Where Can I Park My Tiny House?

Written by Rob Guros in Uncategorized

Tiny House living has gained significant popularity in the US over the past few years. The one-time craze is now a way of life for many people who want to live a minimalist life in a minuscule home. More and more people deciding to “live the tiny life” has inevitably fueled the question…

Where Can I Park My Tiny House?

Where you can park your tiny house will vary from state to state and from city to city. Generally speaking though, options to park your tiny house may include: RV parks, national parks, playgrounds, or a private residence. Again, Parking in any of these places is usually regulated by zoning laws that you should review to be sure you are parking legally.

In most zones however, this living option is still a novelty and therefore, an outlier for local housing regulations. If your tiny house is on wheels, the legal question around parking makes the situation even more complex.

If you count among those struggling with tiny house parking, this article is for you. We explore the current state of tiny house parking and discuss places where your tiny house could possibly be parked.

Parking Your Tiny House: Where It’s Legal And Where It’s Not

Tiny houses are here to stay, and their popularity doesn’t show any signs of regressing any time soon. As such, governments are being pushed to address and create clear legal guidelines for issues related to tiny house parking. 

In this section, we’ll explore some of the long term and short term options for tiny house parking and highlight the related legal guidelines in different cities, counties, and states.

Park your tiny home as an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADUs)

One of the common options for parking tiny houses in urban settings is using them as ADUs. This means that the tiny house is parked at a property where there is already a residential house or primary residence. Some common situations in which this occurs are when the home belongs to a relative, is a traditional rental unit, or is an Airbnb rental.

However, not every city allows this kind of arrangement. In Seattle, for example, legal ADUs are only those attached to the main house and have foundations. Instead, tiny houses on wheels are considered camper trailers. You cannot live in such trailers and instead have to follow the same parking rules set for large vehicles.

One of the cities that has recently passed an ordinance allowing mobile tiny homes to be parked as ADUs is Los Angeles. The ordinance approving movable tiny houses as ADUs was passed on December 11, 2019, by the LA City Council. With the ordinance, mobile tiny houses in LA (not exceeding 1200sq. ft.) can be parked long term as habitable ADUs.

In Sonoma County, CA, tiny houses on wheels can be parked as ADUs under three circumstances: during the construction or major remodel of the family home, to house a caregiver, and to house an agricultural employee for 90 days.

Park your tiny house wherever mobile homes are allowed

In many states, tiny houses on wheels are considered recreational vehicles (RVs) and can be parked anywhere RVs are allowed to be parked. In this case, tiny home parking is guided by zoning regulations. 

In Texas, for example, which is one of the leading states in the tiny house movement, tiny house codes and regulations vary by city or county. 

In El Paso County, commissioners ruled in 2017 that tiny houses can be parked in any place where the county’s Planning and Community Development Department has allowed parking for RVs. These parking places include some residential lots, agricultural zoning districts, and designated RV parking spaces. 

In Spur, which is proclaimed the “first tiny house friendly town” in the US, tiny houses on wheels can only stay in the zone if the wheels are removed and the tiny house is tied down. The tiny house design must meet structural safety requirements.

Find spots specifically created for tiny homes in your state/zone

Some states have welcomed the tiny house culture with open arms and created designated spaces for tiny houses on wheels. 

One such state is America’s vacationland, Florida, which also works by zoning regulations. While tiny houses in the state must be registered at the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, the state has plenty of RV parks and has also adopted the tiny house hotel concept for tiny house fans. 

In Sarasota county, mobile tiny houses can be parked in RV parks for 45 days, after which they have to be fixed on a foundation. An original model of a tiny house living in Sarasota is the “Tiny House Siesta” resort that rents tiny houses like hotel rooms. Even though you don’t bring your tiny house to park, the use of tiny houses on wheels in the resort is an exemplary model of permanent parking for rental purposes.

There are plenty of tiny house resorts in other states and counties that offer both permanent and temporary parking options to tiny house owners. In Texas, for example, the Beaver Dan Tiny House and RV Resort offers annual, monthly, weekly, and nightly rental rates to tiny house owners.

The national, state, and local regulations for other zones may vary when it comes to permanent tiny house parking; however, there are other more temporary parking options for tiny houses. 

Other temporary tiny house parking options

RV parks offer temporary parking spaces for tiny houses with RVIA certificates. There are other options as well that tiny house owners on the move can opt for in order to park their tiny homes. Here are some of the options you can consider to park your tiny house temporarily.

National parks and campgrounds

These work in similar ways as RV parks. With an RVIA certificate, you can park your tiny home in most zones where you would be legally eligible to park in an RV park. Campsites like Timberland Lake Campground in New Jersey offer temporary tiny house parking when you travel with your family. 

According to tinyhomebuilders.com, you can park your tiny house in these five national parks over winter: Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Talk to the local authority in your zone about structural requirements of tiny houses and restrictions on the duration of parking to be sure you are acting in accordance with the law.

Private residence parking

While it is important to ascertain first if it is allowed in the zone you are in, private tiny house parking can be on personal property or a rented space on another person’s property. Some will offer tiny house parking as off-grid, while others may allow hookup to power and water supply. 

You can easily find private tiny house parking by searching websites specialized in this area.

Concluding Summary

There are several parking options when it comes to tiny houses on wheels. Staying at RV parks, parking on a private residence and using tiny houses as ADUs are common long term parking options. National parks and playgrounds may be available as short term alternatives. 

It is always important to familiarize yourself with the zoning laws to be sure that you are within legal requirements before proceeding to park your tiny house.

States such as Texas and Florida are giving the green light to tiny houses and making it legal for tiny houses on wheels to be parked in areas such as RV parks, tiny house resorts, or as ADUs on residential property. Campsites and private residential parking are also becoming more and more common.

Despite the slow pace in creating legal guidelines for tiny house parking, it appears that a lot of states are warming up to the idea of tiny house living and speeding up these processes.

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