Sullivan County

Village of Liberty, NY: zoning for new construction

5 districts Min residential lot 0.16–0.23 ac NYSEG

Residential lots in the Village of Liberty run from a 0.16-acre minimum in Residential High Density up to 0.23 acres in Residential Low Density, across 5 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is NYSEG territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 292-8511 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Liberty →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Residential Low Density	0.23 ac	25 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
Residential High Density	0.16 ac	25 / 8 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
Commercial	0.092 ac	20 / 10 / 10 ft	44 ft	No
Downtown Commercial Core	0.092 ac	20 / 0 / 0 ft	44 ft	No
Manufacturing	0.092 ac	20 / 50 / 50 ft	44 ft	No

Residential Low Density - A lot here needs 10,000 square feet, 80 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. A building sits 25 feet back from the front line, 10 feet from each side with 25 feet for both, and 30 feet from the rear, and reaches 35 feet and 2.5 stories.

Hard surface may cover 20% of the lot, because the chapter counts the building together with every impervious surface, parking included.
Each dwelling unit needs at least 1,000 square feet of floor area.
A two family dwelling needs 135% of the lot area a one family dwelling needs.
Density for two family and multifamily is the dwelling units per acre allowed for one family use, or six units per acre, whichever is less.
A residential lot needs a front lot line at least 50 feet long, which is frontage rather than lot width.
Spires, chimneys, flagpoles and similar structures nobody lives in stay exempt from the height limit below 150 feet.

Residential High Density - A lot here needs 7,000 square feet, 60 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. A building sits 25 feet back from the front line, 8 feet from each side with 20 feet for both, and 30 feet from the rear, and reaches 35 feet and 2.5 stories.

Hard surface may cover 20% of the lot, because the chapter counts the building together with every impervious surface, parking included.
Each dwelling unit needs at least 800 square feet of floor area.
A two family dwelling needs 135% of the lot area a one family dwelling needs.
A multifamily dwelling needs a special permit, and density is the dwelling units per acre allowed for one family use, or six units per acre, whichever is less.
A residential lot needs a front lot line at least 50 feet long, which is frontage rather than lot width.
Spires, chimneys, flagpoles and similar structures nobody lives in stay exempt from the height limit below 150 feet.

Commercial - A lot here needs 4,000 square feet, 50 feet of width and 80 feet of depth. A building sits 20 feet back from the front line, 10 feet from each side with 20 feet for both, and 10 feet from the rear, and reaches 44 feet and 4 stories.

Hard surface may cover 100% of the lot, because the chapter counts the building together with every impervious surface, parking included.
Each dwelling unit needs at least 800 square feet of floor area.
A one family or two family dwelling is permitted outright, and a two family dwelling needs 135% of the lot area a one family dwelling needs.
A multifamily dwelling, a hotel or motel, and a housing or residential development each need a special permit.
A residential lot needs a front lot line at least 50 feet long, which is frontage rather than lot width.
Spires, chimneys, flagpoles and similar structures nobody lives in stay exempt from the height limit below 150 feet.

Downtown Commercial Core - A lot here needs 4,000 square feet, 50 feet of width and 80 feet of depth. A building sits 20 feet back from the front line, reaches 44 feet and 4 stories, and the schedule asks for no side yard and no rear yard.

Hard surface may cover 100% of the lot, because the chapter counts the building together with every impervious surface, parking included.
Each dwelling unit needs at least 800 square feet of floor area.
Dwellings here sit on the upper storeys, and a live and work unit needs a special permit.
A printing operation needs a special permit and must stay under 2,500 square feet.
A residential lot needs a front lot line at least 50 feet long, which is frontage rather than lot width.
Spires, chimneys, flagpoles and similar structures nobody lives in stay exempt from the height limit below 150 feet.

Manufacturing - A lot here needs 4,000 square feet, 100 feet of width and 100 feet of depth. A building sits 20 feet back from the front line, 50 feet from each side with 100 feet for both, and 50 feet from the rear, and reaches 44 feet and 4 stories.

Hard surface may cover 100% of the lot, because the chapter counts the building together with every impervious surface, parking included.
Essential services are the only use permitted outright; manufacturing, light industrial, machine shops, warehousing and the rest each need a special permit.
No dwelling is listed for this district, so the schedule publishes no floor area per dwelling unit here.
A public garage for more than five motor vehicles may not have an entrance or exit within 50 feet of a residential district.
Spires, chimneys, flagpoles and similar structures nobody lives in stay exempt from the height limit below 150 feet.

Short-term rentals

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. No village-level short term rental law is confirmed for Liberty. That is not the same as permission, so treat short term renting as an open question and confirm with the building department before counting on the income.

Conditions the code attaches:

Sullivan County room tax registration can still apply to a home rented short term, separate from any village rule.
Confirm current requirements with the building department at (845) 292-8511 before advertising or booking guests.
General district use rules and any rental or occupancy standards in the village code still govern the property.

Good to know

UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeVillage of Liberty Code, Chapter 87 Zoning, Schedule of District Regulations (87 Attachment 1).
Building dept(845) 292-8511
Last reviewed2026-10-07

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $195–$256/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $6,050 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Liberty, or what an ADU costs here.

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