Cable television shows have a way of presenting an idea in the best possible light and making something unusual sound appealing. The problem is that many of the challenges people face when engaging in these activities are often overlooked. We never really hear about the house flippers who lose money on every flip, and we never hear about the problems tiny home owners have finding a place to park their homes. The lack of parking spots is a big problem for tiny home owners, and it is a problem that is not going away any time soon.
One big problem tiny house owners are coming up against is the fact that, in many parts of the country, it is illegal to make an RV or tiny home a permanent residence. This means that the usual places such as RV lots and campground are not going to allow tiny home owners to rent spots for years and years.
Many tiny home owners are under the impression that if they put their home on a foundation on property they own then they can enjoy a frugal lifestyle. In situations like this, tiny home owners are often introduced to zoning laws they never knew existed. For example, many areas have laws that outline the specific amount of living space that must be available for a dwelling to be considered a permanent home. Even if your tiny home is on a foundation, it could still be in violation of your area's zoning laws.
In most cases, you can park your tiny home on someone else's property and live there without much problem. If you and the neighbors get along and you and the property owner have worked out the power and water issues, then parking on private property is possible. The one condition is that the property must already have a home that meets zoning regulations for your tiny home to go unnoticed.
While you cannot set up shop permanently in an RV park, you can work out long-term arrangements and then move from park to park as your arrangements expire. Obviously, you will need to rent a post office box for your mail if you decide to be an RV park hopper, but that only brings up another problem. Many banks and other institutions require a home address instead of a post office box to legally apply for a loan or register children for school. It is a problem tiny house owners need to figure out before they can start hopping from park to park.
Tiny homes look like great ideas when they are presented on cable television, but their reality is much more challenging. Most people who build tiny homes do not realize that there are laws against living full time in an RV. Since a tiny home is considered a recreational vehicle and not a mobile home, tiny home owners are having problems finding places to park their homes.
In most parts of the country, it is not possible to park a tiny home on your own property if it is the only home you are using. It is an issue that is causing headaches for tiny home owners and putting a crimp in the economic lifestyle.
