Raleigh, NC Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Base unit cap before bonus
- 12 residential units
- Affordability set-aside for units above 12
- at least 20%
- Income limit
- 60% of Area Median Income or less
- Affordability duration
- minimum 30 years from certificate of occupancy
- Recording requirement
- Affordable Housing Deed Restriction, Wake County Register of Deeds
- Eligible districts
- R-4, R-6, R-10 within a Frequent Transit Area
- Cannot combine with
- Compact or Conservation Development options
Summary
Under Raleigh's Frequent Transit Development Option, a residential project can exceed the standard 12-unit cap for that option if at least 20% of the units above 12 are affordable to households at or below 60% of Area Median Income for a minimum of 30 years, recorded as a deed restriction.
A development site utilizing this option in a residential zoning district shall contain no more than twelve (12) residential units; however, a development site may contain additional residential units provided a number of units equal to at least twenty percent (20%) of the residential units over twelve (12) established within the development site shall be affordable for households earning sixty percent (60%) of the Area Median Income or less for a period of no less than 30 years from the date of issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Full Breakdown
1, "Frequent Transit Development Option," applies in R-4, R-6 and R-10 lots that fall within a mapped Frequent Transit Area: locations the Comprehensive Plan identifies as served by bus or other transit running every 15 minutes or less at peak. The option itself already reduces minimum lot area, lot width and lot-area-per-unit standards well below the conventional district minimums (for example, R-10 single-unit lot area drops to 2,500 square feet versus the conventional 4,000 square feet). " A companion footnote requires the rent and income limits to follow standards the City of Raleigh Housing & Neighborhoods Department sets annually, an Affordable Housing Deed Restriction recorded in the property's chain of title in the Wake County Register of Deeds before the certificate of occupancy issues, and an annual compliance report from the owner on a City-prescribed form.
The Frequent Transit option cannot be combined with the Compact or Conservation Development options (G2), and a qualifying lot must have at least a portion within the mapped Frequent Transit Area to use any of these standards (G3).
Violations & Fines
Building beyond the 12-unit threshold without meeting the 20%-affordable set-aside, or failing to record the required Affordable Housing Deed Restriction before the certificate of occupancy issues, is a UDO compliance failure enforceable under § 1.1.10: an equitable remedy, an injunction from the General Court of Justice, or a court-ordered abatement, with a City lien for costs. A criminal UDO violation is a misdemeanor or infraction under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-4, and the annual compliance report requirement gives the City an ongoing basis to verify the affordable units remain in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Raleigh's Frequent Transit density bonus work?
What income level qualifies as affordable under Raleigh's transit density bonus?
Does the affordable unit requirement get recorded on the property?
Can a project combine the Frequent Transit density bonus with the Compact Development option?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Raleigh
Compare Raleigh to another location·View the North Carolina zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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Density Bonus Law in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle density bonus law.