Rental Income · 2026
Updated: May 2026
Median 1-bedroom rent in Boise lands at $1,479-$1,503 across Apartment List, RentCafe, and Zillow Rental Manager — three independent indexes agreeing within $24. Pre-approved ADUs rent at or just below that band.
A pre-approved Boise ADU rents for $900 to $2,000 per month in 2026, depending on plan size, finish, and neighborhood. Studios land $900-$1,400, the Kingfisher 1-bedroom posts $1,400-$1,700, and the Kestrel 2-bedroom — the only pre-approved 2BR — clears $1,650-$2,000. The Boise 1BR market median is $1,479-$1,503 per Apartment List, RentCafe, and Zillow Rental Manager (three indexes agreeing within $24). Iron Crest Remodel, the licensed Idaho contractor (RCE-6681702) BoiseADU.com builds with, publishes a more conservative range of $900-$1,200 for studios, $1,100-$1,500 for 1BR, and $1,400-$1,800 for 2BR. We present both: the conservative builder floor and the market median, so you can underwrite to whichever your risk tolerance supports.
Each row brackets the conservative builder floor and the market ceiling for that plan. Ranges are derived from Apartment List Boise, RentCafe (Yardi Matrix), Zillow Rental Manager, and the published Iron Crest Remodel rent grid. Click a plan name for full specs and pricing.
| Plan | Size | Beds | Monthly rent | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Goldfinch | 280 sqft | Studio | $900 – $1,250 | Compact studio; rents at the low end of the Boise studio band. |
| The Waxwing | 396 sqft | Studio | $1,150 – $1,400 | Larger studio with defined zones; tracks the upper studio band. |
| The Kingfisher | 491 sqft | 1BR | $1,400 – $1,700 | Pre-approved 1BR; brackets the Boise 1BR median ($1,479-$1,503). |
| The Kestrel | 695 sqft | 2BR | $1,650 – $2,000 | Only pre-approved 2BR; rents at the lower 2BR band ($1,653-$1,745 Boise median). |
| The Sandpiper | 396 sqft | Studio | $1,250 – $1,550 | Studio + garage; garage premium adds $100-$200 vs bare studio. |
| The Osprey | 376 sqft | Studio | $1,200 – $1,500 | Studio + garage; same premium logic as Sandpiper, slightly smaller footprint. |
For the full Boise ADU plan catalog and per-plan specs, see all pre-approved floor plans.
Boise-wide median rent is the most reliable anchor. Zip-level data is patchier — we have a verified figure for 83706 (Southeast Boise) at $1,773 overall median, and RentCafe's neighborhood breakdown covers the extremes. The next data refresh will fill the gaps for 83702, 83704, 83705, 83709, 83712, 83713, 83714, and 83716.
| Area | Median rent | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boise overall (1BR) | $1,479 – $1,503 | Apartment List + RentCafe (agree within $24) |
| 83706 (Southeast Boise) | $1,773 overall median | RentDataNow, March 2026 (+5.9% YoY) |
| West Cloverdale | $2,064 | RentCafe, April 2026 |
| Depot Bench | $2,061 | RentCafe, April 2026 |
| Central Bench | $1,250 | RentCafe, April 2026 |
| Morris Hill | $1,215 | RentCafe, April 2026 |
ADUs in the higher-rent neighborhoods (West Cloverdale, Depot Bench, Southeast Boise) typically post 10-25% above the Boise 1BR median because the buyer pool already accepts higher rent ceilings. The lower-rent neighborhoods (Morris Hill, Central Bench) compress ADU rent toward the Iron Crest conservative floor.
Gross yield is the simplest measure of an ADU as a rental: annual rent divided by total build cost. Below, each pre-approved plan is run at Standard finish ($405/sqft, the most common finish for long-term rental) against the midpoint of its market rent range. For layered math — financing, vacancy, taxes, insurance, cash-on-cash with leverage — use the ROI Calculator.
| Plan | Size | Standard build | Mid rent | Annual rent | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Goldfinch | 280 sqft | $113k | $1,075 | $12,900 | 11.4% |
| The Waxwing | 396 sqft | $160k | $1,275 | $15,300 | 9.6% |
| The Kingfisher | 491 sqft | $199k | $1,550 | $18,600 | 9.3% |
| The Kestrel | 695 sqft | $281k | $1,825 | $21,900 | 7.8% |
| The Sandpiper | 396 sqft | $160k | $1,400 | $16,800 | 10.5% |
| The Osprey | 376 sqft | $152k | $1,350 | $16,200 | 10.7% |
Standard finish gross yields cluster 8-11% across the catalog — smaller plans skew higher (compression effect from rent not scaling linearly with size), the Kestrel pays more dollars but settles around 10% on yield. Build cost math: sqft × $405. For the full per-finish cost breakdown, see the Boise ADU cost guide.
Long-term (12-month lease) is the default and the safest assumption for underwriting a Boise ADU. A Kingfisher at $1,500/month produces $18,000/year gross with ~5% vacancy and minimal management. No STR permit friction, no cleaning turnover, no Boise short-term rental ordinance compliance risk. Most of the gross-yield math above assumes long-term tenancy.
Mid-term (30-90 day stays) splits the difference — traveling nurses, relocating professionals, insurance-displaced families. Furnished rent typically lands 1.4-1.8× long-term unfurnished rent, with vacancy closer to 15-20% and modest cleaning/turnover cost. The Boise medical and tech relocation flow makes this a real segment, particularly for units within 15 minutes of St. Luke's or downtown.
Short-term (nightly / Airbnb) posts the highest gross revenue but carries Boise STR ordinance compliance, HOA risk in some neighborhoods, and 30-40% of revenue eaten by cleaning, supplies, dynamic pricing tools, and (often) property management. Net often lands within $3,000-$5,000 of long-term once you back out all of that. Full deep dive on the rules and the real math: Can you Airbnb an ADU in Boise?
Four factors do most of the work. The free estimate prices each of these against your specific lot before quoting an underwriting rent.
Standard finish ($405/sqft) is the rent-optimal pick for long-term landlords — quartz counters, LVP floors, mid-range fixtures clear the same rent as Premium in 90% of cases. Essential ($340/sqft) works at the low end of the band; Premium ($480/sqft) only pulls premium rent in short-term or executive-rental plays.
Boise neighborhood matters more than finish. Per RentCafe's April 2026 data, West Cloverdale and Depot Bench post around $2,061-$2,064/month, Southeast Boise (83706) sits at $1,773 median, and Morris Hill and Central Bench fall to $1,215-$1,250 on overall rent. Same ADU plan can swing $400-$600/month based purely on the lot.
Smaller plans win on gross yield (rent doesn't decay proportionally with size); larger plans win on absolute monthly cash flow. A Goldfinch posts a higher yield percentage; a Kestrel pays more dollars. Match the plan to whether you optimize for return rate or cash-flow volume.
Boise rents grew 2.6-3.4% year-over-year heading into 2026 per Apartment List and RentCafe — modest but positive after the 2021-2022 surge cooled. Lease at peak season (May-August) to capture top-of-market rent; off-season leases (November-February) typically land 5-10% lower.
Owner-occupancy and zoning references come from the Boise Modern Zoning Code (December 2023). Rent figures come from Apartment List, RentCafe, and Zillow Rental Manager (May 2026 data).
Median 1-bedroom rent in Boise lands at $1,479-$1,503 across Apartment List, RentCafe, and Zillow Rental Manager — the three indexes agree within $24. ADUs typically post at or slightly below that 1BR median because most pre-approved Boise ADUs are studios or compact 1-beds under 500 square feet. A realistic 2026 range is $900-$1,250 for studios, $1,400-$1,700 for the Kingfisher 1BR, and $1,650-$2,000 for the Kestrel 2BR.
The Kestrel rents for the highest absolute dollar amount — typically $1,650-$2,000/month as the only pre-approved 2-bedroom plan. On gross yield percentage, smaller plans win: the Goldfinch studio at roughly $115k Essential build and $1,050-$1,250 rent posts 11-12% gross, ahead of the Kestrel's roughly 10%. Pick by whether you optimize for return rate or monthly cash flow volume.
Long-term wins on stability and operating simplicity; short-term wins on gross revenue if you can clear 55%+ occupancy and absorb the operating load. A long-term Kingfisher at $1,500/month produces $18,000/year gross with ~5% vacancy and minimal management. The same unit on Airbnb at $135/night × 60% occupancy posts $29,500 gross — but cleaning, supplies, dynamic pricing, and STR permit compliance eat 30-40%. Net the two often land within $3,000-$5,000 of each other, with long-term carrying lower risk.
Yes. The City of Boise removed the owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs in the December 2023 Modern Zoning Code rewrite. An investor can now buy a property with an ADU and rent both the primary dwelling and the accessory unit as separate income streams. Pre-2023, one of the two had to be owner-occupied — that rule is gone. Confirmed via BoiseDev, Hawley Troxell, and Sightline Institute coverage of the MZC.
Realistic gross yield on a pre-approved Boise ADU at Standard finish lands between 9% and 12% in 2026. Smaller studio plans push toward the 11-12% end because rent doesn't decay linearly with square footage. Larger 2BR builds settle closer to 9-10%. That comfortably beats the 4-6% gross yield typical for single-family rentals in the same Treasure Valley neighborhoods, which is why ADUs have surged in permit volume since the 2023 code change.
Treasure Valley rent data is thinner for the surrounding cities than for Boise itself, but the broad pattern from builder aggregations and partial RentCafe coverage: Eagle runs 5-10% above the Boise baseline (executive-leaning rental pool), Meridian sits at parity or slightly above, and Nampa and Caldwell typically land 5-15% below. For city-specific build and feasibility detail, see the service area pages for Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, and Kuna.
Layer financing on top of rent
The pillar — rules, plans, costs, returns
9× permit surge, rent trends, data context
Long-form article companion
Yield math, payback, appreciation
HELOC 6.25% ICCU, construction loans
The build-cost half of the equation
Live in one, rent the other
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