ADU · Erie County

Can you build an ADU in Alden, NY?

Town of Alden has 10 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Alden code says

Alden has no accessory apartment or in-law unit in any district, and no provision for converting a house to add a unit. A second unit means building a two-family dwelling, which R-2, R-3 and R-C permit.

Conditions the code attaches:

Only the uses a district lists are allowed
R-A and R-1 permit single-family dwellings only
A two-family dwelling in R-2 or R-3 needs a lot of at least 20,000 sq ft
In C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1 and M-2 an existing house may be altered and enlarged but may not gain a dwelling unit
In M-1, caretaker or watchman quarters serve an industrial use

What the Alden 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
Rural Agricultural District	1.84 ac	35 / 10 / 30 ft	30 ft	No
Residential District	0.46 ac	35 / 10 / 30 ft	30 ft	No
Residential District	0.46 ac	35 / 10 / 30 ft	30 ft	No
Residential District	0.46 ac	35 / 10 / 30 ft	30 ft	No
Restricted Commercial District	0.46 ac	35 / 10 / 30 ft	30 ft	No
Commercial District	—	35 / 0 / 10 ft	40 ft	No
Commercial District	—	35 / 0 / 10 ft	40 ft	No
Commercial District	—	35 / 0 / 10 ft	40 ft	No
Manufacturing District	—	50 / 10 / 10 ft	40 ft	No
Manufacturing District	—	50 / 10 / 10 ft	40 ft	No

Rural Agricultural District - The ten-foot side yard is for dwellings only: any other principal building takes thirty feet on each side. On a large parcel the cluster provisions of Article VI are an alternative to the district minimum.

Farm buildings have no height limit, principal or accessory, against 30 ft for a dwelling and 40 ft for any other building
A two-family dwelling needs 600 sq ft per unit
A driveway may come no closer than five feet to a side or rear line

Residential District - A corner lot must be 135 ft wide rather than 100 ft. The ten-foot side yard is for dwellings only: any other principal building takes thirty feet on each side.

The 1,200 sq ft minimum dwelling size is per unit
A driveway may come no closer than five feet to a side or rear line

Residential District - A corner lot must be 135 ft wide. The ten-foot side yard is for dwellings only: any other principal building takes thirty feet on each side.

A driveway may come no closer than five feet to a side or rear line

Residential District - A multiple dwelling is priced as a base plus an increment: 14,000 sq ft for the first unit and 4,000 sq ft for each one after, so a four-unit building needs 26,000 sq ft.

Lot width for a multiple dwelling is 100 ft for the first two units and grows 20 ft for each one after, capped at 200 ft
A multiple dwelling must stand 30 ft from any side lot line, or 30 ft from the edge of the pavement where it fronts a private drive in a group development
A single house needs 800 sq ft on the first storey; a two-family or multiple dwelling needs 600 sq ft per unit
A corner lot must be 135 ft wide
The ten-foot side yard is for dwellings only: any other principal building takes thirty feet on each side
A driveway may come no closer than five feet to a side or rear line

Restricted Commercial District - Dwellings here take the R-3 district standards, including its multiple-dwelling lot and yard rule. A non-residential use has no stated lot area or width and may reach 40 ft, where a dwelling stops at 30 ft.

Where this district abuts R-1, R-2 or R-3, the owner must reserve and maintain a landscaped buffer at least 20 ft wide

Commercial District, Commercial District, Commercial District - No side yard is required between commercial lots, but any side yard actually provided must be at least 5 ft wide, 12 ft where vehicles drive in or out, and 25 ft where it serves both.

Against a lot in a residential district the side yard becomes 30 ft, and the rear yard likewise
The district sets no minimum lot area, lot width or coverage percentage: the lot must simply be big enough for the buildings, parking, loading, landscaping, yards and open spaces

Manufacturing District - The ten-foot side and rear yards apply between industrial lots. Against a residential district both rise to seventy-five, with a landscaped buffer at least 20 ft wide on top.

Every required front and side yard must be landscaped to screen the premises
All wiring, feed lines and energy sources must go underground unless the Town Board waives it
The district sets no minimum lot area, lot width or coverage percentage: the lot must simply be big enough for the buildings, parking, loading, landscaping, yards and open spaces

Manufacturing District - The ten-foot side and rear yards apply between industrial lots. Against a residential district both rise to one hundred, with a landscaped buffer at least 20 ft wide on top.

All open storage of equipment, machinery, unlicensed vehicles, building materials and scrap must be screened so it cannot be seen from a public way
The district sets no minimum lot area, lot width or coverage percentage: the lot must simply be big enough for the buildings, parking, loading, landscaping, yards and open spaces

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Alden

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Alden. The town has no local short-term rental law. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with the building department before counting on renting a home short term. 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 minimum0.46–1.84 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNational Grid territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/31556881
Building dept(716) 937-6969

ADU FAQ — Alden, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Alden, NY?

Town of Alden has 10 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (716) 937-6969.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Alden?

No. No district in Town of Alden permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (716) 937-6969 before ruling it out.

Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Alden?

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Alden. 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.

Run the free ADU check for your parcel →

What an ADU costs to build in Alden

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–260k 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 Alden, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: § 365-8A · §§ 365-10 to 365-19
Districts confirmed: 10 of 10 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-10
Not covered here: Overlay districts, the zoning map, and any conditions attached to an individual parcel. Size limits and owner-occupancy terms sit in the code section above, not in this summary.

More on Alden: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Erie County · All Erie County towns

ADU information for Town of Alden is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-09-10) 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 (716) 937-6969 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.