ADU rules in Fayetteville, AR — also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances — cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Fayetteville is ADU-friendly. Under UDC Sec. 164.19, amended May 6, 2025, a single-family lot may have up to two ADUs totaling no more than 1,200 square feet. The prior owner-occupancy deed restriction was removed.
Fayetteville's Unified Development Code Sec. 164.19 governs accessory dwelling units, and the City Council amended it on May 6, 2025 to encourage more housing. A single-family lot may now have up to two ADUs, with the combined floor area of both capped at 1,200 square feet. ADUs may be interior to the home, attached, detached, or attached to each other as an ADU duplex, and up to three unrelated people may occupy each unit. The 2025 amendment removed the earlier requirement that the owner file a deed restriction to live on the property, dropped ADU-specific parking mandates, and exempted ADUs from added sidewalk construction. A building permit and code-compliant construction are still required.
Building an ADU without a permit triggers a stop-work order and retroactive permit fees. Occupying before final inspection or exceeding the 1,200-square-foot combined cap requires correction before a certificate of occupancy issues.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Fayetteville has no ordinance restricting holiday decorations on private property, so no permit, no seasonal window, and no size cap apply. Displays only hav...
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Fayetteville's sign code has no garage-sale exemption and bans off-site signs, so directional yard-sale signs on corners, other lots, utility poles, or the r...
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Fayetteville regulates political signs content-neutrally as non-commercial signs. A resident may post one on private property year-round, plus additional tem...
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Fayetteville does not inspect or license ordinary long-term rentals. But an owner of more than two residential rentals must register a local designated repre...
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Fayetteville has no just-cause eviction law; Arkansas landlord-tenant rules apply and are the nation's most landlord-friendly. Arkansas is the only state wit...
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Fayetteville has no rent control and cannot enact it. Arkansas Code Sec. 14-54-1409 bars any city from limiting rent. Landlords set market rents and may rais...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Washington County.
See how Fayetteville's adu rules rules stack up against other locations.
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