Ames, IA Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Sec. 29.409(6) of the Ames Zoning Ordinance ties ADU occupancy directly to the city's Rental Code. Subsection (6)(a) provides that occupancy limitations may apply to ADUs located in Near Campus Neighborhoods, as those neighborhoods are defined within Chapter 13, the Rental Code. Subsection (6)(b) goes further: any ADU, or the single-family residence it accompanies, that is intended for use as a rental must be registered with the City of Ames and carry a valid rental permit, with all requirements of Chapter 13 applying in full.

This means an ADU owner who intends to lease the unit cannot rely on the ADU zoning approval alone; the property must separately clear the Rental Housing Code's registration and permitting process administered by the Inspections Division, which covers rental housing registration and property maintenance citywide. The rule was adopted alongside the broader ADU standards under Ordinance No. 4516 on January 9, 2024, and amended by Ordinance No. 4561 on June 24, 2025. Because ADUs are exempt from the accessory-structure rules of Sec. 29.408 under Sec.

29.409(3)(c) and (d), the Rental Code cross-reference in (6)(b) is the specific mechanism that brings rental ADUs under city oversight, rather than leaving them regulated only by the zoning size, setback, and design standards that apply to owner-occupied ADUs.