Legalizing the Tiny House

The Growing Tiny House Movement

The tiny house movement is gaining some swift momentum and has been growing over the past several years. Legalizing the Tiny House has been a topic on many people's minds when building a tiny house, as there are a lot of gray areas when exploring how to build a tiny house that is totally legal. Different cities across the United States and Canada have varied regulations and restrictions in place for tiny homes on wheels. Some places are quite strict about parking a tiny house within current neighborhoods, while others have been able to change a few of the bylaws specifically to welcome more tiny house dwellings.

Considerations for Building a Tiny House

There are many things to consider when building a tiny house on wheels, like where will you park it once it's all built, how big do you want it to be, and how much will it cost to build overall? Then, on top of that, making sure it is legal to live in your tiny house depending on where it is parked is a major component. There are many places where it is okay to live in your tiny house on wheels as long as there is a room that is at least 70 square feet which was decreased from 120 square feet. Some tiny homes on wheels can pass as accessory dwelling units or laneway houses if they are parked on a property that already has a home. But then some of the bylaws require the tiny house design to be similar to the design of the pre-existing house.

Community Relations and Legal Awareness

While there is a lot of confusion around what is absolutely legal, many tiny house dwellers can live in their tiny house without being bothered too much. It's always a great idea for people to get familiar with their neighbors and make sure they understand what is happening as well since most often it is a displeased neighbor that reports the person to city call. Sightline Institute is a group that is committed to finding the best solutions for people living in the Pacific Northwest, which is also more recently known as Cascadia, which includes the province of British Columbia in Canada as well as Washington and Oregon states in the United States.

The Environmental Independence Movement

This Independence movement is to create a country out of the bioregion known as Cascadia. The reasons for wanting to create an independent country are mainly environmental as well as economical, and people want to create a country that is peaceful, environmentally friendly and sustainable. Tiny homes on wheels are definitely included in the sustainability movement because of how little of an impact they have on the environment. Tiny houses don't require many materials or resources to build, resulting in less waste, and some tiny houses are even built out of recycled materials which gives them even more of a sustainable edge.

Reducing Environmental Impact

The fact that it doesn't take much to power one of these tiny houses means fewer fossil fuels being used or replacement of conventional electricity for solar power. So building a tiny house can be a very impactful way to make a difference environmentally by reducing the individual carbon footprint. The American Tiny House Association and other independent advocates are making serious moves and pushing to have rules and regulations around tiny house living changed for good, so even though the bylaws are not set in place now, or are in need of serious change, they are being implemented as swiftly as possible to make way for the thousands of tiny houses on wheels being built as time goes on. This article written by Alyse Nelson explains more about the legalities around tiny house living and building.