When you are trying to decide where to place your tiny house, you will have several options. The most common ones are an RV or mobile home park, a tiny house community, or a plot of private land. Which of these is ideal? That depends on your wants and needs. In this guide, we go over the pros and cons of each.
RV Park
The first possibility is an RV or mobile home park. These are traditionally geared at people living in regular recreational vehicles or manufactured homes. But some RV parks welcome tiny house dwellers.
Note that in some municipalities, you may be required to place a park model home in an RV park or tiny house community. Remember, park model homes are classified as RVs. Some cities and counties restrict RVs to these settings.
Pros:
- RV parks are a legal option in some municipalities that do not permit full-time RV dwelling on private land.
- At an RV park, you typically have access to amenities such as free wi-fi, as well as laundry and shower facilities. You are usually not in charge of lot maintenance, and do not have to pay for trash pickup.
- You do not have to buy land or prepare it for your intended use.
Cons:
- Not all RV parks accept tiny houses.
- RV parks frequently cater to vacationers and short-term residents, and you may have to deal with that.
- You will have to pay rent for as long as you are in your space.
- RV parks can sometimes have a lot of drama. You will have little privacy and autonomy, and may sometimes find yourself having to navigate complicated situations with the management or other residents.
Tiny House Community
Another option is a tiny home community. Think of it as something similar to an RV park, but specifically for tiny homes.
Pros:
- This is another option that spares you from having to set up utilities or access roads, and minimizes your upfront expenses.
- You may be able to rent or buy your lot as fits your budget and goals.
- Tiny house communities usually cater to long-term residents more than vacationers. That means fewer people coming and going, plus management is not motivated to get rid of long-termers to make space for vacationers.
- Typically, there are more amenities than an RV park provides. Examples include features such as dog parks, community gardens, reading rooms, event hosting, walking trails, areas for playing outdoor games, etc. This is in addition to all the standard amenities you usually get with an RV park.
- Often—though not always—tiny house communities try to put extra space between the houses, giving residents more space for outdoor use, plus a greater degree of privacy than they would have at a standard RV park.
- You get to be part of a community of people who also love tiny houses. They can be a great resource to you if you ever have questions or need help. You may also make some friends.
Cons:
- Even if you do not have rent to pay on your space, that does not mean that you will have no monthly costs. Most tiny house communities charge the equivalent of rent in the form of maintenance or administrative fees. The cost is usually comparable to rent, and covers upkeep of the grounds, amenities, etc.
- There are some tiny house communities operated by companies that build tiny homes. Some of these tiny house communities do not allow you to bring your own house. They require you to buy one of theirs.
- Despite likely having more privacy than you would at an RV park, privacy at a tiny house community is usually still pretty limited.
- Autonomy is still not total, even if you own your own lot. You are still answerable to management and must abide by community rules.
Private Land
Depending on the county, you may be able to put a tiny house on a private plot of land that is not part of a park or community.
Pros:
- You maximize your freedom when you have your tiny house on a private lot that you own and control. You get the final say over the home’s appearance, the landscaping, etc., so long as you follow zoning rules (and HoA, if applicable).
- You will get the most privacy on your own land.
- Beautiful views are possible, depending on the land’s location, unobstructed by neighboring tiny homes or RVs.
- In the long run, private land is the most affordable choice, since there is no ongoing rent or fees.
Cons:
- The costs at the start are the highest, given that you must purchase the land and prepare it to meet all the legal requirements to put a permanent residence on it.
- You do not get the advantages of amenities or being a part of a community.
- You will owe property taxes on the land, even if you live in a tiny house on wheels.
- This is not always a legal option for a tiny home on wheels or a park model RV. It depends on the city and county.
Reading through this post, you probably already have a pretty good idea regarding whether an RV park, a tiny home community, or private land would be most suitable for you to live at in your tiny home. Still not sure? In the future, we may do another post where we go over key questions you can ask yourself to help you narrow it down.
