R8 Zoning in NYC: FAR, Height and Setbacks

R8 is a non-contextual high-density district. Floor area and height are higher within 100 ft of a wide street, and affordable housing can unlock more.

Floor area (FAR)

• Standard maximum residential FAR: 6.02 (ZR 23-22).
• Within 100 feet of a wide street (75 ft or wider), the standard maximum rises to 7.20 FAR (ZR 23-22, footnote 1).
• Outside Mandatory Inclusionary Housing areas, on the part of a lot within 100 feet of a wide street, buildings using the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) or qualifying senior housing can reach 8.64 FAR (ZR 23-22, footnote 2).
• With qualifying affordable housing or qualifying senior housing: 7.20 FAR.
• Community facility FAR: 6.50, with lot coverage up to 75% on corner lots and 65% on interior or through lots (ZR 24-11). Some uses, such as non-profit institutions with sleeping accommodations, can have lower limits (ZR 24-111).
• FAR (floor area ratio) is total zoning floor area divided by lot area. On a 2,500 sq ft lot, 1.00 FAR means 2,500 sq ft of floor area.
• Maximum dwelling units: residential floor area divided by 680, the dwelling unit factor (no factor for qualifying senior housing) (ZR 23-52).

Height and setbacks

• Within 100 ft of a wide street: street wall rises to at least 60 ft and at most 95 ft before a setback; maximum building height 135 ft. With qualifying affordable or senior housing: base up to 105 ft, building up to 145 ft (ZR 23-432).
• Elsewhere (on narrow streets more than 100 ft from a wide street): street wall rises to at least 60 ft and at most 85 ft before a setback; maximum building height 115 ft. With qualifying affordable or senior housing: base up to 105 ft, building up to 145 ft (ZR 23-432).
• Outside Mandatory Inclusionary Housing areas, within 100 ft of a wide street, UAP developments or qualifying senior housing can reach a 125 ft base and 175 ft building height (ZR 23-432, footnote 3).
• Above the base, the building must set back at least 10 ft from a wide street or 15 ft from a narrow street; the setback can shrink 1 ft for each foot the street wall sits back from the street line, to no less than 7 ft (ZR 23-433).
• At least 70% of the street wall must sit within 8 ft of the street line on a wide street, or within 10 ft on a narrow street (ZR 23-431).

Yards, lot coverage and lot size

• Front yard: None required (ZR 23-322).
• Side yards: Detached one- or two-family houses need two side yards of at least 5 ft each. Other buildings need none, but any open area along a side lot line must be at least 5 ft wide (ZR 23-335).
• Rear yard: On interior lots, detached and zero lot line buildings need a 20 ft rear yard up to 75 ft high. Semi-detached and attached buildings need 30 ft on lots narrower than 40 ft, and 20 ft on lots 40 ft or wider. Where a building rises above 75 ft, that portion needs 30 ft (ZR 23-342). Shallow lots that existed in 1961 can get a reduced rear yard, never under 10 ft.
• Lot coverage: 80% on interior and through lots, 100% on corner lots (ZR 23-362). Sites using the eligible-site height rules are capped overall at 65% (lots of 30,000 sq ft or more) or 50% (large sites).
• Minimum lot size: 2,375 sq ft and 25 ft wide for a detached or zero lot line one- or two-family house; 1,700 sq ft and 18 ft wide for other residences (ZR 23-12).

What you can build in R8

Any type of residence is permitted, from houses to apartment buildings (ZR 22-121).

City of Yes changes

• City of Yes for Housing Opportunity (adopted December 5, 2024) set separate limits for qualifying affordable housing (Mandatory Inclusionary Housing developments, Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) developments, or buildings under an affordable housing regulatory agreement) and qualifying senior housing. In R8 they can reach 7.20 FAR versus 6.02 for standard buildings, with taller height limits (ZR 23-22, 23-432, 12-10).
• Buildings in R6 through R12 have no front yard requirement, and lot coverage is 80% on interior lots and 100% on corner lots (ZR 23-322, 23-362).

R8 zoning FAQ

Nearby districts

• R7B
• R7A