ADU · Rensselaer County

Can you build an ADU in Nassau, NY?

Town of Nassau has 4 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the 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	35 ft	No
General Business District	2 ac	75 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	No
Hamlet District	1 ac	25 / 25 / 25 ft	35 ft	No
Waterfront Residential District	1 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	No

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Nassau

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Nassau. The Town of Nassau has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. A whole-house rental that is not owner-occupied has no listed use in its closed use table, so confirm with the building department before listing. 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 minimum1–2 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNational Grid territory.
Zoning codetownofnassau.org/content/Laws/View/15
Building dept(518) 766-3044

ADU FAQ — Nassau, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Nassau, NY?

Town of Nassau has 4 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 766-3044.

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

No. No district in Town of Nassau permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (518) 766-3044 before ruling it out.

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

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of 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 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 Nassau, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Town of Nassau Land Use and Development Regulations, Consolidated (last updated 9/10/07): Art II land use districts and purposes; Art IIA Adult Use overlay; Art III A Schedule of Use Regulations — District Schedule of Use Regulations, Residential and Non-Residential blocks, and its legend; Art IV Area and Bulk Regulations B and C (as amended by L.L. No. 4 of 1995); Art V; Art X variances
Districts confirmed: 4 of 4 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-16
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 Nassau: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Rensselaer County · All Rensselaer County towns

ADU information for Town of Nassau is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-09-16) 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) 766-3044 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.