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Accessory Structures in Little Rock, AR (2026)

4 verified accessory structures rules for Little Rock, Arkansas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

ADU Rules

Little Rock allows accessory dwelling units only in the R-2, R-3, R-4, and R-7A residential districts, and caps their floor area at no more than the principal home's square footage.

Little Rock Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning Rules

Significant Restrictions

Sec. 36-252(a)

Accessory dwellings within the R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-7A districts shall conform to the following area requirements:(1)No accessory dwelling shall exceed the permitted height of the district.(2)In no instance shall the floor area of the accessory dwelling exceed that of the principal dwelling.(3)In the R-2 and R-3 districts, one (1) of the dwelling units must be occupied by the landowner.(4)In the...

ADU Owner Occupancy

Little Rock's by-right accessory dwelling unit rule, Sec. 36-204, allows one ADU on a single-family residential lot without conditioning it on the owner living on the property, and it overrides stricter chapter 36 rules that would.

Little Rock ADU Owner-Occupancy Rule

Few Restrictions

Sec. 36-204.

The purpose of this section is to establish clear standards for the development of one (1) accessory dwelling unit on single-family residential lots as a permitted use by right, in accordance with Act 313 of 2025 of the State of Arkansas. ... (d)Applicability. Any regulation or restriction in chapter 36 that is more restrictive than this section shall not apply to accessory dwelling units defin...

ADU Rental Restrictions

Little Rock allows one accessory dwelling unit by right on any single-family lot under Sec. 36-204, adopted in 2025 to carry out Arkansas Act 313, and that unit can be rented on a long-term basis without extra zoning approval. Only nightly or short-term rental use of the ADU pulls in the city's separate short-term rental compliance requirement under Sec. 36-601.

Little Rock ADU Long-Term Rental Rule

Some Restrictions

Sec. 36-204(a), (b)(1)-(2), (e)-(f)

(a)Purpose and intent. The purpose of this section is to establish clear standards for the development of one (1) accessory dwelling unit on single-family residential lots as a permitted use by right, in accordance with Act 313 of 2025 of the State of Arkansas. (b)Permitted use.(1)A maximum of one (1) accessory dwelling unit is allowed as a permitted use in all zoning districts when it is an ac...

Shed & Carport Rules

Little Rock requires accessory buildings, including backyard sheds, to sit at least 3 feet from side and rear property lines under the zoning code, though sheds 200 square feet or smaller skip the building permit entirely.

Little Rock Accessory Shed Setback Rules

Some Restrictions

Sec. 36-156(a)(2)f.

Accessory buildings shall maintain at least a three-foot setback from any side or rear yard property line except where said rear yard abuts on a dedicated alley. No setback shall be required for an accessory building upon the alley.g.Where the developed lots in a block comprise forty (40) percent or more of the frontage of the said block and the buildings on those lots have an average variation...

Looking for Pulaski County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Little Rock city rules.

Accessory Structures in Pulaski County