R5A Zoning District — New York City
R5A is a contextual, low-density Detached Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
R5A at a glance
It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 1.5. 4,107 tax lots citywide carry R5A as their primary zoning designation.
Bulk rules for R5A
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right | 1.5 | 2 | 60% | Base 25 ft · Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 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 R5A
- 93-06 Shore Front Parkway18,487 sq ft lot · 3.65 built FAR · built 2007
- 1564 St Peters Avenue11,782 sq ft lot · 2.94 built FAR · built 2005
- 38-01 112 Street15,625 sq ft lot · 1.79 built FAR · built 1971
- 37-20 99 Street12,500 sq ft lot · 3.37 built FAR · built 1928
- 91-16 Shore Front Parkway16,124 sq ft lot · 3.22 built FAR · built 2005
- 315 East 196 Street12,765 sq ft lot · 5.31 built FAR · built 1941
- 104-33 39 Avenue3,125 sq ft lot · 5.47 built FAR · built 2006
- 655 East 230 Street11,481 sq ft lot · 4.46 built FAR · built 1940
- 104-19 39 Avenue6,250 sq ft lot · 2.39 built FAR · built 2005
- 655 East 228 Street11,452 sq ft lot · 4.14 built FAR · built 1939
- 4002 Carpenter Avenue12,009 sq ft lot · 3.54 built FAR · built 1928
- 2786 Bainbridge Avenue11,500 sq ft lot · 5.48 built FAR · built 1937
R5A — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in R5A?
- 1.5, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 24-11. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is R5A a contextual district?
- Yes. R5A is a contextual district — its bulk rules pair floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights intended to mirror existing neighborhood form.
- How many tax lots are zoned R5A?
- 4,107 tax lots citywide carry R5A as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-10-20.
Keep learning
What do the R5A 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 2026-10-20.