ADU · Rensselaer County

Can you build an ADU in East Nassau, NY?

Village of East Nassau has 3 districts. All districts allow ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the East Nassau code says

An accessory dwelling unit is permitted by right in RR, HAM and WR, one per single-family lot, up to 40% of the house's living space or 1,000 square feet, whichever is less. The law sets no owner-occupancy rule and does not bar renting it.

Conditions the code attaches:

It may be inside or attached to the house, or in a new or existing detached structure on a permanent foundation; a tent, yurt, camper, recreational vehicle or mobile home does not qualify.
The lot must meet the district minimum, 2 acres in RR, HAM and WR, and the unit must meet the setbacks for a principal dwelling.
A unit that does not meet every requirement, such as one on a smaller lot, needs site plan approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals before a permit issues.
It needs at least two off-street parking spaces per dwelling unit and Rensselaer County Department of Health approval of its water and sanitary systems.
A detached unit must share one driveway with the house and can never be subdivided off the parcel.
The unit provides living facilities for one or two persons.

What the East Nassau 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 Residential District	2 ac	75 / 50 / 75 ft	—	As of right
Hamlet District	2 ac	25 / 25 / 25 ft	—	As of right
Waterfront Residential District	2 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	—	As of right

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in East Nassau

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of East Nassau. East Nassau treats renting a private dwelling, part of one or a residential accessory building to overnight guests for compensation as lodging. Lodging needs a special use permit and site plan approval in HAM and RR, and is prohibited in WR. 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 minimum2 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNational Grid territory.
Zoning codevillageofeastnassau.gov/government/land-use-regulations
Building dept(518) 794-0289

ADU FAQ — East Nassau, NY

Are ADUs allowed in East Nassau, NY?

Village of East Nassau has 3 districts. All districts allow ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 794-0289.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in East Nassau?

No district in Village of East Nassau requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 3 districts allow ADUs. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.

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

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of East Nassau. 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.

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What an ADU costs to build in East Nassau

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $195k–255k 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 East Nassau, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Village of East Nassau Local Law No. 1 of 2025, "Accessory Dwelling Unit Law" (introduced 9-10-2025, adopted 11-12-2025), amending Local Law No. 1 of 2019: Section 1 Legislative Intent; Section 3.A adding Accessory Dwelling Unit to the Article III Section 1 District Schedule of Use Regulations as permitted (P) in Hamlet, Rural Residential and Waterfront Residential; Section 3.B adding the Article XII definition; Section 3.C adding Article V Section 2.D(1)-(3) Accessory Dwelling Unit to the Supplementary Regulations; Section 6 Effective date. Local Law No. 1 of 2019: Section 2 land use districts (RR, HAM, WR); Article III Section 1 Schedule of Use Regulations and its legend; Area and Bulk Regulations schedule
Districts confirmed: 3 of 3 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-05
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 East Nassau: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Rensselaer County · All Rensselaer County towns

ADU information for Village of East Nassau is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-05) 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 (518) 794-0289 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.