Tiny home rules in Buffalo, NY — 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.
Tiny homes on permanent foundations may be permitted in Buffalo as primary dwellings or ADUs if they meet NYS Building Code minimums. Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) are treated as recreational vehicles and cannot be used as permanent residences.
Buffalo has not adopted a standalone tiny-home ordinance but allows compact dwellings under Appendix Q of the NYS Residential Code (Tiny Houses, 400 sq ft or less). An on-foundation tiny home must meet the same egress, sanitation, heating, and smoke/CO alarm rules as any dwelling, connect to city water and sewer, and have a certificate of occupancy. Under the Green Code, a detached tiny home may serve as an ADU subject to the 800 sq ft cap. Tiny homes on wheels are regulated as RVs under NY Vehicle and Traffic Law and cannot be permanently occupied on residential lots; they must be stored as RVs with appropriate setbacks.
Using a THOW as a permanent residence: zoning violation, fines up to 500 dollars per day, and orders to vacate. Unpermitted tiny-home construction: stop-work plus penalties.
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See how Buffalo's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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