Rensselaer County
Town of Stephentown, NY: zoning for new construction
The Town of Stephentown sets a residential minimum of about 1 acres in Residential, one of its 4 zoning districts. 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) 733-9195 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Stephentown →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 1 ac | 50 / 25 / 25 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Commercial | 2 ac | 50 / 25 / 25 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Industrial | 10 ac | 100 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Rural Use | 1 ac | 50 / 25 / 25 ft | 35 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Stephentown has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Ask the town whether it treats a whole-house short-term rental as a tourist home before counting on the use.
Conditions the code attaches:
- A bed and breakfast or tourist home is a listed use, by right in C, I and RU and with conditions in R-1.
- A tourist home is a building where lodging, meals or both are offered for compensation to transient guests, with no owner-occupancy requirement in the definition.
- New York State's 2025 short-term rental registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) requires every host to register the unit regardless of local law.
- Confirm with the Town of Stephentown at (518) 733-9195 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Stephentown Land Use Regulations, Local Law No. 1 of 2014 as amended, Article IV District Schedule of Area and Bulk Regulations
- Building dept(518) 733-9195
- Last reviewed2026-08-05
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $200–$262/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $5,613 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Stephentown, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Stephentown?
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 Rensselaer County towns
All Rensselaer County zoning: Rensselaer (City) · Troy (City) · Berlin · Brunswick · East Greenbush · Hoosick · Nassau · North Greenbush · Poestenkill · Sand Lake · Schaghticoke · Schodack · Castleton-on-Hudson (Village) · East Nassau (Village) · Hoosick Falls (Village) · Nassau (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Stephentown are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-05) 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) 733-9195 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.