How Scottsdale Handles Accessory Structures: A Practical Guide

Scottsdale maintains 134 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with accessory structures. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Scottsdale falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

ADU Rental Restrictions

Scottsdale bars selling an ADU separately from the main house and requires a recorded deed restriction before a Restricted-Affordable Detached ADU can be occupied. That unit type can only be rented to households at or below 80 percent of area median income and can never be listed as a vacation or short-term rental.

Key details: Separate sale: prohibited for ADU from main home. Lot subdivision: barred to separate ADU ownership. Restricted-Affordable rent cap: up to 80% area median income. STR ban: Restricted-Affordable ADU cannot be a rental. Prerequisite: recorded deed restriction before permit.

Selling or subdividing an ADU separately from the main home, subdividing the lot to create separate ownership, or renting a Restricted-Affordable Detached ADU above the 80 percent AMI income cap or as a Vacation Rental or Short-term Rental breaches Sec. 7.902.A.3. Occupying a Restricted-Affordable ADU without the recorded deed restriction required by Sec. 7.903.B.5 can hold up or void the unit's Certificate of Occupancy.

ADU Rules

Scottsdale allows up to two Accessory Dwelling Units on lots under an acre and three, including one Restricted-Affordable unit, on acre-plus lots. Sizes top out at 1,000 square feet or 75 percent of the main home, and the Zoning Administrator's approval decision on the required development application cannot be appealed.

Key details: Max ADUs, under 1 acre: 2 total on the lot. Max ADUs, 1+ acre lot: 3 total, 1 restricted-affordable. Largest ADU size cap: 75% of main home or 1,000 sq ft. Other ADU size cap: 500 sq ft or less. Combined occupancy cap: 6 adults, main house plus ADUs.

Building or occupying an ADU before the main dwelling holds a Certificate of Occupancy, exceeding the density or size caps of Sec. 7.904, or placing a detached ADU in a required front or side yard violates the ordinance. The Zoning Administrator or designee can deny, condition, or revoke approval, and that permit decision is expressly non-appealable under Sec. 7.903.

Garage Conversions

Converting an existing garage or other building into a Scottsdale Accessory Dwelling Unit requires meeting the full ADU chapter, including sleeping, kitchen, and sanitary facilities plus building and fire code compliance, under Sec. 7.903. The converted unit still counts against the lot's ADU density and size caps.

Key details: Governing rule: must meet full Sec. 7.900-7.904 ADU chapter. Required facilities: sleeping, kitchen, and sanitary facilities. Utilities: separately metered electric, gas, water, sewer. Approval: Zoning Administrator, non-appealable decision. Size cap on conversion: 500 sq ft unless the one larger unit.

Converting a garage into livable ADU space without an approved Sec. 7.903 development application, without separately metered utilities, or without meeting building and fire code requirements for sleeping, kitchen, and sanitary facilities is a code violation. The Zoning Administrator can deny the application, require the space be restored, or withhold a Certificate of Occupancy until the conversion meets Sec. 7.904's standards.

Shed & Carport Rules

Scottsdale limits backyard sheds and other accessory buildings to residential lots where the main house is already under construction, capping their footprint at 30 percent of the rear yard (75 percent in the R-5 district) under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7.200.A. Placement rules bar sheds from front and side yards and set specific setbacks from property lines and alleys.

Key details: Rear-yard lot coverage cap: 30% (75% in R-5 district). Certificate of Occupancy: requires house CO first. R1-7 rear setback behind house: 2 feet to side/rear line. Alley-facing garage/carport setback: 15 feet from alley centerline. Height-triggered extra setback: +1 ft per ft over 10-12 ft.

Sec. 7.200.A.1 enforces itself at the permit counter: the city will not issue a Certificate of Occupancy for a shed or other accessory structure until the main house already has one, and no accessory structure may be built before the house's construction has commenced. A shed that violates the lot-coverage cap or setback rules is treated as a zoning violation, and the Zoning Administrator can require it be relocated, reduced, or removed before any further permits issue on the property.

The Bottom Line

Scottsdale's accessory structures rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Scottsdale is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Scottsdale's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.