ADU · Ulster County
Can you build an ADU in Kingston, NY?
City of Kingston has 12 districts. 10 districts allow ADUs, 1 does not. 1 district has incomplete data - verify with the building department at (845) 334-3902. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Kingston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T5 Main Street (T5-MS) | — | 0 / 0 / 5 ft | — | As of right |
| T5 Flex (T5-F) | — | 0 / 0 / 10 ft | — | As of right |
| T5 Neighborhood (T5N) | — | 0 / 0 / 5 ft | — | As of right |
| T4 Main Street (T4-MS) | — | 0 / 0 / 10 ft | — | As of right |
| T4 Neighborhood-Open (T4N-O) | — | 5 / 3 / 10 ft | — | As of right |
| T4 Neighborhood (T4N) | — | 10 / 8 / 15 ft | — | As of right |
| T3 Neighborhood-Open (T3N-O) | — | 20 / 8 / 15 ft | — | As of right |
| T3 Neighborhood (T3N) | — | 20 / 8 / 15 ft | — | As of right |
| T3 Large Lot (T3L) | — | 20 / 10 / 20 ft | — | As of right |
| T2 Conservation (T2C) | — | 20 / 15 / 20 ft | — | As of right |
| T1 Natural (T1N) | — | — | — | No |
| SD-W Waterfront Special District | — | 25 / 12 / - ft | — | — |
T5 Main Street (T5-MS) — Form-based code — build-to zone: front BTZ 0 to 5 ft, no side setback, rear 5 ft. Max 4 stories (6 with bonus on Broadway/Cornell Corridor). Max lot coverage 100%. Max footprint 25,000 sq ft. Max lot width 200 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T5 Flex (T5-F) — Form-based code: front BTZ 0 to 15 ft, no side setback, rear 10 ft (lot) or 5 ft (alley). Max 4 stories (6 with bonus). No maximum footprint. Max lot width 150 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T5 Neighborhood (T5N) — Form-based code: front BTZ 0 to 10 ft, no side setback, rear 5 ft. Max 3.5 stories (4.5 on Broadway/Cornell Corridor). Max footprint 10,000 sq ft. Max lot width 100 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard. RECONCILE BEFORE RELYING ON THE STORY CEILING: Table 405.5.A gives T5 Neighborhood "up to 3.5 stories (5.5 with bonus)", while the note here records 4.5 on the Broadway/Cornell Corridor. The two may be different provisions — a general bonus and a corridor-specific one — and § 405-6 has not been read to settle it.
T4 Main Street (T4-MS) — Form-based code: front BTZ 0 to 5 ft, no side setback, rear 10 ft (lot) or 5 ft (alley). Max 3 stories (4 with bonus). Max coverage 80%. Max footprint 6,000 sq ft. Max lot width 150 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T4 Neighborhood-Open (T4N-O) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual or 5 to 15 ft, side 3 ft min midblock, rear 10 ft (lot) or 5 ft (alley). Max 2.5 stories (3.5 with bonus). Max coverage 70%. Max footprint 5,000 sq ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T4 Neighborhood (T4N) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual or 10 to 25 ft, side 8 ft min midblock (contextual), rear 15 ft. Max 2.5 stories. Max coverage 70%. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Min lot width 40 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T3 Neighborhood-Open (T3N-O) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual (20 ft min if no adjacent buildings), side 8 ft min midblock (contextual), rear 15 ft. Max 2.5 stories (3.5 with bonus). Max coverage 50%. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Max lot width 100 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T3 Neighborhood (T3N) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual (20 ft min if no adjacent buildings), side 8 ft min midblock, rear 15 ft. Max 2.5 stories (no bonus height). Max coverage 50%. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Max lot width 100 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T3 Large Lot (T3L) — Front 20 ft min (or contextual), each side 10 ft min midblock, street-side 20 ft, rear 20 ft. Max 2.5 stories. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Min lot width 50 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T2 Conservation (T2C) — Front 20 ft min, each side 15 ft min midblock, street-side 20 ft, rear 20 ft. Max 2.5 stories. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Min lot width 75 ft. Low-density conservation character. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T1 Natural (T1N) — T1 Natural: open space and natural resources preservation. No residential construction permitted. Civic buildings allowed only with City approval. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
SD-W Waterfront Special District — Water-dependent uses by right along the Rondout Creek waterfront. Detached buildings, medium-to-large setbacks, up to 2.5 stories. A WATERFRONT SETBACK of 30 ft applies in addition to the yards above and has no field of its own. The 12 ft side setback is the mid-block figure. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A.
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Kingston
Short-term rentals allowed with registration for City of Kingston. Registration required. Annual permit from City of Kingston Codes Department. Owner-occupancy not required. 120-night cap per calendar year. Contact (845) 334-3902 to confirm current fee schedule. 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
- Energy codeNew York stretch energy code adopted (2022) — applies to new ADU construction.
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/KI0280
- Building dept(845) 334-3902
- Last reviewedApr 2026
ADU FAQ — Kingston, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Kingston, NY?
City of Kingston has 12 districts. 10 districts allow ADUs, 1 does not. 1 district has incomplete data - verify with the building department at (845) 334-3902. Check your address with the free ADU checker.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Kingston?
No district in City of Kingston requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 10 districts allow ADUs, 1 does not. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Kingston?
Short-term rentals allowed with registration for City of Kingston. 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 Kingston
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–265k 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 Kingston, priced by size.
More on Kingston: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Ulster County towns
ADU information for City of Kingston is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed Apr 2026) 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) 334-3902 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.