ADU rules in Clarence, NY — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Erie County does not zone for accessory dwelling units. Whether an ADU, in-law suite, or backyard cottage is allowed on your lot is decided by your town, city, or village zoning code, not by county government.
New York is a home-rule state: zoning authority sits with each town, city, and village, not the county. Erie County has no countywide ADU or in-law-apartment ordinance, so rules depend on where you live within the county (Buffalo, Amherst, and Hamburg each have their own code). New York State encourages ADUs through the voluntary HCR Plus One ADU grant program, but that program explicitly respects local zoning control, meaning municipalities set their own size caps, setbacks, owner-occupancy rules, and parking. Whatever the local outcome, an ADU is a dwelling and must be built to the NYS Uniform Code and Residential Code (RCNYS), which set habitable-room, egress, and life-safety standards enforced locally. Confirm ADU eligibility with your municipal building department first.
Building or renting an ADU not permitted under your municipality's zoning is a local zoning violation, enforced by the town, city, or village, not the county. Penalties, stop-work orders, and removal orders are set by local law.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Erie County, NY
Animal hoarding in Erie County is investigated by the SPCA Serving Erie County and prosecuted as cruelty by the Erie County District Attorney's Animal Cruelt...
Erie County, NY
The Erie County Department of Health treats improper bird and wildlife feeding as a rodent attractant and public-health nuisance and investigates complaints ...
Erie County, NY
Erie County does not license cats, but New York law requires every cat to be rabies-vaccinated, and the county Health Department runs free rabies clinics for...
Erie County, NY
Erie County sets no numeric limit on household pets. Any cap on the number of dogs or cats comes from a town, city, or village ordinance, while state law req...
Erie County, NY
Erie County imposes no countywide livestock ordinance. Keeping cattle, horses, goats, pigs, or other farm animals is controlled by each town, city, or villag...
Clarence, NY
Clarence Town Code prohibits keeping chickens in the Residential Single-Family (R-SF) zone unless the parcel is at least 5 acres or is located in the Agricul...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Erie County.
See how Clarence's adu rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.