Orange County
City of Middletown, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the City of Middletown run from a 0.17-acre minimum in One-Family Residential up to 1.38 acres in High-Rise Multiple-Residence, across 19 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is Orange & Rockland territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 346-4100 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Middletown →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Family Residential | 0.17 ac | 30 / 5 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Two-Family Residential | 0.17 ac | 25 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Two-Family Owner-Occupied Residential | 0.17 ac | 25 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Multiple-Residence High-Density | 0.17 ac | 30 / 5 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Multiple-Residence Parkland | 0.17 ac | 30 / 5 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Multiple-Residence Low-Density | 0.34 ac | 30 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| High-Rise Multiple-Residence | 1.38 ac | 40 / 25 / 30 ft | 120 ft | No |
| Multiple-Residence Low-Density Conservation | 1 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Multiple-Residence Low-Density with Bonus Density | 0.34 ac | 30 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Neighborhood Business | 0.17 ac | 25 / 5 / 20 ft | — | No |
| Limited Neighborhood Business | 0.17 ac | 25 / 5 / 20 ft | — | No |
| Limited Business | 0.17 ac | 25 / 5 / 20 ft | — | No |
| General Business | 0.17 ac | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 90 ft | No |
| Downtown Mixed-Use | 0.17 ac | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 90 ft | No |
| Limited General Business | 0.17 ac | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 90 ft | No |
| Light Industrial | 0.34 ac | 20 / - / 10 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Light Industrial/General Business | 0.17 ac | 20 / - / 10 ft | 90 ft | No |
| Heavy Industrial | 0.34 ac | 20 / - / 10 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Heavy Industrial Restricted | 0.34 ac | 20 / - / 10 ft | 35 ft | No |
One-Family Residential - The two side yards together must be at least thirty percent of the lot frontage, so the five-foot side yard shown is only a floor for one side.
- On a corner lot the side street carries a yard as deep as the front yard.
- An accessory building must keep at least five feet from every property line.
- Where adjoining land in other hands restricts an existing lot and the owner did not create that restriction, the lot may be as small as five thousand square feet on fifty feet of width.
Two-Family Residential - A two-family house needs no more land than a one-family house here: both take a lot of at least seven thousand five hundred square feet.
- Where adjoining land in other hands restricts an existing lot and the owner did not create that restriction, the lot may be as small as five thousand square feet on fifty feet of width.
- An accessory building must keep at least five feet from every property line.
Two-Family Owner-Occupied Residential - The owner must live in one of the two units of a two-family house here, and a two-family takes the same lot of at least seven thousand five hundred square feet as a one-family house.
- Where adjoining land in other hands restricts an existing lot and the owner did not create that restriction, the lot may be as small as five thousand square feet on fifty feet of width.
Multiple-Residence High-Density - A one-family house here is built to the one-family district's requirements, which set the lot minimum shown. The district's own standards govern anything larger, and the twenty percent coverage cap is the multiple-dwelling cap.
- A multiple-dwelling building may not exceed 160 feet in length and must be offset at least five feet, roofline included, every forty feet of length.
- Facing elevations of two principal buildings must stand at least twice the height of the taller apart.
- An inner court needs at least sixty feet of clear dimension and an outer court at least twenty.
Multiple-Residence Parkland - Each unit of row or attached housing here must have at least 1,400 square feet of floor space.
- A one-family house is built to the one-family district's requirements, which set the lot minimum shown, and the twenty percent coverage cap is the multiple-dwelling cap.
Multiple-Residence Low-Density - The lot figures shown are for a single-family house. Anything with more than one dwelling unit needs at least five acres.
- The twenty percent coverage cap is set for multiple dwellings.
High-Rise Multiple-Residence - Parking is one space for every two dwelling units, and for housing for the elderly the Planning Board sets it instead.
- The yards are those of the UR-3 district, which § 475-15E adopts by reference.
Multiple-Residence Low-Density Conservation - An existing lot narrower than two hundred feet may be used only for a single-family residence.
- An existing lot already under an acre is excepted from the acre minimum.
Multiple-Residence Low-Density with Bonus Density - The lot figures shown are for a single-family house; anything with more than one dwelling unit needs at least five acres. Bonus density above the district's base is awarded by special use permit and site plan approval.
- The bonus rests on the Common Council's finding that affordable housing, particularly affordable senior housing, can be regained through the award.
- An applicant for bonus density pays the cost of any environmental impact statement the award requires.
Neighborhood Business - On a corner lot the side street carries a yard as deep as the front yard.
- An accessory building must keep at least five feet from every property line.
General Business - No yard is required, but no building may stand less than eleven feet from the curbline, except where the existing sidewalk is narrower, in which case the sidewalk follows the existing building line.
- A self-storage facility needs a front setback of at least eighty feet from a public road, on the part of the site the self-storage use occupies.
Downtown Mixed-Use - No front, side or rear yard is required, but no building may stand less than eleven feet from the curbline, except where the existing sidewalk is narrower.
- A project in the city's strategic investment plan under the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative is approved by the Common Council rather than the Planning Board.
Limited General Business - Uses listed in § 475-22B(7), (12) and (13) need a lot of at least fifteen thousand square feet on at least a hundred and fifty feet of width.
- No front, side or rear yard is required, but no building may stand less than eleven feet from the curbline, except where the existing sidewalk is narrower.
Light Industrial - The side yard standard in I-1 is not confirmed; ask the building department before placing a wall near a side line.
- The two-storey and thirty-five-foot height limits both apply.
Light Industrial/General Business - Uses listed in § 475-24B(7), (8), (11), (13), (14), (17) and (18) need a lot of at least fifteen thousand square feet on at least a hundred and fifty feet of width.
Heavy Industrial - The side yard standard in I-2 is not confirmed; ask the building department before placing a wall near a side line.
- The two-storey and thirty-five-foot height limits both apply.
Heavy Industrial Restricted - Nothing is permitted here by right: every use needs both a special use permit and site plan approval from the Planning Board.
- Industrial uses here follow the I-2 regulations, which is where the figures shown come from.
- The special permit uses include industry and manufacturing, adult uses, communications offices and wireless facilities, railroad yards and freight stations, and trucking terminals.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Renting a home in the City of Middletown for under 30 days requires a short-term rental permit (§ 475-35.1).
Conditions the code attaches:
- Short-term rental permits are also subject to Chapter 296, Article III.
- Confirm the current permit terms with the City at (845) 346-4100 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityOrange & Rockland territory.
- Zoning codeCity of Middletown Zoning, Ch. 475, §§ 475-9 to 475-26, and Tables 1 to 4 (475 Attachments 1 to 4, amended 6-18-2024)
- Building dept(845) 346-4100
- Last reviewed2026-08-26
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $211–$276/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $12,038 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Middletown, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Middletown?
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Zoning figures for City of Middletown are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-26) 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) 346-4100 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.