11. Tiny House Life 101: The Best Legal Parking Options for Tiny Homes

Tiny House Life 101: The Best Legal Parking Options for Tiny Homes

Introduction

Tiny houses have gained significant popularity in recent years, offering a minimalist and eco-friendly lifestyle for those seeking to downsize and embrace a simpler way of living. If you're considering joining the tiny house movement, you might be wondering about the legalities and available options for parking your tiny abode. In fact this one of the most frequently asked questions from prospective tiny dwellers. This is a loaded topic and really varies depending on where you are and what the local zoning restrictions are. In this episode I'll explore some of the most common general restrictions to look out for and share some legal parking options near Asheville, NC, where you can make your tiny house dreams a reality.

Common Tiny House Parking Restrictions to Lookout for:

• Local Zoning- most local municipalities have zoning & building codes that may restrict the size and type of construction and restrict land usage.

• HOA- HOA's may have restrictions against RV's/trailers and even minimum square footages.

• Deed restrictions - It is always possible that somewhere down the line someone incorporated restrictions into the deed itself.

1. RV Parks and Campgrounds

One of the most accessible and popular options for legally parking a tiny house is at RV parks and campgrounds. These establishments often offer short-term and long-term parking spaces for tiny houses on wheels especially those in RV's/ travel trailers/ vans/ skoolies/ and buses. If you are in a proper tiny house you'll want to call ahead to make sure your rig is allowed. While regulations may vary among different parks, many are accustomed to accommodating tiny houses and have designated spaces with necessary hookups for electricity, water, and sewage.

2. Private Land and Rentals

Another viable option for parking your tiny house is by purchasing land or securing a private land lease or renting a spot on someone's property. There are landowners in the area who are open to leasing a portion of their land to tiny house owners, providing an opportunity to establish a semi-permanent or permanent residence. Websites like Tiny House Hosting and Try It Tiny can help connect tiny house owners with landowners willing to rent out their property. I've also seen increasing numbers of tiny house parking opportunities posted on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. (Please be safety conscious when using these types of online forums.)

3. ADUs and Backyard Cottages

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and backyard cottages are additional options for parking a tiny house near Asheville, NC. Some homeowners may be open to renting out their backyard or allowing the placement of a tiny house as an ADU. However, it is crucial to review local zoning and building regulations, as well as any homeowner association rules, to ensure compliance and legal authorization.

4. Tiny House Communities

Tiny house communities have emerged as an alternative housing option, fostering a sense of community and shared values among like-minded individuals. These communities often provide designated spaces for parking and living in tiny houses. While there may not be many established tiny house communities in the immediate vicinity of Asheville, it's worth exploring nearby areas to find communities that embrace tiny house living.

Tiny House Communities near Asheville, NC:

The Village by Simple Life in Flat Rock, NC

Acony Bell near Hendersonville, NC

5. Tiny House-friendly Counties and Towns

Certain counties and towns in the vicinity of Asheville have more lenient regulations and zoning ordinances that are favorable to tiny house living. For example, Buncombe County, which encompasses Asheville, allows for accessory dwelling units, including tiny houses, in specific zoning districts. It's essential to research and familiarize yourself with the local regulations and contact the relevant authorities or work with a knowledgeable real estate professional to determine the feasibility of parking a tiny house in a specific area.

Conclusion

While parking a tiny house requires careful consideration of local regulations and individual circumstances, there are legal options available to accommodate your tiny house dreams. Whether it's an RV park, a private land lease, or exploring tiny house communities, Asheville's proximity to nature and progressive mindset make it an ideal location to embrace the minimalist lifestyle. Remember to conduct thorough research, seek necessary permits, and ensure compliance with local regulations to enjoy the benefits of tiny house living in this enchanting part of North Carolina.

If you are interested in tiny house life, buying/ selling in Western NC, or just want to chat I'd love to hear from you! Please give me a call or use one of the links to below to connect.

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Transcript:

“Hello everyone. Welcome to today’s episode, which is called Exploring Tiny House Living

legal Parking Options for Tiny Homes. Tiny houses have been gaining significant popularity in recent

years as they offer a, um, minimalist and ecofriendly lifestyle for those looking to downsize and

embrace simpler way of life. If you’e considering joining the tiny house movement, you might be

wondering about the legalities and available options for parking your tiny abode. In fact, this is one of

the most frequently asked questions from prospective tiny dwellers. This is a loaded topic and really

varies depending on where you are and the local zoning restrictions. In this episode, I’ll explore some

of the common general restrictions to look out for no matter where you are and share some legal

parking options near Asheville, North Carolina, where you can make your tiny house dreams reality.

Couple common tiny house parking restrictions to look out for no matter where you are looking. One

local Zoning most local municipalities have zoning and building codes that may restrict the size and

type of construction and also restrict land usage. HOAs HOAs often have restrictions against RVs

trailers and may even have minimum square footages deed restrictions. While this is less common, it

is always possible that somewhere down the line, somebody incorporated restrictions into the deed

itself that may limit the use of the land or what you’re able to park or build on it. Now, moving into

places to park your tiny home, the first one is RV parks and campgrounds. These are some of the

most accessible and popular options for legally parking a tiny house. These establishments often offer

short term and long term parking spaces for tiny houses on wheels, especially those living in RVs,

travel trailers, vans, schoolies, and buses. If you are in a proper tiny house, you’ll want to call ahead

to make sure your rig would be allowed. While regulations vary among different parks, many are also

accustomed to accommodating tiny houses. This seems to be becoming more and more likely as they

gain popularity, and they have designated spaces with necessary hookups for electricity, water, and

sewage. Number two private land and rentals. Another viable option for parking your tiny house is by

purchasing land or securing a private land lease or renting a spot on someone’s property. There are

landowners, especially in the Asheville area, who are open to leasing a portion of their land to tiny

house owners, providing an opportunity to establish a semi permanent or permanent residence. There

are websites like Tiny House Hosting and Try It Tiny that can help connect tiny house owners with

landowners willing to rent out their property. And I’ve also been seeing increasing numbers of tiny

house parking opportunities posted on Facebook, Marketplace, and Craigslist, so you might want to

keep an eye out there as well. Please do be safety conscious when you’re using these types of online

forums. Number three is ADUs and Backyard Cottages accessory Dwelling Units, which are ADUs

and Backyard cottages are additional options for parking tiny houses near Asheville and in many

other locations. Some homeowners may be open to renting out their backyard or allowing the

placement of a tiny house as an adu. However, it is crucial to review local zoning and building

regulations as well as any homeowner association rules to ensure compliance and legal authorization.

Number four tiny House Communities tiny house communities have been emerging more and more

as an alternative housing option. These are great because they really foster a sense of community

and share values among like minded individuals. And these communities often provide designated

spaces for parking and living in tiny houses. They’re usually, uh, directed towards long term stays, but

some may have short term available as well. While there may not be as many established tiny house

communities in the immediate vicinity of Asheville, and this will be true likely in other metropolitan

areas, it is worth exploring nearby areas to find communities that may embrace tiny house living. For

example, both within an hour of Asheville, um, there is a tiny house community called The Village by

Simple Life in Flat Rock, North Carolina, and a Connie Bell near Hendersonville, North Carolina, and I

will link both of those in the show notes. Number five is tiny House Friendly county and Towns certain

counties and towns in the vicinity of Asheville have more lenient regulations and zoning ordinances

that are more favorable to tiny house living. For example, Buncomb County, which encompasses

Asheville, does allow for accessory dwelling units, including tiny houses in specific zoning districts. So

it’s really essential to research and familiarize yourself with the local regulations and contact the

relevant authorities or work with a knowledgeable real estate professional to help determine the

feasibility of parking a tiny house in a specific area. So to wrap up while parking a tiny house definitely

requires careful consideration of local regulations and individual circumstances, there are legal

options available to accommodate your tiny house dreams, whether it’s an RV park, a, ah, private

land lease, or exploring tiny house communities. Asheville’s proximity to nature and, um, progressive

mindset make it an ideal location to embrace the minimalist lifestyle. Please remember to conduct

thorough research, seek necessary permits, and ensure compliance with local regulations to enjoy the

benefits of tiny house living in this enchanting part of North Carolina or wherever you are. If you are

interested in tiny house life or buying or selling Western NC or just want to chat, I would love to hear

from you. Please give me a call or use one of the links in the show notes to connect.”