Scottsdale, AZ Zoning

Historic Property (HP) Overlay District

A historic preservation overlay intended to protect and enhance historic resources and keep them in active use while preserving original appearance, setting, and placement.

Allowed uses: Underlying district uses appear to remain relevant, with added historic preservation review and compatibility requirements

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

The ordinance definitions recognize accessory dwelling units as subordinate, self-contained dwelling units on the same lot as a main single-family residential dwelling and state that, where permitted, an ADU does not count toward density calculations.

• Must be on the same lot as a main single-family residential dwelling of greater square footage than the accessory dwelling unit
• Must include its own sleeping facilities, kitchen facilities, and sanitary facilities
• Is distinct from a guest house, accessory building, or accessory structure
• Where permitted, does not count towards calculations of density

Accessory Dwelling Unit (Attached)

Defined as an ADU physically attached and structurally integrated to the main single-family dwelling, with a separate entrance and living facilities.

• Physically attached and structurally integrated to the main single-family residential dwelling
• Has its own separate entrance, sleeping facilities, kitchen facilities, and sanitary facilities

Accessory Dwelling Unit (Detached)

Defined as an ADU physically detached from the main single-family residential building and other buildings on the same single-family lot.

• Physically detached from the main single-family residential building and any other buildings on the same single-family residential lot
• Has its own separate entrance, sleeping facilities, kitchen facilities, and sanitary facilities

Accessory Dwelling Unit (Restricted-Affordable Detached)

Defined as a detached ADU limited by private deed restriction to households earning up to eighty percent of area median income.

• Detached accessory dwelling unit
• Private deed restriction limits rental to households earning up to eighty percent of area median income

Disability accommodation

The Board of Adjustment hears requests for disability accommodation made under zoning section 1.920.

• Reviewed by the Board of Adjustment when brought as a request under section 1.920

Historic Property (HP)

A zoning overlay district intended to protect and enhance cultural, historical, social, and archaeological heritage, and to encourage retention and active use of historic resources.

Floodplain / FEMA Flood Zones

City mapping tools allow users to identify flood plain boundary maps and FEMA flood zones affecting parcels.

Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) Landforms / Protected Peaks and Ridges

The city’s ESL maps were produced to conform to the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance, which guides development in desert and mountain areas north and east of the Central Arizona Project canal.

Are ADUs allowed in Scottsdale, AZ?

The ordinance definitions recognize accessory dwelling units as subordinate, self-contained dwelling units on the same lot as a main single-family residential dwelling and state that, where permitted, an ADU does not count toward density calculations.

Are short-term rentals allowed in Scottsdale, AZ?

Defined as a detached ADU limited by private deed restriction to households earning up to eighty percent of area median income.

What zoning districts are in Scottsdale, AZ?

Scottsdale, AZ includes districts such as Historic Property (HP) Overlay District.

Are there flood zones or overlay districts in Scottsdale, AZ?

The supplied material identifies floodplain and Environmentally Sensitive Lands as important parcel-level constraints in Scottsdale. Historic resource regulation is also a land-use constraint where applicable. Detailed numeric development standards for these constraints were not included in the source excerpts.

Have there been recent zoning changes in Scottsdale, AZ?

The Municode source shows Scottsdale’s code was updated online June 10, 2026 and codified through Ordinance No. 4681, adopted July 1, 2025. The specific zoning text of those recent amendments was not included in the source material provided here, so the substance of recent zoning changes could not be confirmed from the…