5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Lancaster County, Nebraska.
Verified from official government sources
Lincoln allows one accessory dwelling alongside a single-family home in the R-1 through R-4 zoning districts. It must be no larger than 40% of the main house or 800 square feet (whichever is less), have one bedroom, and the property owner must live on-site.
Lincoln Municipal Code § 27.62.040(c)(2)
The total square footage of the accessory dwelling shall not exceed the lesser of 40% of the total square footage of the main building or 800 square feet.... The accessory dwelling shall have no more than one bedroom.
In Lincoln, a detached shed or accessory building in the residential districts may not exceed fifteen feet in height and must sit at least two feet from the side or rear lot line. A shed used as an alley garage must be at least ten feet from the alley.
Lincoln Municipal Code § 27.72.120(c)(2)
Accessory buildings which are not a part of the main building... May be located in the required rear yard, provided that such accessory buildings: Shall not be nearer than two feet to the side or rear lot line... Shall not be more than fifteen feet in height in the R-1 through R-8... zoning districts.
Converting a Lincoln garage into a separate living unit creates an accessory dwelling, which must meet Section 27.62.040(c): the owner must live on-site, the unit is capped at 800 square feet and one bedroom, and a recorded deed restriction bars selling it separately from the main house.
Lincoln Municipal Code § 27.62.040(c)(3),(8)
The owner of the lot is required to live on the property but may reside in either the main building or in the accessory dwelling.... The property shall be subject to a deed restriction stating that the accessory dwelling shall not be sold separate from the main building.
A carport is a detached accessory building in Lincoln. In the side yard it may sit no closer than two feet to the side lot line, only if it is at least sixty feet from the front lot line, and it may not exceed fifteen feet in height.
Lincoln Municipal Code § 27.72.120(c)(1)
Accessory buildings which are not a part of the main building: May, if located not less than sixty feet from the front lot line, extend into the required side yard though not closer than two feet to the side lot line... provided that such accessory buildings shall not be more than fifteen feet in height.
Lincoln has no tiny-home-specific ordinance. A tiny house used as a second unit is an accessory dwelling, capped at 800 square feet and one bedroom with owner occupancy, and must sit on a permanent foundation. A tiny house on wheels is treated as a recreational vehicle, not a permanent home.
Lincoln Municipal Code § 27.62.040(c)(2)(i)
The total square footage of the accessory dwelling shall not exceed the lesser of 40% of the total square footage of the main building or 800 square feet.
1 cities in Lancaster County have their own accessory structures rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Lancaster County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Lancaster County Ordinance Hub →