Jackson, MS Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

01(1), 'Lot Accessory Dwellings,' which applies inside the city's Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) District, a zoning classification for new or revitalized walkable neighborhoods on sites of at least 25 contiguous acres. The rule covers guest cottages, garage apartments and other accessory dwelling units. Subsection A allows the accessory dwelling to be attached to or detached from the principal dwelling, but requires the lot's principal use to remain a detached single-family dwelling; a TND lot cannot be built around the accessory unit alone. Subsection C caps a detached accessory dwelling's building footprint at 650 square feet of first-floor area, which the ordinance calls the maximum footprint, though that structure can combine the dwelling unit with a garage, workshop or studio use.

Subsection D requires a detached accessory dwelling to sit in the lot's established rear yard and meet the building and lot-type standards that otherwise apply. Subsection B adds a one-unit-per-lot cap and a common-ownership condition, addressed on its own page. These accessory dwelling standards sit within Article 709-A's broader TND rules, which also govern residential mix, open space and civic uses for the district, under the Zoning Ordinance as amended through December 19, 2024. Because TND is an elective district applied through the City's rezoning process, these accessory-dwelling standards do not automatically apply to Jackson's standard R-1 through R-6 residential districts; those are governed by separate sections of Article VI.