Updated October 2026. For a side-by-side look at ADU rules in Reno, Sparks and unincorporated Washoe County, plus costs and tips for hiring a builder, see ADU Rules in Reno, Sparks & Washoe County (2026).
On October 8, 2025, the Reno City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 6727, allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) citywide wherever single-family homes are permitted. It capped an effort the Council started in 2023, and it put Reno ahead of the July 1, 2026 deadline in Nevada’s new state ADU law, AB 396.
A year on, here’s what the ordinance says, what has changed since, and what it means for owners and investors.
What Reno’s Ordinance Allows
The City’s official ADU Guide (revised Oct. 13, 2025) lists the standards:
- Where: Anywhere single-family homes are allowed. Maximum density limits don’t apply to ADUs.
- Lot size: At least 5,000 sq. ft.
- How many: One ADU per lot, attached or detached.
- Size: Set by zone in the City’s accessory-structure tables. Example: in SF-3, the lesser of 1,600 sq. ft. or 50% of the main home.
- Height: No taller than the existing home.
- Setbacks: Same as the main home.
- Parking: One designated on-site space.
- Design: Detached ADUs must match the main home’s materials, details and roof pitch. An attached ADU’s front door can’t face the same street as the main front door.
- Rentals: ADUs may be rented long-term and short-term. A proposed 28-day minimum stay was dropped in September 2025, and the Council said it would address short-term rentals citywide instead.
- Ownership: An ADU can’t be sold separately from the main home.
- Private rules still apply: ADUs can’t conflict with HOA covenants and other private restrictions.
What’s Changed Since October 2025
- State law took effect July 1, 2026. AB 396 now requires Nevada’s largest cities and counties to allow ADUs on single-family property. Their rules can’t ban a separate kitchen, require more than one extra parking space (if existing and street parking are adequate), impose side or rear setbacks stricter than the main home’s, or ban long-term rental. Reno’s ordinance already fit those limits.
- Washoe County loosened its rules. As of January 23, 2026, ADUs in unincorporated Washoe County can be up to 80% of the main home’s size (up from 50%), still capped at 1,500 sq. ft. in most zones. If your “Reno” address is actually in the county, those are your rules.
- Permitting is through the building permit. Owners apply online at OneNV. The City suggests talking with a planner (planning@reno.gov) and a building plan reviewer (permits@reno.gov) first.
- Fees are real money. Road, park, police and sewer connection fees add up to roughly $13,000–$18,000 before building-permit fees, per the City’s guide.
Timeline
- 2023: Council starts the ADU code change.
- September 2025: Council advances the ordinance and removes the 28-day rental minimum. (Nevada Current)
- October 8, 2025: Final adoption of Ordinance 6727. (KRNV/MyNews4)
- October 13, 2025: City publishes its ADU Guide and FAQ.
- July 1, 2026: AB 396’s ADU requirements take effect statewide.
What It Means for the Reno Market
For Homeowners
- Options: A permitted ADU can house family, a home office, or a tenant.
- Run the full numbers: Construction, $13,000–$18,000 in City fees, utility work and parking all affect whether rent covers the cost.
- Permits protect resale: A legal ADU is a selling point; an unpermitted one can complicate a sale.
For Investors
- Lot selection: Single-family lots over 5,000 sq. ft. with rear-yard room and simple utility access are the easiest candidates.
- Short-term rental flexibility: Reno currently allows ADUs as short-term rentals. Watch for a citywide STR ordinance that could change the math. State law lets cities ban transient lodging in ADUs, but not long-term rentals.
- Check the jurisdiction: Sparks and unincorporated Washoe County have different size, lot and rental rules.
Market-Wide
- Gentle density: Expect gradual additions of small rentals, not a wave of new supply. Construction costs and fees limit how many pencil out.
- Listings: “ADU-ready” lots and homes with permitted ADUs are worth calling out in marketing.
Next Steps
- Confirm your parcel is inside Reno city limits and at least 5,000 sq. ft. (Washoe County Assessor).
- Read the City’s ADU Guide and email a planner with your address.
- Get builder bids that include fees, utilities and site work. See our tips in the ADU rules guide.