RM-6 Residential Multi-Unit District
Medium- to high-density apartment buildings. RM districts carry the city's highest residential floor-area ratios; RM-6 and RM-6.5 require Planned Development review for tall buildings.
Example on a 100 × 125 ft lot. The dashed box is the maximum zoning envelope, the buildable footprint after setbacks, raised to the §17-8-0512 Planned Development height threshold (110 ft). The solid building is an illustrative example at FAR 4.4: covering the full footprint reaches only ~7 stories before the floor-area cap binds, so a taller building needs a smaller floor plate. Residential floors sit over a partially above-grade basement, which counts toward height but not floor area. Front yard is context-dependent (average of adjacent lots); actual varies.
Specifications
- Zoning Ordinance reference
- §17-2-0100
View in the Chicago Zoning Ordinance - Floor area ratio (FAR)
- 4.4
- Maximum building height
- No fixed limit; tall buildings require Planned Development review and height is negotiated with the Department of Planning & Development. §17-8-0512.
- Lot area per unit (density)
- 300 sq ft of lot area per dwelling unit. 135 sq ft per efficiency unit; 135 sq ft per SRO unit.
- Minimum lot area
- 1,650 sq ft
- Rear yard open space
- —
- On-site open space
- 36 sq ft of usable on-site open space per dwelling unit (min. dimension 5 ft if private, 15 ft if common). Outdoor only — not parking, loading, or mechanical areas. §17-2-0308.
- Parking requirements
- 1 space per dwelling unit. §17-10-0207.
Setbacks
- Front yard
- The lesser of 15 ft or 12% of lot depth, or the average of the adjacent lots. §17-2-0305.
- Side yard
- None if the building abuts a street or alley, or covers 50% or less of the lot; otherwise at least 10% of lot width or building height (max 20 ft). §17-2-0309.
- Rear yard
- The lesser of 50 ft or 24% of lot depth (under 20 units); 30% of depth for 20 or more units. §17-2-0306.
Allowed Uses
Curated from the §17-2-0207 use table. P = permitted by-right; S = special-use approval required. Always confirm against the full ordinance text.
- Detached house
- Two-flat
- Townhouse
- Multi-unit (3+) residential
- Elderly housing & single-room occupancy
- Assisted living
- Conversion unit & coach house
- Day care; schools; religious assembly
- Parks & recreation; community gardens
- Colleges & universities; hospital
- Bed & breakfast; vacation rental
- Residential support service (RM6-6.5)
- Domestic violence shelter; nursing home
- Group living not otherwise classified
- Temporary overnight shelter; transitional shelters
- Lodge or private club
- Government health center
- Community / recreation centers; police station
- Major utilities; non-accessory parking
- Freestanding wireless towers
Reference figures are modeled from the Chicago Zoning Ordinance (Title 17) for general guidance and do not constitute zoning or legal advice. Lot-specific limits depend on frontage, depth, adjacencies and overlays — analyze a specific address for exact figures. Always confirm against the official ordinance.