Irondequoit, NY Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

The Town of Irondequoit treats a tiny house as a conditional use, not a by-right home. Section 235-4 defines TINY HOUSE as a residential structure that meets the definition set forth in the New York State Residential Code, currently or as amended. Section 235-8B(1)(c) then places the "tiny house" on the list of uses permitted in the R-R, R-1, R-2 and R-3 Residential Districts only if a special use permit is granted by the Town Board.

The approval path follows § 235-8B(2). The applicant files with the Town's Department of Community Development, the Town Board adopts a resolution acknowledging receipt of the complete application and sets a public hearing date, the application is referred to the Planning Board and any other required agency for comment, and the Board decides after the hearing is closed.

Setbacks are not fixed by a table for tiny houses. Section 235-8B(2)(d) states that for proposed tiny houses the Planning Board has discretion to establish required setbacks during site plan review, with the Town Engineer involved. That differs from standard dwellings, where § 235-11 prints a minimum front yard of at least 30 feet in R-1, R-2 and R-3 and a rear yard depth of 30 feet. Site plan approval under Article XV is also required where a conditional use involves a new principal structure or an unlisted or Type I action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

One size rule is lifted. Section 235-12A prohibits any residential building from having less than the minimum total floor area and ground floor area printed in its district table, except for an approved tiny house. A tiny house approved by the Town Board therefore does not have to meet those minimums. The "approved" wording matters: the exemption belongs to a tiny house that has cleared the special use process.