Tiny home rules in Dearborn, MI — 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 must meet Michigan Residential Code and Dearborn zoning minimum dwelling size and setbacks; tiny homes on wheels are treated as RVs and cannot be used as permanent residences.
Dearborn zoning requires single-family dwellings to meet minimum size standards typical of Michigan suburban zoning, often 700 to 1,000 square feet or more depending on district. A tiny home on a permanent foundation that meets the applicable minimum size, Michigan Residential Code, and all setbacks can be permitted as a single-family dwelling. Tiny homes on wheels, including park model RVs, are regulated as recreational vehicles under state law and cannot be used as permanent year-round dwellings on residential lots. They may be parked temporarily under recreational vehicle storage rules. There is no tiny home village district. Foundations, utility hookups, and code compliance inspections are required for any permanent tiny dwelling. Prefabricated and modular tiny homes must bear appropriate state certification labels for manufactured or modular construction.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Wayne County.
See how other cities in Wayne County handle tiny homes.
See how Dearborn's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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