Houses are of various categories. These categories have broadened with the advancement in civil engineering. One of the latest innovations in the segment of the houses is tiny homes. A tiny house is the miniature version of your original house that you can put even in your backyard. Of course, low space in these houses leads to low maintenance as well as bills. These houses are further divided into two categories, i.e. tiny houses on wheels, also known as RV, and tiny houses in the backyard.
If we discuss the legality of RV, then it is quite easy. The government sends officials to inspect your RV. If the RV is safe and meets the standards, then it will be registered to your state. You can even get it an all-state registration. This is even an application on a customized RV. Do make sure that you receive all the documents of the RV before living in it.
Let’s discuss the second category of tiny houses. These are installed on the foundation of your property. They are compact and easy to maintain. Some tiny houses even have advanced features like security doors. However, unlike RV, the legality of these houses varies as per your country. Some allow it, while some don’t allow it.
Can you live in the backyard?
There are various instances where you may want to live in a backyard. This situation usually happens with people who are traveling inside an RV. Maybe you have traveled for long in your RV? Maybe you are looking for a place where you can park your RV and relax. In this situation, parking your RV at your friend’s backyard can be the best option. Why? Well, in that way your RV will be secure, and you can even spend some time with your friend.
If we discuss the legality, then limited states allow you to park an RV in the backyard. It is also necessary to remember that you can park the RV only for a few months. Some states have even more restrictions as you can park the RV only for a few days. So, before you drive your RV to a state, make sure you go through the legal terms you may face there for parking your RV. Do make sure that you have all the legal documents that prove official permission. Yes, you can even extend the period. Still, in that scenario, you will have to take extra permission, which can be time-consuming.
Perhaps you want to put a tiny house on the foundation of the property. Maybe you have some guests, who are going to stay for a few months. Of course, there are various reasons where you may want to put a tiny house in your backyard. Irrespective of the reasons, the legal codes remain the same. However, putting a tiny house in your backyard can be more challenging as compared to parking an RV.
First of all, why the government has so many strict rules regarding tiny houses? The answer is taxes. The government funds its schemes through the taxes paid by the general public. They take tax from people who own lands as well as a house. The rate varies as the size of your house, and the number of houses you own. Thus, if you have a tiny house in your backyard, then the government would surely want to get a tax from you. Since it is difficult to identify tiny houses in the backyard, most governments have illegalized them.
However, it is highly recommended to go through the legal codes in your state. You must have all the legal permission to put a tiny house in your backyard. Make sure that you are transparent with the details you share with the government. This will prevent any misunderstanding or complexity of the legal codes.
Legal codes in a few states
New York: New York was the first state to relax the codes for tiny houses. At present, the majority of the houses in New York have a tiny house. Thus, if you are planning to put a tiny house in New York, then it will be extremely easy to do that. The legal terms can be easily cleared, and don’t require much time as well as efforts.
Michigan: This is one of the few states that have specifically started tiny house projects for low-income residents. Thus, the legal codes in this state are very few. Overall, you can get a tiny house in this state very quickly.
Texas: Texas is the core of tiny houses in the country. It even has a city that is known as the capital of tiny houses. They have promoted tiny houses for a long time for low-income residents. The state allows you to share a design of tiny houses you want to build. It is even easy to get an electric or gas supply in these tiny houses.
Colorado: Colorado is one of the recent states that has allowed construction of tiny houses. Since 2013, the number of tiny houses in the state are rapidly increasing. However, the legal codes are not the easiest to follow. There are high chances that you may face a problem with the laws. The additional features, like the electric system, are also challenging to obtain.
Wrap up
There are two categories of tiny houses, i.e. RV and houses on a foundation. Irrespective of the house you choose, you have to be extremely careful with the legal codes. The possibility of putting a tiny house in your backyard depends on the state in which you want one. Some states have very relaxed laws, due to which you can easily put a house in the backyard.
On the other hand, there are states with restricted laws for tiny houses in the backyard. It is highly recommended to check the laws of tiny houses in your state before putting one in your backyard. Do make sure that you check the laws for additional services too to avoid future discrepancies.
