ADU · Westchester County
Can you build an ADU in White Plains, NY?
City of White Plains has 33 districts. 28 districts prohibit ADUs, 4 allow them with occupancy restrictions. 1 district has incomplete data - verify with the building department at (914) 422-1269. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the White Plains 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 One Family | 0.4591 ac | — | 30 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential One Family | 0.6887 ac | — | 30 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential One Family | 0.287 ac | — | 30 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential One Family | 0.1722 ac | — | 30 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential One Family | 0.1148 ac | — | 30 ft | No |
| Residential One and Two Family | 0.1148 ac | — | 30 ft | No |
| Residential One and Two Family | — | — | — | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.1148 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.1148 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.1148 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Townhouse | 0.1148 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Townhouse | 0.1148 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.4591 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.1148 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.1148 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.2296 ac | — | 125 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | 0.3444 ac | — | 125 ft | No |
| Residential Multi-Family | — | — | 35 ft | No |
| Campus Office | 10 ac | — | 50 ft | No |
| Restricted Business | — | — | 50 ft | No |
| Neighborhood Business | — | — | 25 ft | No |
| Intermediate Business | — | — | 50 ft | No |
| Enclosed Mall | — | — | 90 ft | No |
| Business Residential -1 | — | — | 35 ft | No |
| Business Residential -2 | — | — | 65 ft | No |
| Core Business-1 | — | — | — | No |
| Core Business-2 | — | — | — | No |
| Core Business-3 | — | — | — | No |
| Core Business-4 | — | — | — | No |
| Office-Residential | — | — | 40 ft | No |
| Urban Renewal Central Business | — | — | 230 ft | No |
| Light Industrial | 0.1148 ac | — | 50 ft | No |
| Planned Senior Residential Development District | 0.0689 ac | — | — | — |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in White Plains
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for City of White Plains. The earlier note attributed a short-term-rental registration and licensing requirement to 'Chapter 9-7 of the City Code'; Chapter 9-7 is Affordable Housing Regulations. The Rental Housing Registry and License Program is an ordinance of the Common Council of 18 June 2018 adding §§ 4-28-1 et seq. to Title IV, Article I of the White Plains Municipal Code — and it never mentions short-term rentals, transient occupancy or any rental period. Both documents were read in full 2026-08-27, together with the City Zoning Ordinance as amended through 5 February 2024 (296 pp.), which returns zero hits for 'short-term'. WHAT ACTUALLY GOVERNS IS THE ZONING ORDINANCE'S CLOSED USE SCHEDULE. Section 5 states: 'Any use not specifically listed as being permitted shall be deemed to be prohibited.' No residential district in the Schedule of Use Regulations lists any transient-lodging use. The only lodging-adjacent entry in a residential district is a Permitted Accessory Use — 'the keeping of not more than two roomers per dwelling unit' in the R1 districts, and not more than one roomer per dwelling unit in a one- or two-family dwelling in the R2 and RM districts. A 'roomer' is defined as the occupant of a 'rooming unit', and a 'rooming house' (a dwelling containing three or more rooming units) is a special permit use in only some districts. 'Hotel' is defined by rooms 'occupied by transient guests who are lodged ... which rooms have primary access from interior lobbies' — a commercial building, not a house. TOURIST HOMES GET ONE MENTION AND IT IS A NEGATIVE: the definition of 'customary home occupation' states that tea rooms, barber shops, beauty parlors, real estate and insurance offices, limousine and taxi operations 'and tourist homes are not customary home occupations.' THE REGISTRY IS STILL A REAL OBLIGATION FOR AN UNHOSTED LET. § 4-28-4: 'It shall be unlawful ... to conduct, keep, manage, or operate ... any rental housing unit until a Rental Housing License is issued by the Department of Building.' A 'rental housing unit' is any dwelling unit being rented or intended to be rented. § 4-28-3 EXEMPTS owner-occupied single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings where one unit is owner-occupied, condominium and co-operative buildings, multifamily buildings of more than twelve units, hotels/motels/rooming houses/group homes/nursing homes and assisted living, and government-managed multifamily. So a non-owner-occupied White Plains house let out is inside the registry; an owner-occupied one is not. Licences run 1 January to 31 December and require landlord inspections reported to the City. The registry licenses rental housing generally — it does not authorise a transient use that the zoning schedule does not list. Get the Department of Building's written position before underwriting nightly income: (914) 422-1269. 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
- Residential lot minimum0.0689–0.6887 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityCon Edison territory.
- Building dept(914) 422-1269
- Last reviewed2026-06-08
ADU FAQ — White Plains, NY
Are ADUs allowed in White Plains, NY?
City of White Plains has 33 districts. 28 districts prohibit ADUs, 4 allow them with occupancy restrictions. 1 district has incomplete data - verify with the building department at (914) 422-1269. Check your address with the free ADU checker.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in White Plains?
No district in City of White Plains requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 28 districts prohibit ADUs, 4 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in White Plains?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for City of White Plains. 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 White Plains
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $235k–310k 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 White Plains, priced by size.
More on White Plains: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Westchester County towns
ADU information for City of White Plains is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-06-08) 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 (914) 422-1269 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.