LEGAL TINY HOME PARKING ALERT: Did you know that if you’re open to living in an RV community, your tiny home dream just became… dare we say it… easy?
Yes, many would-be tiny home owners dream of someday living on private land, but in the meantime, you could still be enjoying the tiny house lifestyle.
Here are a few benefits of finding legal tiny home parking in an RV community:
There is one RV park hiccup, though, and it’s this: some RV communities reject tiny homes.
So what can you do?
Good thing you came to Mint Tiny House Company. 😉
Here’s how to overcome this common obstacle and get your tiny home accepted into an RV
community!
Scenario: you call up an RV community.
Do you offer tiny house parking?
*The manager opens their handbook and doesn’t see the words ‘tiny house.’*
No, we only allow RVs.
Annnnnnnd you’re dead in the water.
So where did this conversation go wrong?
This tiny house mishap is the result of a simple translation error. When you said ‘tiny house’ you introduced a relatively new term. All RV community owners and managers know is that this thing doesn’t look like the others.
So, they shut you down.
But they shouldn’t because if you both can overcome this translation error, you’ll see that there isn’t actually a problem here. At least, if you understand zoning and building code there isn’t!
Keep reading because we’re going to give you a little real estate lesson that’s bound to make finding legal tiny home parking far easier.
Early zoning ordinances were rooted in segregation (the effects of which can still be seen today), but since then, zoning has also gone on to control many other types of things.
The short story is that zoning tells us what types of structures can be placed on a particular parcel of land, and how those structures can be used.
So what’s the problem?
Tiny homes are new and they haven’t been written into the zoning ordinances yet.
Simply understanding that piece will make finding legal tiny home parking way less frustrating.
Now you know why it’s such a pain when you call anyone to ask about a ‘tiny house.’ No one knows what you’re talking about!
Can I have one?
Can I do that?
They (the DMV, lenders, insurance companies, ministries of transport, and your mother) haven’t
decided yet.
But you know what people have decided about? RVs and park model homes.
Those are understood and allowed in certain zoning areas, and this is where building code comes into play.
A building code is a set of rules which is adhered to in order to build a particular structure.
For example, if you build something to CSA Z240 RV in Canada or NFPA 1192 in the USA, you will have built an RV.
Want to know a secret? There is no “tiny house building code.”
At least not yet, so in the meantime, (good) builders are building tiny homes to existing building codes. Bad builders build random structures using no code at all and then market their structures as “tiny homes.”
What does this mean?
It means your Mint tiny house is a legal RV or park model home.
And conveniently, both are allowed in RV parks as per zoning regulations.
Quick side note:
While your Mint tiny home might legally be considered an RV, it’s far more insulated than anything the traditional RV market has ever seen. True RVs are built for recreation, camping, and temporary shelter, whereas your Mint Tiny Home was built with the insulation and quality of materials to keep you safe and warm all year around. It’s almost not fair to call it an RV, (which is why we call it a tiny home!), but until we have a separate building code, legally, that’s exactly what your Mint tiny house is.
The fact that your tiny home is legally an RV or park model home serves you well when it comes to finding legal tiny home parking. This is because you can reference a structure that the world already understands.
Now it’s just a matter of having the conversation correctly!
This is the sentence you want to commit to memory if you’re calling RV communities trying to find legal tiny home parking.
Here’s a sample script to help you not only get your tiny home approved but welcomed with open arms. Do this over email so you have a written record.
Hello, do you offer long-term parking for RVs and park model homes?
(You are confirming the building codes that comply with their zoning, and ensuring they aren’t a seasonal community.)
Why yes we do!
Excellent, well, my unit is new and RVIA certified. [INSERT PICTURE]. Can you tell me more about your rates?
(You’re assuring the park that you’re contributing a home that will make the community feel fresh and well-kept. You’re also assuring them you have a safe structure. You include the picture to give them a heads up that your “RV” doesn’t look like what they are used to, and then you quickly move the conversation to the fact that you want to pay them.)
And now you have it all in writing.
Once you’re legally parked in a great RV community, you can start showing off your TINY
HOUSE to all your new neighbors. And if anyone gives you a hard time after that, just whip out your paperwork to prove to everyone that you are allowed to legally park your tiny home in an RV community.
Paperwork which you totally have because you chose Mint Tiny House Company!
~
Now that you know how to find legal tiny home parking in an RV community, it’s time to get you a tiny house!
Thanks for reading our tiny house blog; we can’t wait to meet you!
*While this script works a lot of the time, RV parks do still have some ability to discriminate against tiny home aesthetics. Building code can’t save you from everything. However, you will get much further if you avoid saying “tiny house!”
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