R5 Zoning District — New York City
R5 is a low-density General Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
R5 at a glance
It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 1.5. 89,980 tax lots citywide carry R5 as their primary zoning designation.
Bulk rules for R5
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right | 1.5 | 2 | 60% | Base 35 ft · Max 45 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-422(d), § 24-11 |
| Qualifying residential site | 2 | 2 | 60% | Base 45 ft · Max 55 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-424, § 24-11 |
Values from the NYC Zoning Resolution, verified 2026-10-06; site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify them — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
About residential districts
Residence districts principally allow housing and community facilities. Bulk rules in the NYC Zoning Resolution (§ 23-) control how much floor area a lot can carry and how tall and close to lot lines a building may be.
Contextual districts pair their floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights so new buildings mirror existing neighborhood form; non-contextual districts govern the envelope through more general height and setback rules, such as sky exposure planes. Commercial districts also allow residences under the rules of a residential-equivalent district, while manufacturing districts generally exclude new residences. Overlays and special purpose districts can modify any of this on a specific lot.
Example lots zoned R5
- 180 Bethel Loop1,073,857 sq ft lot · 1.57 built FAR · built 1970
- 84-56 98 Street114,400 sq ft lot · 1.43 built FAR · built 1976
- 9910 Seaview Avenue1,410,820 sq ft lot · 1.08 built FAR · built 1950
- 1260 Croton Loop618,307 sq ft lot · 2.42 built FAR · built 1972
- 1540 Van Siclen Avenue854,159 sq ft lot · 1.66 built FAR · built 1975
- 1325 Pennsylvania Avenue883,293 sq ft lot · 1.68 built FAR · built 1972
- 209-90 23 Avenue123,373 sq ft lot · 7.79 built FAR · built 1983
- 110 Columbia Street1,079,791 sq ft lot · 1.36 built FAR · built 1940
- 600 Euclid Avenue1,317,803 sq ft lot · 0.86 built FAR · built 1954
- 1155 Pennsylvania Avenue358,496 sq ft lot · 2.78 built FAR · built 1971
- East 229th Street1,003,262 sq ft lot · 1.03 built FAR · built 1951
- Laconia Avenue1,019,747 sq ft lot · 1.02 built FAR · built 1951
R5 — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in R5?
- 1.5, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-422(d), § 24-11. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is R5 a contextual district?
- No. R5 is not a contextual district; its building envelope is governed by the district's general height and setback rules rather than a prescribed contextual envelope.
- How many tax lots are zoned R5?
- 89,980 tax lots citywide carry R5 as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-10-05.
Keep learning
What do the R5 rules mean for a specific lot?
PearlAudit resolves the governing zoning for any NYC tax lot — district, overlays, special districts — and cites the Zoning Resolution section behind every rule claim.
District data: NYC municipal records (Department of City Planning) and the NYC Zoning Resolution. See our sources and methodology. Parcel data as of 2026-10-05.