Tiny houses have become the new housing option to live a sustainable life. Especially in the US, living in a tiny house has become a dream for many. Tiny houses are small, reliable, and easy to handle, making them the safest and most economical options around.
However, there are two sides to living in a tiny house. One is, either you live a full-fledged life, or you live an illegal one. Although tiny houses are all the hype and trend, many states, especially in the US, do not consider tiny houses to be legal houses. They are declared illegal, and people find no way about it.
There are several reasons why they are considered illegal in many states. But it is not impossible to live in a tiny house when they are restricted. However, one will require proper knowledge to overcome difficulties. Today, let us discuss the reasons why are tiny houses illegal in several states.
Why are tiny houses illegal? – Reasons
1. Building requirements and code
Building codes differ from place to place. Many states consider tiny houses illegal because the tiny houses do not comply with their respective building codes.
According to building codes, certain requirements are a must in a house. It may vary from state to state, but each house built has to be in compliance with the building codes of their respective states. Also, many states do not consider them legal mainly because they are not permanent foundations and seem not practical enough.
In a simple sense, building codes provide some standard structure for a house to have proper recognition. But many tiny houses do not meet those standards, and hence, they are illegal.
2. HUD and many states have strong limitations on tiny houses
The federal agency of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has laid down strong arguments against the legality of tiny houses.
There are basically two types of tiny houses. One is on wheels, and the other is built on a permanent foundation.
Tiny houses on wheels in many states have always been considered RVs, which means recreational vehicles. And states like this never consider RVs to be permanent homes. They allow only temporary stay on RVs, and full-time residency in them is prohibited, meaning one cannot simply park their RV in a place and consider it their house.
Also, if one legally registers themselves in a tiny house on wheels, they register their house as RVs, and no changes are possible in the future.
In the case of permanent tiny houses, there are again certain restrictions. If one is planning on building a permanent tiny house, it has to meet some requirements.
The main point is the size of the tiny house. A house has to be of minimum sq. footage provided by the state guidelines. And if not, they will not be considered a full-fledged house.
3. Tiny houses are hard to regulate
While tiny houses are a very safe and comfortable place to live in, many states find it difficult to regulate the zoning, security, and privacy of tiny houses. This is why some states only allow temporary residency. Because for a place to be called a house, it has to fulfill some needs and standards. Tiny houses fail to meet those needs or are not conventional enough to be regulated in terms of those needs.
Such standards also include the proper space, ventilation, amenities, etc. Many tiny houses are, in fact, considered to be too congested for even adequate airflow.
Final Words
Thus, many states find it difficult to legalize tiny houses without consideration. And even if some states do allow tiny houses, as mentioned earlier, there are strict rules and standards, and many tiny houses fail to meet them.