An Attic is basically any space directly under a roof. According to the New York City Zoning Resolution attics count as zoning floor area in certain instances and do not in others.
Attic Floor Area Counted For Zoning
The following are instances where attic floor area is counted for Zoning Floor Area:
Attic Spaces with a headroom over 5 feet is counted for zoning floor area in the following zoning districts: R2A, R2X, R3, R4, and R5.
Attic Spaces with a headroom of 8 feet or more count as zoning floor area in the following zoning districts: R1 & R2 (Except R2A and R2X)
Attic Space for R6, R7, R8, R9, & R10
- Attic space with head height of 8 feet or more count as zoning floor area for One and Two family homes in R6, R7, R8, R9, & R10
- Attic space with head height of 8 feet or more count as zoning floor area for multifamily buildings in R6, R7, R8, R9, & R10 if they were built before February 2nd, 2011
- All Attic spaces count as zoning floor area for multifamily buildings in R6, R7, R8, R9, & R10 if they were built after February 2nd, 2011
Attic Floor Area Not Counted For Zoning
The following are instances where attic floor area is not counted for Zoning Floor Area. You can see another post we have on areas not counted for zoning and zoning deductions.
Attic Spaces with a headroom under 5 feet can be deducted from zoning in the following zoning districts: R2A, R2X, R3, R4, and R5.
Attic Spaces with a headroom under 8 feet can be deducted from zoning in the following zoning districts: R1 & R2 (Except R2A and R2X)
Attic Space for R6, R7, R8, R9, & R10
- Attic space with head height under 8 feet can be deducted for One and Two family homes in R6, R7, R8, R9, & R10
- Attic space with head height under 8 feet can be deducted for multifamily buildings in R6, R7, R8, R9, & R10 if they were built before February 2nd, 2011
Can attics be habitable space?
An attic can be occupied as habitable space if it complies with all residential zoning regulations and building codes for habitable rooms.
Thank You for reading our post on NYC Zoning Deductions.
If you have questions or comments please feel free to leave them below. If you would like to discuss a specific project please feel free to contact us directly.
This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
