ADU · Rensselaer County

Can you build an ADU in Stephentown, NY?

Town of Stephentown 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 Stephentown code says

Stephentown has no accessory dwelling use, and any use not listed in its schedule is prohibited. A two-family dwelling is permitted by right in R-1, C, I and RU, the same as a one-family dwelling.

Conditions the code attaches:

Multi-family needs a special permit in R-1 and RU and is permitted with site plan review in C and I.
Residential cluster development is permitted with site plan review in R-1, C, I and RU.
Individual manufactured homes are permitted in R-1 and RU, and individual mobile homes are prohibited everywhere.
Confirm with the town at (518) 733-9195 that the 2014 regulations have not been amended.

What the Stephentown 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
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

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Stephentown

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Stephentown. 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. 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 minimum1 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNational Grid territory.
Zoning codestephentown.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/1-of-2014-Land-Use-Regs-Amended.pdf
Building dept(518) 733-9195

ADU FAQ — Stephentown, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Stephentown, NY?

Town of Stephentown has 4 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 733-9195.

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

No. No district in Town of Stephentown permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (518) 733-9195 before ruling it out.

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

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

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 Stephentown, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Town of Stephentown Local Law No. 1 of 2014 (Amended Land Use Regulations): Art II A Land Use Districts; Art III A Schedule of Use Regulations — District Schedule of Use Regulations and key, Residential/General/Commercial/Accessory Uses blocks and the EF mine-closure note; Art III area and bulk; Art IV K One-Family/Two-Family Dwelling; Definitions (apartment; accessory use; permitted use; prohibited use)
Districts confirmed: 4 of 4 — 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 Stephentown: 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 Stephentown 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) 733-9195 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.