ADUs are allowed in ScottsdaleTypes:DetachedInternal
Types:DetachedInternal
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules for Scottsdale, AZ
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
# of Properties
116,420
Owner-occupied
59%
Zoning districts
240
Avg Home Value
$978,802
Median Lot Size
0.16 acres
Avg Income
$133,559
Residential Types:
116,420 housing units
Apts (4+ units)
1%
Other
99%
Zoning Districts:
131,536 parcels · 240 districts
R-5
11%(14,930)
R1-7
11%(14,172)
R-5/PCD
7%(8,878)
R1-7/PCD
5%(6,238)
Other
66%(87,318)
ADU Rules
What can you build in Scottsdale, AZ?
Scottsdale, 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 or attached ADU on a single-family lot
- –Maximum size of 75% of the main dwelling’s gross floor area for an internal or attached ADU on a single-family lot
Detached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum size of 1,000 sq ft for a detached ADU on a single-family lot
- –Maximum size of 75% of the main dwelling’s gross floor area for a detached ADU on a single-family lot
Max Units
- –Single-family lots: under 1 acre—up to 2 (1 attached + 1 detached); 1 acre or larger—up to 3 (1 attached + 1 detached + 1 restricted-affordable detached). Max 1 per type.
- –Duplex/multifamily: 0.
Owner Occupancy
- –Owner occupancy is not required for ADUs.
Parking
- –No additional ADU parking required; cannot reduce main-dwelling parking; if spaces are removed, they must be replaced on the same lot with Zoning Administrator approval.
Rental Restrictions
- –Short-term/vacation rentals prohibited unless the owner resides on the same property (COs issued on/after 9/14/2024).
- –Restricted-Affordable Detached ADU must be rented to households ≤80% AMI and shall not be offered as vacation/short-term rental; private deed restriction required.
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