Tiny home rules in Albuquerque, NM — covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds — determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Albuquerque allows Accessory Dwelling Units (casitas) up to 750 square feet on single-family lots under the IDO, with tiny homes on foundations treated as ADUs and tiny-homes-on-wheels restricted.
The IDO permits one Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on most single-family residential lots (R-1, R-T). Foundation-based tiny homes qualify as ADUs if they meet the 2018 IRC with tiny-house Appendix Q (minimum 70 sq ft bedroom, 6'-8" ceiling height, safe egress). Maximum ADU size is 750 sq ft or 50% of the primary dwelling, whichever is smaller. Setbacks match the primary dwelling, and one additional off-street parking space is required. Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) are classified as recreational vehicles and may not be used as permanent dwellings on residential lots; they can only be placed in licensed RV parks or, with permit, for temporary care-of-relative use up to 12 months. Short-term rental of an ADU requires a separate STR permit under ROA 13-20.
Illegal ADU construction: $500-$5,000 plus required removal or legalization. THOW used as a permanent residence on a residential lot is a zoning violation with daily accruing fines.
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See how Albuquerque's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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