Albany County
Village of Menands, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Village of Menands run from a 0.14-acre minimum in Two-Family Residential up to 1.38 acres in Open Space Residential, across 15 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is National Grid territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (518) 434-2922 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Menands →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | 0.23 ac | 10 / 10 / 15 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Broadway Business District | 0.23 ac | 20 / 0 / 15 ft | 48 ft | No |
| Cemetery | 10 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Heavy Industrial | 0.46 ac | 20 / 10 / 15 ft | 70 ft | No |
| Land Conservation | 5 ac | — | 35 ft | No |
| Light Industrial | 0.34 ac | 20 / 10 / 15 ft | 70 ft | No |
| Open Space Residential | 1.38 ac | 40 / 20 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Single-Family Residential | 0.18 ac | 20 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Two-Family Residential | 0.14 ac | 20 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Rural Residential | 0.46 ac | 40 / 20 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Townhouse Residential | 0.5 ac | 30 / 15 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| High Density Residential | 0.14 ac | 20 / 20 / 10 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Multi-Family Residential | 1 ac | 60 / 30 / 30 ft | 45 ft | Special permit |
| Infill Neighborhood District | 0.11 ac | 5 / 0 / 3 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Infill Mixed Use District | 0.11 ac | 4 / 0 / 3 ft | 40 ft | No |
Broadway Business District - The front setback is a build-to zone rather than a floor: the building sits at the average of the buildings on either side, up to a maximum of 20 ft. Density is 30 dwelling units per acre, rising to 40 within half a mile of a bus rapid transit station.
- Side is 0 ft, rising to 10 ft where the lot is adjacent to a residential district, and rear is 15 ft, rising to 20 ft adjacent to residential.
- Height is a two-storey minimum as well as a 48 ft maximum, and a fourth storey has to be stepped back.
- The second storey need not be occupiable, and a false second floor of at least nine feet may be allowed at the Village Board's discretion.
- At least 20% of the lot has to be green space, a floor on planted area distinct from the 80% coverage maximum.
Infill Neighborhood District - The front setback is a build-to zone of 5 to 12 ft rather than a floor: a building may not sit further back than 12 ft, though a cafe front may be given more room for outdoor seating.
- Side is 0 ft, rising to 10 ft where the lot is adjacent to a residential district, and rear is 3 ft, or 15 ft from the center line of an alley.
- Height is a two-storey minimum as well as a 40 ft maximum, and the second floor has to be occupiable.
- The ground floor ceiling has to be 11 to 25 ft and the upper floor no more than 14.
- On a corner property both street-facing facades have to be built to the build-to zone for the first 30 ft from the corner.
- At least 20% of the lot has to be green space, a floor on planted area distinct from the 80% coverage maximum.
Infill Mixed Use District - The front setback is a build-to zone of 4 to 12 ft rather than a floor. How many storeys are allowed turns on which side of Broadway the parcel sits: three on the west side, four on the east.
- Density is 30 dwelling units per acre, rising to 40 within half a mile of a bus rapid transit station.
- Side is 0 ft, rising to 12 ft where the lot is adjacent to a residential district, and rear is 3 ft, rising to 15 ft adjacent to residential or from an alley center line.
- Height is a two-storey minimum as well as a 40 ft maximum.
- At least 20% of the lot has to be green space, a floor on planted area distinct from the 80% coverage maximum.
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Menands has no local short-term rental law, and that is not permission. Confirm with the building department before counting on renting a home short term.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Hosts are subject to the 2025 New York State statewide short-term rental registry law.
- The building department can be reached at (518) 434-2922.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeVillage of Menands Code Chapter 169, Zoning, §§ 169-13 through 169-28.
- Building dept(518) 434-2922
- Last reviewed2026-09-09
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $16,948 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Menands, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Menands?
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 Albany County towns
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Zoning figures for Village of Menands are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-09-09) 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 (518) 434-2922 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.