Albany

1. USDO eligibility check (ACC Chapter 375) (~5d)
   Confirm parcel zoning under Albany's Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance (Chapter 375). ADUs are evaluated under Article III Use Regulations and Article IV Development Standards; downtown / Empire State Plaza overlay parcels and historic-district parcels (Center Square, Mansion, Lafayette Park, Pastures, Ten Broeck Triangle, Washington Park, Clinton Avenue) carry additional Historic Resources Commission review.
2. Pre-application meeting with Department of Buildings & Regulatory Compliance (~7d)
   Optional but encouraged - the Chief Building Official's office walks through Article V administration procedures, fire-marshal smoke-detection / egress requirements, and confirms whether site triggers Hudson River shoreline / FEMA AE flood overlay obligations.
3. Submit Building Permit Application (~1d)
   Submit to Albany Department of Buildings & Regulatory Compliance, City Hall Room 303. Required documents: building permit application, two sets of stamped plans (or electronic via city portal), site plan with setbacks (front 25 ft, side 5-10 ft, rear 25 ft typical), Title 24-equivalent NYS ECCC compliance worksheet, structural drawings, MEP plans, contractor's certificate of insurance.
4. Plan review - Buildings, Fire, Engineering, Planning (~30d)
   Concurrent multi-department review: Buildings (NYS Uniform Code + 2020 ECCC w/ 2024 stretch), Fire Marshal (egress, smoke/CO alarms - NY does not require residential sprinklers), City Engineer (sewer/storm tie-in, Hudson watershed runoff), Planning (USDO use compliance). Historic-district parcels add HRC review (~30 day cycle).
5. Permit issuance and fee payment (~5d)
   Once plan review clears, applicant pays building permit fee (Albany schedule: ~$15 per $1,000 of construction value, $50 minimum), plumbing permit, electrical permit (administered by NYS-licensed third-party electrical inspector - Albany uses Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service / The Inspector LLC), and fire-protection review fee.
6. Construction inspections
   Required inspections: footing/foundation, underslab plumbing, framing/rough plumbing/rough electrical, insulation, blower-door air-leakage test (NYS ECCC), final building, final electrical (third-party), final plumbing, final fire-marshal. Inspections requested 24-48 hours in advance via Buildings Department.
7. Certificate of Occupancy (~7d)
   Final CO issued by Chief Building Official after all inspections cleared and electrical-inspector affidavit on file. ADU eligible for occupancy / lease at CO issuance.

• Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted; New York owner-occupancy preemption (where applicable) makes ADU eligible for full landlord-tenant treatment.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Albany regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
• Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
• Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
• Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.

Staff: Albany Planning Department (USDO / Chapter 375 administration), Albany Fire Marshal's Office (Fire & life-safety review), Historic Resources Commission (Historic-district ADU review)

• Water: Albany Water Utility · 21d connect · $4,500
• Sewer: Albany Sewer / Wastewater · 21d connect · $5,500
• Electric: Albany Electric Utility · 14d connect · $1,800
• Gas: Albany Gas Utility · 21d connect · $1,500

Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 17mo

State ADU loans:

• Plus One ADU Program (statewide)
• Plus One ADU Pilot — New York City
• State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA)

New York has no statewide statute that voids HOA, condominium, or cooperative restrictions on ADUs. New York is unusual among states in that it has no general HOA-governance statute at all — common-interest communities are governed by a mix of the Condominium Act (RPL Article 9-B), the Cooperative Corporations Law, the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, and the Business Corporation Law depending on the form of the association. Restrictive covenants in declarations and bylaws therefore continue to bind ADU construction in HOA / condominium / co-op communities except where local zoning expressly preempts them (rare in NY).

• flood-zone
  Albany has FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas; elevation certificates and flood-resistant construction required for SFHA parcels.
• historic-district
  Albany historic districts trigger Architectural Review Board / Historic Preservation Commission review for ADUs in historic boundaries.