Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Parking Standards in the City of Reno

Every Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in the City of Reno is required to provide exactly one dedicated off-street parking space on-site. This mandatory requirement applies consistently across all zoning districts where ADUs are permitted, regardless of whether the property is located in a Level 1 or Level 2 Parking District.

Mandatory Off-Street Parking Requirements

The City of Reno land development code classifies an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) as a secondary residence that contains independent kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping facilities [Section 18.09.302]. To mitigate the impact of increased density on street parking, the City of Reno requires specific parking allocations for these units.

According to the general standards for specific accessory uses, one designated parking space must be provided on-site for each ADU [Section 18.03.405(a)(7)]. This requirement is further detailed in the city's off-street parking table:

Table 4-6: ADU Parking Ratios

Use Category	Level 1 Parking District (Min.)	Level 2 Parking District (Min.)
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)	1 per unit	1 per unit

Note: Level 1 Parking Districts typically apply to the Mixed-Use Urban (MU) and Mixed-Use Midtown Commercial (MU-MC) districts, while Level 2 applies to all other zoning districts not otherwise exempted [Section 18.04.705(a)(1)].

Siting and Development Standards

The City of Reno enforces several regulations regarding the placement and design of ADUs and their associated infrastructure to ensure they remain subordinate to the primary residence:

Location: Both attached and detached ADUs in the City of Reno must comply with the same setback requirements as the principal structure [Section 18.03.405(a)(8)].
Visibility: For attached ADUs, the front door of the unit cannot be visible from the same street that the front door of the principal structure faces [Section 18.03.405(a)(9)(c)].
Subordination: A detached ADU must maintain a single-family image and be subordinate to the principal dwelling unit in size, location, and appearance [Section 18.03.405(a)(10)(a)].
Private Restrictions: The City of Reno code specifies that ADUs shall not conflict with any existing private restrictions or covenants [Section 18.03.405(a)(6)].

Neighborhood Prohibitions

While Accessory Dwelling Units are allowed as an accessory use ("A") in many City of Reno residential and urban districts, certain neighborhood planning area overlays explicitly prohibit them.

Country Club Acres Neighborhood (CCAN): Within the CCAN/RD District, Accessory Dwelling Units are strictly prohibited [Section 18.02.603(a)(3)(a)(1)].
Greenfield Neighborhood Plan (GF): ADUs are explicitly permitted in the Greenfield Single-Family (GFSF) and Greenfield Professional Office (GFPO) districts [Section 18.02.603(b)(2)(b) and Section 18.02.603(b)(3)(b)].

Definitions

The City of Reno distinguishes between ADUs and other accessory living quarters:

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU): A unit containing a kitchen, a full bathroom, and living/sleeping areas, incidental and subordinate to the principal use, and located on the same lot as a principal dwelling [Section 18.09.302].
Guest Quarters: These are NOT considered ADUs because they do not contain separate and independent cooking (kitchen) facilities. Guest quarters are intended for guest occupancy only and may not be rented for commercial gain [Section 18.09.302].

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