Boise’s modern zoning code, in effect since December 1, 2023, makes it easier to add apartments along the city’s main transit corridors and in mixed-use districts, and it allows small multiplexes in more residential neighborhoods. For owners of existing buildings, that means more potential competition in some locations and more redevelopment value on the right lots.
A new rulebook for Boise land
The City of Boise describes the zoning code rewrite as a way to make more housing types possible across the city, with residential growth encouraged along transportation corridors to support walkability and transit. The code was recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission, approved by City Council and took effect on December 1, 2023, replacing the code that had governed land use in Ada County’s largest city for decades.
The changes most relevant to multifamily property fall into four groups:
- More units by right in residential zones. Duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes are allowed uses in the R-2 and R-3 zones.
- Taller buildings in urban residential districts. City materials list height limits of three stories and 40 feet in R-1C, four stories and 45 feet in R-2, and four stories and 50 feet in R-3.
- No density caps in mixed-use zones. The city lists the removal of density limits in its mixed-use districts among the code’s main changes.
- Lower parking requirements. Parking minimums were reduced overall and removed for accessory dwelling units and building reuse projects.
The code also contains a dedicated housing incentives section, 11-04-03(7), that trades additional development flexibility for income-restricted units.
Where Boise wants the density
A May 2025 city presentation to the Idaho Legislature’s Land Use and Housing Study Committee names three corridors where development is encouraged: State Street, Vista Avenue and Fairview Avenue. The presentation describes them as the city’s best-in-class transit corridors, and the code steers larger buildings and mixed uses toward them.
For apartment owners, the corridor map is worth reading closely. A 1970s fourplex half a block off Fairview sits in a very different position than a similar building in a quiet R-1 neighborhood. Near the corridors, the code makes room for new mid-rise competition, but it also raises the redevelopment potential of underused land, including large parking areas at older complexes.
Year one, by the numbers
The city tracked results for the first year under the new code, from December 1, 2023 through November 30, 2024. As reported by BoiseDev and the Idaho Press, and in the city’s own presentation:
- 576 projects were approved under the new rules.
- Roughly 1,000 housing units were approved under the new code, and large multifamily projects made up 53% of them.
- 403 homes were approved in mixed-use areas.
- Accessory dwelling units jumped to 130 approvals, after the code raised the maximum ADU size from 700 to 900 square feet and dropped the owner-occupancy requirement.
- About 82% of newly approved units were within a quarter mile of a bus stop.
The pattern matches the code’s intent: more than half of new units came from large apartment projects, most of them close to transit, while single-family neighborhoods are adding density gradually through ADUs and small multiplexes.
How new supply affects existing buildings
New construction rarely competes head-on with every existing building. Most large projects lease at the top of the market, and their pull on older properties depends on location and price gap. In Boise, a few practical effects follow from the code:
- Older Class B and C buildings near State, Vista and Fairview may see more nearby lease-ups, so concessions at new projects are worth tracking.
- Buildings with excess land or surface parking near a corridor may carry redevelopment value that a pure income valuation misses.
- Small owners in R-2 and R-3 zones may be able to add units or ADUs on existing lots, subject to site standards and permits.
- Reduced parking minimums lower one of the biggest cost hurdles for small infill projects, which can bring more neighborhood-scale competition over time.
Questions to ask before buying or holding
Before acquiring or refinancing a Boise apartment property, it helps to confirm the parcel’s current zone under the new code, whether it is within the corridor areas the city is prioritizing, and what the code would allow if the site were rebuilt today. Those answers shape both the downside risk from new supply and the long-term land value. It is also worth checking any pending applications on neighboring parcels, since the city’s planning records show what has already been approved nearby and what may open in the next few years.
Our apartment building value calculator is a quick way to compare income value against what a site might support. For local context, see our Boise market page or explore other Idaho apartment markets.
