Southampton Village, NY Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

The Code of the Village of Southampton does not use the term tiny home. What it regulates is size and use, and two rules decide whether a very small dwelling can exist in the Village of Southampton.

Accessory buildings. Under § 116-9A(1), an accessory building cannot exceed 520 square feet in a district requiring 20,000 or less square feet of lot area, and cannot exceed 800 square feet where the district requires more than 20,000 square feet. It cannot exceed 16 feet in height measured from natural grade, cannot have a cellar or below-grade story, and cannot have heating installed in any part of it. Paragraph (f) is the decisive one: no part of the building can be designed or used for sleeping purposes, and no cooking facilities can be placed in it. A detached tiny house used as a bedroom, studio or guest cottage therefore cannot qualify as an accessory building. A detached accessory building must also sit not less than five feet from the main building, its area counts in lot coverage, and § 116-9A(3) bars it from a front yard, a required side yard and the total required side yards.

Principal dwellings. Section 116-17, amended 12-11-2025 by L.L. No. 15-2025, sets a minimum floor area for every dwelling hereafter erected or converted to accommodate additional families. For a one-family or two-family detached dwelling, a 1-story building or first floor needs 800 square feet where the district requires 10,000 or less, 1,000 for 10,001 to 20,000, 1,500 for over 20,000 to 40,000, and 2,000 over 40,000. An apartment unit needs 600 square feet for a studio or efficiency, plus 100 for each additional room. The least overall dimension of the minimum first floor area is 20 feet, and mobile homes are not permitted.

The Accessory Apartment Overlay District, former § 116-8.1, was repealed 6-15-2021 by L.L. No. 2-2021.