Tiny home rules in Blaine, MN — 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.
Blaine has no separate 'tiny home' category. A tiny house on a permanent foundation used as a second residence is treated as an accessory dwelling unit under Section 33.25 / 129-23, and a detached backyard tiny home is being banned. Movable tiny houses on wheels are not an allowed permanent residence.
Blaine does not define 'tiny homes' as their own use, so where a tiny house fits depends on its form. A small primary house must still satisfy the minimum standards of its zoning district. A tiny house used as a second self-contained dwelling on a single-family lot is legally an accessory dwelling unit and must comply with Section 33.25 (recodified Section 129-23): a permanent foundation is required, owner-occupancy is recorded to title, utilities cannot be separately metered, three off-street parking spaces are required, occupancy and bedrooms are capped, and the structure must match the home in color and material. Attached ADUs are limited to 960 square feet (1,200 in RE/FR). The detached backyard-cottage pathway has been the subject of significant local controversy: after a contested 2025 application, the Council established a moratorium and in 2026 advanced ORD 26-2601 to remove detached ADUs from all districts. A movable tiny house on wheels (an RV/trailer form) is not an allowed permanent dwelling because ADUs must be on a permanent foundation. Anyone considering a tiny home in Blaine should confirm the current status of the detached-ADU ordinance and the foundation requirement with the Planning Department.
Placing a tiny house on wheels as a permanent residence, building a detached tiny-home ADU where prohibited, or creating a second dwelling without the required administrative permit and permanent foundation are zoning violations that can result in enforcement and removal.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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