ADUs are allowed in GlendaleTypes:DetachedInternal
Types:DetachedInternal
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules for Glendale, AZ
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
# of Properties
65,549
Owner-occupied
72%
Zoning districts
38
Avg Home Value
$418,717
Median Lot Size
0.17 acres
Avg Income
$91,315
Residential Types:
65,549 housing units
Apts (4+ units)
1%
Other
99%
Zoning Districts:
72,652 parcels · 38 districts
R1-6
52%(37,637)
PAD
8%(5,891)
R1-7
8%(5,851)
R-4
7%(4,964)
Other
25%(18,309)
ADU Rules
What can you build in Glendale, AZ?
Glendale, AZ follows state and local rules for Accessory Dwelling Units. Here is a concise overview of the local rules.
Eligibility
- –Internal / Attached ADU: By Right
- –Detached ADU: By Right
Interior / Attached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum size of 1,000 sq ft for an internal/attached ADU in a single-family dwelling.
- –Maximum size up to the existing single-family dwelling's gross building area for an internal/attached ADU.
Detached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum detached ADU size of 1,000 sq ft.
- –Detached ADU max gross floor area is 50% of principal building footprint (not applicable in A-1, RR-45, C-3, B-P, M-1, M-2).
- –Detached ADU must be secondary in size to the primary dwelling; cannot exceed the primary dwelling’s floor area.
Max Units
- –Single-family: 1 attached + 1 detached
- –Single-family ≥1 acre: 1 attached + 2 detached (≥1 ADU affordable)
- –Duplex/MF: 0 ADUs
Owner Occupancy
- –Owner must occupy either the main dwelling or the ADU.
Parking
- –0 spaces; no separate driveway; must use the principal dwelling's parking and follow residential off-street standards.
Rental Restrictions
- –ADUs may not be leased, subleased, or rented separately from the main dwelling if neither unit is owner-occupied (short- or long-term; long-term = 90+ days or month-to-month).
- –Restricted-affordable ADUs: rent capped at ≤80% AMI; shall not be rented to any entity; no extension if income rises; must promptly market to a qualified tenant and file annual rental reports.
ADU State Law
What can you build in Arizona?
- –ADUs must be allowed as a permitted use wherever single-family dwellings are allowed.
- –Must allow at least 2 ADUs per lot (1 attached + 1 detached). A third detached ADU must be allowed if the lot is ≥ 1 acre and one ADU is restricted-affordable (≤ 80% Area Median Income).
- –ADU rules cannot be more restrictive than single-family rules in the same zoning area for height, setbacks, lot size, lot coverage, and building frontage; and side/rear setbacks cannot exceed 5 feet.
- –The city cannot require additional parking (or fees in lieu of parking).
- –The city cannot prohibit separately leased long-term rentals (≥ 90 days or month-to-month) for either the primary home or the ADU; local short-term rental rules may still apply.
- –The city cannot require the ADU to match exterior design, roof pitch, or finishing materials of the primary home.
- –The city cannot require public street improvements as a condition of allowing an ADU, except to repair or reconstruct a street disturbed by ADU construction.
- –The city cannot require a restrictive covenant as a condition of approving an ADU.
- –ADUs cannot be built over a public utility easement without written utility consent; building, fire, and health codes still apply, but the city cannot require commercial code or sprinklers solely because it is an ADU.
- –Private restrictions may still apply (HOAs, deed restrictions, and other private covenants between parties).
- –Backstop rule: If the municipality failed to adopt the required ADU regulations by January 1, 2025, ADUs are allowed on residential lots in that municipality without limits.
- –In municipalities with population ≤ 75,000, in unincorporated county areas, and on the statute's exempt lands (tribal; defined military vicinity; defined airport vicinity with >65 dB), there is no state ADU override. ADUs depend on local rules.
- –Private deed restrictions and HOA covenants may still limit ADUs, and the statute does not eliminate those private covenants (it mainly limits what a municipality can require or condition).
What's allowed on your lot?
These are the municipality-wide rules. What's allowed on a specific property also depends on state laws, setbacks, floor area ratio, lot coverage, environmental constraints, topography, and other property-specific factors. Search your address on FutureLot to see what's allowed on your property.
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ADU rules in other Arizona municipalities
Rules change at the town line. Check the municipality your property is actually in.
Maricopa County