ADU · Sullivan County

Can you build an ADU in Monticello, NY?

Village of Monticello has 5 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Monticello code says

No district's use list includes an accessory apartment, in-law apartment or guest cottage. A second unit is possible as a two-family dwelling, which is permitted by right in R-2, R-M and B-1 but not in R-1.

Conditions the code attaches:

Minimum lot size is 7,500 sf in R-2 and R-M and 10,000 sf in B-1.
Every use is subject to Article VI, Supplementary Regulations; confirm the accessory apartment rules with the building department at (845) 794-2429.

What the Monticello 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
Residence (One-Family)	0.23 ac	30 / 10 / 30 ft	30 ft	No
Residence (One- and Two-Family)	0.17 ac	30 / 10 / 25 ft	30 ft	No
Residence (Multifamily)	0.17 ac	30 / 10 / 25 ft	30 ft	No
General Business	0.23 ac	30 / 10 / 20 ft	35 ft	No
Core Business	0.057 ac	0 / 0 / 20 ft	35 ft	No

Residence (One-Family) - A home here needs 10,000 square feet, 0.2296 acre, on a lot 100 feet wide, set back 30 feet at the front, 30 feet at the rear and 10 feet on one side, with 30 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 20% of the lot and reach 30 feet.

A one-family dwelling must hold at least 768 square feet of living space under § 280-21, and it is the only principal use permitted outright.
A place of worship needs a special use permit on 40,000 square feet, 150 feet of width, 40 feet front, 20 feet one side, 50 feet both sides, 35 feet rear and 35 feet of height.
Home occupations, schools, colleges, libraries, museums, parks, playgrounds and golf courses need a special use permit on 10,000 square feet, with 100 feet of width and 30 foot yards.
Places of worship include parish houses, seminaries, cemeteries, convents and dormitories.

Residence (One- and Two-Family) - A home here needs 7,500 square feet, 0.1722 acre, on a lot 75 feet wide, set back 30 feet at the front, 25 feet at the rear and 10 feet on one side, with 25 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 25% of the lot and reach 30 feet.

One-family and two-family dwellings are both permitted outright and share those figures.
A one-family dwelling must hold at least 768 square feet of living space, and a two-family dwelling 1,500 square feet, under § 280-21.
A place of worship needs a special use permit on 40,000 square feet, 150 feet of width, 40 feet front, 20 feet one side, 50 feet both sides, 35 feet rear, 35 feet of height and 20% coverage.
Home occupations, bed-and-breakfasts, schools, colleges, libraries, museums, parks and golf courses need a special use permit on 10,000 square feet, with 100 feet of width and 30 foot yards.
Places of worship include parish houses, seminaries, cemeteries, convents and dormitories.

Residence (Multifamily) - A home here needs 7,500 square feet, 0.1722 acre, on a lot 75 feet wide, set back 30 feet at the front, 25 feet at the rear and 10 feet on one side, with 25 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 25% of the lot and reach 30 feet.

One-family and two-family dwellings are the uses permitted outright, holding at least 768 and 1,500 square feet of living space under § 280-21.
Townhouses need a special use permit on 2,000 square feet per dwelling and not more than 8 dwellings per acre of gross lot area, on lots 20 feet wide.
A townhouse lot takes a 30 foot front yard, a 30 foot rear yard, 40% coverage and 35 feet of height, with a 15 foot side yard for end dwellings only.
Apartments 35 feet and under need a special use permit on 10,000 square feet, 0.2296 acre, 150 feet of width, 40 feet front, 20 feet one side, 50 feet both sides, 35 feet rear and 20% coverage.
Apartments over 35 feet need a special use permit on 200,000 square feet, 400 feet of width, a 50 foot front yard, 10% coverage and 75 feet of height.
For those taller buildings the distance to any side or rear lot line is 1 1/2 times the height of the principal buildings, and does not apply to accessory buildings or parking.

General Business - A store, office, restaurant or funeral home here needs 10,000 square feet, 0.2296 acre, on a lot 90 feet wide, set back 30 feet at the front, 20 feet at the rear and 10 feet on one side, with 30 feet for both sides, at 40% coverage and 35 feet.

One-family and two-family dwellings are permitted outright on the same figures, holding at least 768 and 1,500 square feet of living space under § 280-21.
Townhouses need a special use permit on 2,000 square feet per dwelling and not more than 8 dwellings per acre of gross lot area, on lots 20 feet wide, with 30 foot front and rear yards.
No side yard is required for a townhouse except 15 feet for end dwellings, and the row carries 40% coverage and 35 feet of height.
Apartments 35 feet and under need a special use permit on 10,000 square feet, 150 feet of width, 40 feet front, 20 feet one side, 50 feet both sides, 35 feet rear and 20% coverage.
Apartments over 35 feet need a special use permit on 200,000 square feet, 400 feet of width, a 50 foot front yard, 10% coverage and 75 feet of height.
Assisted living under § 280-40.3 needs a special use permit on 4,000 square feet per unit on a vacant lot and 900 square feet per unit in an existing building.

Core Business - A store, office, restaurant or funeral home here needs 2,500 square feet, 0.0574 acre, on a lot 25 feet wide, with a 20 foot rear yard, no side yard required, 40% coverage and 35 feet.

Where a side yard is provided it must be at least 12 feet.
Residential use is permitted under § 280-40.5 on the upper stories, in studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom dwellings, with no unit of 3 or more bedrooms.
A studio takes 550 square feet, a one-bedroom unit 650 square feet and a two-bedroom unit 750 square feet under § 280-40.5.
A motel or hotel under § 280-15 needs a special use permit on 7,500 square feet plus 1,500 per unit, 150 feet of width, 30 feet front, 25 feet one side, 50 feet both sides and 75 feet of height.
A place of worship or a hospital needs a special use permit on 40,000 square feet and 150 feet of width, with a 40 foot front yard and 35 feet of height.
Commercial recreation needs a special use permit on 10,000 square feet, 90 feet of width, 30 feet front, 10 feet one side, 30 feet both sides, 20 feet rear, 30% coverage and 35 feet.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Monticello

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Monticello. As of June 2026 the Village of Monticello has no local law specific to short-term rentals. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with the building department before counting on renting short term. 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 minimum0.17–0.23 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/MO0528
Building dept(845) 794-2429

ADU FAQ — Monticello, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Monticello, NY?

Village of Monticello has 5 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 794-2429.

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

No. No district in Village of Monticello permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (845) 794-2429 before ruling it out.

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

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

Run the free ADU check for your parcel →

What an ADU costs to build in Monticello

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $190k–250k 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 Monticello, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 280 Attachments 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 — R-1, R-2, R-M, B-1 and B-2 Schedules of Use, Area and Bulk Regulations (Attachments 3 and 5 amended 9-4-2019 by L.L. No. 6-2019)
Districts confirmed: 5 of 5 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07
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 Monticello: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Sullivan County · All Sullivan County towns

ADU information for Village of Monticello is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-07) 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 (845) 794-2429 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.