A trend and alternative to homebuying that may have been cool in theory, isn’t too cool with zoning laws, apparently.
One report out of Portland describes the struggle of a couple who was evicted from their tiny home for zoning violations, and a similar report out of Wisconsin where a family has been made to move their tiny home for (again) town zoning code violations, illustrates issues popping up everywhere tiny homes tend to park.
These tiny houses are typically under 400 square feet (or in the case of the Portland couple via Oreganlive.com, under 200 square feet). The issue, according to KGW.com, comes because the homes are built on top of trailers, and because of the structure’s mobility as difficult to reclassify for zoning purposes as many see them as “nothing more than tricked out RVs”.
Some city zoning councils have voted to amend their zoning code to allow people to build “accessory dwelling units” – which are tiny houses (under 1,000 square feet) with a foundation on a lot with single or two-family homes, though other cities seem to be scratching their heads on how to contend with these types of homes.
Source: http://www.kgw.com/news/local/portland-couples-tiny-house-troubles-is-par-for-the-course/296505634 http://www.riponpress.com/Content/News/Ripon-News/Article/Tiny-house-family-will-move-forward-after-decision/2/35/10247 http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2014/12/12/using-accessory-dwelling-units-to-bolster-affordable-housing/