MF-14 Multi-Family Residential District Setback Requirements
In the City of Reno MF-14: Multi-Family Residential district, principal buildings generally require a 10-foot front setback, a 5-foot side setback, and a 20-foot rear setback. These standards include a potential reduction of the rear setback to 10 feet for principal buildings if a 20-foot wide side yard is provided, and a reduction to 5 feet for single-story accessory structures [Section 18.02.208].
Standard Setback Requirements
The City of Reno establishes specific dimensional standards for the MF-14: Multi-Family Residential district to accommodate single-family and low-density multi-family developments, such as duplexes and townhomes. All measurements for these setbacks are typically taken as the horizontal distance between the property line and the nearest portion of the structure [Section 18.09.205].
MF-14: Lot and Building Standards Table
| Setback Type | Principal Building Requirement | Accessory Structure Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 10 feet | 10 feet |
| Side | 5 feet | 5 feet |
| Side (Zero-Lot-Line) | 10 feet on one side; 0 feet on other | Not specified |
| Rear | 20 feet (Standard) | 20 feet (Standard) |
| Rear (Reduced) | 10 feet (See conditions below) | 5 feet (See conditions below) |
| Street-Facing Garage | 20 feet (from sidewalk) | N/A |
| Building Separation | 10 feet (between principal buildings) | N/A |
Specialized Setback Conditions
Rear Yard Reductions
In the MF-14: Multi-Family Residential district, the standard 20-foot rear setback for principal buildings may be reduced to 10 feet if one side yard of the parcel is at least 20 feet wide and contains a minimum of 400 square feet [Section 18.02.208, Table 2-11, Note 3].
For accessory structures in the City of Reno, a reduced rear setback of 5 feet is permitted for any single-story building or structure that does not exceed 16 feet in height [Section 18.02.208, Table 2-11, Note 4].
Alley and Garage Requirements
- Alley Access: A minimum zero-foot setback is permitted by the City of Reno when a property line abuts an alley, provided that at least 24 feet of backup space (including the alley width) is available for all garage doors and parking spaces [Section 18.02.208, Table 2-11, Note 1].
- Garage Orientation: Street-facing garages must be set back 20 feet, measured from the current or planned sidewalk to the face of the garage [Section 18.02.208].
Residential Compatibility Stepbacks
The City of Reno enforces additional "stepback" requirements for buildings in the MF-14: Multi-Family Residential district to ensure compatibility with lower-density neighbors. For any portion of a building exceeding 24 feet in height that abuts a Large-Lot (LL) or Single-Family (SF) district, an additional 1-foot horizontal setback (or 1:1 height-to-stepback ratio) is required for every foot of height above 24 feet [Section 18.04.903(c)(1)].
Grading and Natural Resource Protection
When performing grading in the MF-14: Multi-Family Residential district, the City of Reno prohibits the placement of fill within 5 feet of a shared property line. Additionally, fill depths are limited near property lines to protect adjacent parcels:
- Within 20 feet of the property line, fill may not exceed 4 feet above natural grade.
- Within 50 feet of the property line, fill may not exceed 8 feet above natural grade [Section 18.04.1404].
Sections Cited
- Section 18.02.208, MF-14: Multi-Family Residential
- Section 18.04.903, General Standards for Residential Districts
- Section 18.04.1404, Grading (Residential Adjacency)
- Section 18.09.205, Property Line Setback/Yard