The City of Reno is moving forward on an ordinance authorizing the building of smaller living units on the same lots as larger residences, a move local governments nationwide have been turning to as a means to create additional housing.
Council members voted unanimously on Tuesday to advance a measure that would allow property owners to build and operate “accessory dwelling units.” Washoe County currently has separate regulations on units.
The final vote is scheduled for Sept. 24.
Original language approved by the planning commission last month sought to also prohibit units from being rented for less than 28 days, but the council Wednesday removed that language and instead intends to work on a separate short term rental ordinance.
States and cities across the country have passed laws regulating or authorizing the building of accessory dwelling units. Some housing policy advocates have sought reform around ADUs as a way to address the affordable housing shortage.
Reno attempted to bring forward an ordinance on ADUs in 2018, but it failed. In 2024, they began the process of seeking public input on another ordinance.
After receiving community feedback, initial drafting of an ordinance began earlier this year, said Grace Mackedon, a senior management analyst with the city.
State lawmakers then passed Assembly Bill 396 in this year’s legislation session, which required the most populous counties and cities that don’t have an ordinance on ADUs to draft one by July 2026.
The legislation would prevent any city ordinance from requiring more than one additional parking space per ADU. Any ordinance couldn’t prohibit separate kitchens facilities from being included in units.
“Staff then took all of our feedback through this whole process that received any requirements from AB 396, and with that, we modified the ordinance,” Mackedon said. “We created a second draft, and we went back to the planning commission for a formal recommendation.
The ordinance approved by the planning commission last month
If passed, ADUs couldn’t be taller than a primary residence, must allot one additional parking space and can only be located on lot size of at least 5,000 square feet.
“Staff believes that this 5,000 square foot minimum is a compromise between those that wanted a smaller or no minimum lot size and those that wanted it to stay at 9,000 or even larger,” Mackedon said.
In a verbal motion, City Councilwoman Naomi Duerr also attempted to add a provision that required written notice of units be mailed to residences within a 500 feet radius. She later deleted the request.
The ordinance received a significant amount of public comment, including from former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle.
Angle said the state legislation was passed too hastily and urged the council to be cautious when adopting its ordinance warning it could create density and traffic problems.
“I’m not against this and I’m not for this either. I’m neutral,” she said. “You have an opportunity to allow for growth but smart growth. Things that make sense for neighborhoods … Things that could impact neighborhoods negatively can now be stopped right here.”
The council also discussed how ADUs should, or shouldn’t, be regulated as short-term rentals going forward.
“We allow homes to be rented out as” short term rentals, said Duerr. “We allow rooms in homes to be rented out as STRs. We would be only saying, only this one kind of building structure can you not have STR in. I’m nervous about that. Doesn’t seem very fair.”
Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said she wanted the ordinance to include some sort of restriction on short term rentals since the city has yet to pass separate regulations.
Though she voted in favor of the ordinance, she said she was “a little disappointed” it didn’t include the language with the 28 day limit.
“I don’t love this outcome,” she said. “But we have to move forward for clarity and so that it becomes something where we are moving into the future.”
