Tiny Home Parking Legally? Hmmm, that’s is a good one. Tiny homes represent a change in American Culture. Maybe the death to the dearly held American Dream of owning a “home”.
Is Tiny Home Parking Illegal?
One of the main reasons a tiny home parking may be a problem is due to local zoning codes and minimum square footage requirements within your town or city. Local governments and townships create the planning and zoning codes.
The hard part is every township is different. Rod Stambaugh owner and founder of Sprout Tiny Homes sees tiny homes as a way to relieve the lack of housing in rural/resort mountain towns in Colorado.
“Tiny homes are the only solution that can save some of these declining rural communities or provide quality affordable housing in…the mountain communities that are booming,” he says.
Walsenburg, Colorado changed its minimum square footage requirements recently to allow for a tiny home community. Homes ranging from 120 square feet to 600 square feet are planned on a 4-5 acre spot in town.
There is one catch. All the homes will be built on a permanent foundation. For some tiny home dreamers this is a deal breaker.
Why do Wheels on a House Make a difference?
A tiny home is a cross between an RV and a house. In speaking with the folks at Tumbleweed Tiny Homes Recreational Vehicle Certified is crucial. They design Tiny Homes to the specs of road worthy RVs. Just like local zoning and planning codes for a home in a township the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) sets standards by which your rolling tiny home must be built.
Is Tiny Home Parking Illegal without RVIA?
Not yet. Private RV Resorts like townships and home owners associations can set their own standards. Without the above seal RV parks may began to refuse service to tiny home parkers. Plus, meeting RVIA standards may make registering a Tiny Home with the DVM easier.
At present 14 states have adopted the RVIA standards as part of their legislation. Tiny House Chat Podcast provides a wonderful discussion on what these standards entail.
Are RV regulations or housing regulations about safety or NIMBYism?
The rear end of a modern luxury home including the the backyard pool and patio area.
Jenna, of Tiny Home Giant Journey Blog ,shares a very personal and sad experience with parking her homemade tiny home in the state of Colorado. Jenna was served an eviction notice by the town of Commerce City, Colorado within two days of parking in a friends backyard. Read the full story here.
A clearer picture of tiny home parking on private land comes through the reader comments below the article. Are regulations the real issue or profit? This comment paints an unpleasant picture.
- Are there minimum square footage requirements for homes in the area you want to live in? If not, you could possibly build a tiny house on a permanent foundation. Do you want too?
- Are you allowed to park an RV on your property without a main permanent dwelling on the property? And are you allowed to live in it full time?
- If you are looking to make your tiny home a guest house, office or studio, does your zoning code allow for accessory dwellings? And are there minimum square footage requirements? Do they have to be on a permanent foundation?
Questions from Clothesline Tiny Homes
Tiny Home Living and Parking is Intentional
Just putting a home on a trailer does not make it legal or illegal. Parking the tiny home on private land also does not solve the problem. Clarification of your purpose for a tiny home and its permanent or non-permanent status before you start to build may save a lot of heartache and money later.
Check, double check and recheck registration and zoning in the area you plan to live or travel in before you build a home. The companies listed above are a wealth of information about regulations.
Research Tiny Home Movement
Is the American Dream Dying a Tiny Home Death
Are Family Tiny Homes the New Get Out of Debt Free Card
Resources
Leaving Commerce City, Jenna headed to Summit County Colorado to park in an RV park only to be turned away again!
Let me just say, Jenna, as a long term Coloradan, I am very sorry your colorful Colorado experience was down right distasteful.
Do you Register your Tiny Home as an RV or Build to Code like a House?
As the Tiny Home Podcast above illuminates, the answer to zoning or registering the tiny home depends. Here are a few basic questions to start thinking about even before you start building.