R5B Zoning District — New York City
R5B is a contextual, low-density General Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
R5B at a glance
It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 1.5. 30,618 tax lots citywide carry R5B as their primary zoning designation.
Bulk rules for R5B
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right | 1.5 | 2 | 60% | Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-422(c), § 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 R5B
- 156-10 Northern Boulevard109,505 sq ft lot · 0.44 built FAR · built 1966
- 829 Greenwood Avenue56,719 sq ft lot · 1.84 built FAR · built 1982
- 1238 63 St66,121 sq ft lot · 2.42 built FAR · built 2019
- 651 Vanderbilt Street45,150 sq ft lot · 3.6 built FAR · built 1963
- 1222 63 Street22,732 sq ft lot · 3.05 built FAR · built 2023
- 225 Avenue T38,763 sq ft lot · 2.92 built FAR · built 1960
- 55-05 Woodside Avenue33,483 sq ft lot · 4.34 built FAR · built 1956
- 601 79 Street31,030 sq ft lot · 4.25 built FAR · built 1940
- 163-03 Horace Harding Expwy9,500 sq ft lot · 4.32 built FAR · built 1972
- 160-04 Northern Boulevard22,823 sq ft lot · 0.97 built FAR · built 1926
- 589 Prospect Avenue39,000 sq ft lot · 0.41 built FAR · built 1957
- 1840 East 13 Street32,000 sq ft lot · 4.13 built FAR · built 1954
R5B — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in R5B?
- 1.5, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-422(c), § 24-11. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is R5B a contextual district?
- Yes. R5B 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 R5B?
- 30,618 tax lots citywide carry R5B as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-10-20.
Keep learning
What do the R5B 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.