City of Baltimore
Baltimore City Code

Table 9-401 Rowhouse and Multi-Family Residential Districts – Bulk and Yard Regulations

Categories Specifications
(Per District)
R-5 R-6 R-7 R-8 R-9 R-10
Minimum Lot Area
Community ... Open-Space Garden or Farm None None None None None None
Dwelling: Detached 3,000 sq.ft. 3,000 sq.ft. 3,000 sq.ft. 3,000 sq.ft. 3,000 sq.ft. 3,000 sq.ft.
Dwelling: Semi-Detached 2,500 sq.ft. 2,000 sq.ft. 2,000 sq.ft. 2,000 sq.ft. 2,500 sq.ft. 2,000 sq.ft.
Dwelling: Rowhouse 2,500 sq.ft. 1,500 sq.ft. 1,100 sq.ft. 750 sq.ft. 750 sq.ft. 500 sq.ft.
Dwelling: Multi-Family 2,500 sq.ft./du 1,500 sq.ft./du 1,100 sq.ft./du 750 sq.ft./du 550 sq.ft./du 200 sq.ft./du

Dwelling: Multi-Family

(Age-Restricted)

 1,875 sq.ft./du 1,125 sq.ft./du 825 sq.ft./du 575 sq.ft./du 550 sq.ft./du 200 sq.ft./du
Park or Playground None None None None None None
Residential-Care Facility Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD
Residential-Care Facility (Age-Restricted)

Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD

(Age-Restrctd)

Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD

(Age-Restrctd)

Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD

(Age-Restrctd)

Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD

(Age-Restrctd)

 Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD (Age-Restrctd)

Lot area to be comparable to that for a like-sized M-FD

(Age-Restrctd)
Rooming House N/A N/A N/A 375 sq.ft./ru 275 sq.ft./ru 100 sq.ft./ru
Urban Agriculture None None None None None None
All Other Uses 3,000 sq. ft. 3,000 sq. ft. 3,000 sq. ft. 3,000 sq. ft. 3,000 sq. ft. 3,000 sq. ft.
Maximum Bldg Height
Dwelling: Detached or Semi-Detached 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet
Dwelling: Rowhouse 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 or 45 feet 1 35 or 45 feet 1 35 or 45 feet 1
Dwelling: Multi-Family 35 or 45 feet 2 35 or 45 feet 2 35 or 45 feet 2 45 or 60 feet 3 3.0 FAR 6.0 FAR
All Other Uses 35 or 45 feet 2 35 or 45 feet 2 35 or 45 feet 2 45 or 60 feet 3 45 feet 45 feet
Maximum Lot Coverage
Dwelling: Detached or Semi-Detached 35% 35% 35% 35% 35% 35%
Dwelling: Rowhouse 40% 45% 50% 60% or 80% 4 40% 80%
Dwelling: Multi-Family 40% 45% 70% 80% 40% 80%
All Other Uses 40% 40% 70% 70% 40% 70%
Maximum Impervious Surface
Dwelling: Detached or Semi-Detached 60% 60% 60% 60% 60% 60%
Dwelling: Rowhouse (Rear Yard) 65% 65% 65% 65% 65% 65%
Minimum Front Yard
Dwelling: Detached or Semi-Detached Lesser of 25ft. or blockface average 5 Lesser of 20ft. or blockface average 5 Lesser of 20ft. or blockface average 5 Lesser of 20ft. or blockface average 5 Lesser of 40ft. or blockface average 5 Lesser of 20ft. or blockface average 5
Dwelling: Rowhouse 25 feet 20 feet 10 feet None 25 feet None
Dwelling: Multi-Family 25 feet 20 feet 10 feet None 45 or 65 feet 6 None
All Other Uses 25 feet 20 feet 10 feet None 25 feet None
Minimum Interior-Side Yard
Dwelling: Detached 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet
Dwelling: Semi-Detached 7 15 feet 15 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet
Dwelling: Rowhouse None None None None None None
Dwelling: Multi-Family 15 feet 15 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet
All Other Uses 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet
Minimum Corner-Side Yard
Dwelling: Detached or Semi-Detached 20 feet 20 feet 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet
Dwelling: Rowhouse 20 feet 20 feet 15 feet None None None
Dwelling: Multi-Family 20 feet 20 feet 15 feet None 25 feet None
All Other Uses 20 feet 20 feet 15 feet None 15 feet None
Minimum Rear Yard
Dwelling: Detached or Semi-Detached 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet 10 feet
Dwelling: Rowhouse 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet 20 feet 10 feet 10 feet
Dwelling: Multi-Family 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet 10 feet
All Other Uses 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet 10 feet

1 A height higher than 35 feet – up to a maximum of 45 feet – may only be allowed by the Zoning Board as a conditional use for: (i) a rowhouse located on an interior lot that adjoins a street right-of-way of at least 30 feet wide; or (ii) a rowhouse located on a corner lot at which each of the adjoining street rights-of-way are at least 30 feet wide.

2 For a structure located on an interior lot, the maximum height is 35 feet. For a structure located on a corner lot at which each of the adjoining street rights-of-way are at least 30 feet wide, the maximum height is 45 feet.

3 For a structure located on an interior lot, the maximum height is 45 feet. For a structure located on a corner lot at which each of the adjoining street rights-of-way are at least 30 feet wide, the Zoning Board may allow a height of up 60 feet as a conditional use.

4 For a lot with a depth of 80 feet or more, the maximum lot coverage is 60%. For a lot with a depth of less than 80 feet, the maximum lot coverage is 80%.

5 In this listing, "blockface average" means the average of the front-yard setbacks of the improved lots on the blockface.

6 For a structure that comprises 6 or fewer stories, the minimum front-yard requirement is 45 feet. For a structure that comprises 7 or more stories, the minimum front-yard requirement is 65 feet. However, a structure designed with a courtyard is allowed a reduction of the minimum front-yard requirement, as provided in § 9-403 {"Setback reduction for courtyard design"}.

7 For semi-detached dwellings, interior-side yards are required only along the interior-side lot line where the party wall between dwellings is not located.

(Ord. 18-171; Ord. 17-015; Ord. 16-581.)