-term rentals are both listed uses here | 3.67 ac | 100 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Residence (use group a: min lot width 200 ft; combined side yards 100 ft; required street frontage 175 ft; FAR 0.20). NOTE: short-term rental is NOT listed for R-80, though accessory apartments are (as a conditional use) | 1.84 ac | 50 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residence (use group b: min lot width 175 ft; combined side yards 75 ft; required street frontage 175 ft; FAR 0.20). Inherits R-80's conditional uses; short-term rental is a conditional use here | 1.38 ac | 50 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residence (use group c: min lot width 135 ft; combined side yards 70 ft; required street frontage 135 ft; FAR 0.20). Inherits R-80's conditional uses; short-term rental is a conditional use here | 0.92 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residence (use group d: min lot width 90 ft; combined side yards 50 ft; required street frontage 90 ft; FAR 0.25). Inherits R-80's conditional uses; short-term rental is a conditional use here | 0.46 ac | 35 / 20 / 35 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residence Multifamily (use group e: min lot width 90 ft; combined side yards 50 ft; required street frontage 90 ft; FAR 0.25. Multiple dwellings are permitted subject to § 138-23). Short-term rental is a conditional use here | 0.46 ac | 35 / 20 / 35 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Lake Tonetta Watershed (use group g: a low-intensity watershed-protection district — min lot area 10 acres, min lot width 400 ft, combined side yards 200 ft, and maximum lot coverage of just 3%. Single-family dwellings and accessory apartments are permitted by right; short-term rental is a conditional use) | 10 ac | 100 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Neighborhood Business (min lot 10,000 sf / 50 ft frontage / 50 ft width / 50 ft depth; a public-water-and-sewer alternative allows 20,000 sf on 90 ft. Setbacks are the parking-setback figures where the schedule leaves principal yards to site plan). Bed-and-breakfast/country inn is a principal use | 0.23 ac | 35 / 35 / 35 ft | 30 ft | No |
| Economic Development (min lot 80,000 sf / 200 ft frontage / 200 ft width / 200 ft depth; FAR 0.30). Light manufacturing and research labs are special-permit uses | 1.84 ac | 100 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Office Park (min lot 120,000 sf / 250 ft frontage / 250 ft width / 250 ft depth; FAR 0.25; 3 stories) | 2.75 ac | 100 / 50 / 50 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Office Park (min lot 200,000 sf / 400 ft frontage / 400 ft width / 400 ft depth; FAR 0.25; 3 stories) | 4.59 ac | 100 / 50 / 50 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Office Park (min lot 100,000 sf / 400 ft frontage / 400 ft width / 400 ft depth; FAR 0.25; 3 stories) | 2.3 ac | 100 / 50 / 50 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Gateway Commercial (min lot 10,000 sf / 50 ft frontage / 50 ft width / 50 ft depth; FAR 0.40; 2 stories) | 0.23 ac | 35 / 35 / 35 ft | 30 ft | No |
| Special Route 6 Area (min lot 30,000 sf / 25 ft frontage / 50 ft width / 50 ft depth; FAR 0.40; 2 stories) | 0.69 ac | 35 / 35 / 35 ft | 30 ft | No |
| Highway Commercial (min lot 40,000 sf / 150 ft frontage / 150 ft width / 150 ft depth; FAR 0.30; 2 stories) | 0.92 ac | 50 / 35 / 35 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Special Route 22 Area (min lot 80,000 sf / 250 ft frontage / 250 ft width / 250 ft depth; FAR 0.25; 3 stories) | 1.84 ac | 50 / 25 / 25 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Rural Commercial 2 (min lot 80,000 sf / 250 ft frontage / 250 ft width / 250 ft depth; FAR 0.25; 3 stories). Single-family residential is a permitted use and accessory apartment appears as a use | 1.84 ac | 50 / 25 / 25 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Rural Commercial (min lot 200,000 sf / 400 ft frontage / 400 ft width / 400 ft depth; FAR 0.15; maximum lot coverage 15% building / 45% total; 3 stories). Single-family residential is a permitted use here | 4.59 ac | 100 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | No |
| General Commercial 2 (min lot 40,000 sf / 100 ft frontage / 100 ft width / 50 ft depth; FAR 0.40; 2 stories). Bed-and-breakfast/country inn is a principal use and accessory apartment appears as a conditional use | 0.92 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 30 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Short-term rental is a defined and regulated use in the Town of Southeast. In the Table of General Use Requirements for the residential districts, 'short-term rental' is a CONDITIONAL use requiring Planning Board approval in R-160, R-60, R-40, R-20, RMF and LTW; it is notably NOT listed for R-80. Bed-and-breakfast and country inn are separate, distinct uses (e.g. bed-and-breakfast is by right in R-160 and appears across several commercial districts). Because STR requires case-by-case Planning Board approval rather than being either by-right or prohibited, it is recorded as regulated. 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) 279-2123
- Last reviewed2026-07-23
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $222–$291/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $18,005 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Southeast, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Southeast?
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 · Kent · Patterson · Philipstown · Putnam Valley · Brewster (Village) · Cold Spring (Village) · Nelsonville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Southeast are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-23) 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) 279-2123 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.