Little Rock, AR Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- By-right ADUs per lot
- One, on any single-family lot
- Adopted
- Aug. 19, 2025, Ord. No. 22,647
- State authority
- Implements Arkansas Act 313 of 2025
- Size cap
- 75% of house or 1,000 sq. ft.
- Short-term rental use
- Still needs Sec. 36-601 compliance
- Noncompliant ADU path
- Variance before Board of Adjustment
Summary
Little Rock allows one accessory dwelling unit by right on any single-family lot under Sec. 36-204, adopted in 2025 to carry out Arkansas Act 313, and that unit can be rented on a long-term basis without extra zoning approval. Only nightly or short-term rental use of the ADU pulls in the city's separate short-term rental compliance requirement under Sec. 36-601.
(a)Purpose and intent. The purpose of this section is to establish clear standards for the development of one (1) accessory dwelling unit on single-family residential lots as a permitted use by right, in accordance with Act 313 of 2025 of the State of Arkansas. (b)Permitted use.(1)A maximum of one (1) accessory dwelling unit is allowed as a permitted use in all zoning districts when it is an accessory unit to a single-family dwelling of a greater square footage on the same parcel or lot...b.Area. When detached or attached, the unit shall not be more than seventy-five percent (75%) of the gross floor area of the single-family dwelling or one thousand square feet (1,000 sq. ft.), whichever is less. (e)Additional units. Any additional accessory dwelling units, beyond one (1) unit as defined by [section (b)(1)]...shall conform to applicable regulations of the municipal code.(f)Short-term rentals. No provision of this section shall be construed so as to relieve compliance with Sec. 36-601 of the Little Rock Municipal Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83).
Full Breakdown
Sec. " Sec. " The same subsection ties the ADU to the setback, lot-coverage and height rules that already apply to the primary district, and (b)(1)b requires a will-serve letter from the water and wastewater utility before the unit can be occupied. An ADU that does not meet those development standards is not banned outright; Sec. 36-204(c)(1) routes it instead to a variance request before the Board of Adjustment under Secs. 36-69 to 36-70. Sec. 36-204(e) draws the line on rental scale: any additional accessory dwelling unit beyond the one allowed by right, or an ADU accessory to a non-single-family primary structure, drops out of this streamlined permit and must instead "conform to applicable regulations of the municipal code," meaning ordinary multifamily or duplex zoning.
Sec. 36-204(f) closes the rental-use gap directly: "No provision of this section shall be construed so as to relieve compliance with Sec. 36-601 of the Little Rock Municipal Code," so an owner who wants to rent the ADU out nightly still has to clear the city's separate short-term rental registration and operating rules rather than relying on the ADU permit alone.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 36-204 sits in chapter 36, so a violation, such as building a second by-right ADU, exceeding the 75%/1,000-square-foot cap, or running short-term rentals out of an ADU without Sec. 36-601 compliance, falls under Sec. 36-4's general zoning penalty: a misdemeanor with a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00 per offense, capped at $250.00 per day if the violation continues, after a written order giving seven days to abate or appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out my Little Rock ADU to a long-term tenant?
Does listing my ADU as a short-term rental change the rules?
How big can a rentable ADU be?
What if I want a second ADU or one larger than the cap?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
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