Grand Rapids, MI Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

Grand Rapids' Chapter 61 Zoning Ordinance does not contain a tiny-home use category. Tiny dwellings are accommodated through the Accessory Dwelling Unit framework adopted in Section 5.9.03, which Great Lakes Tiny Home and the Urban Grand Rapids ADU Reform initiative have characterized as one of the most tiny-home-friendly ordinances in Michigan. An ADU under Section 5.9.03 must be at least four hundred (400) square feet and not larger than eight hundred fifty (850) square feet in gross floor area, and may not exceed forty (40) percent of the gross floor area of the primary dwelling unit. A maximum of two (2) bedrooms is permitted within an ADU. Not more than one ADU may be placed within or on the same lot as a detached single-family primary dwelling, and the ADU may take the form of an interior conversion, an addition to the primary dwelling, a unit within an accessory structure (e.g., above a detached garage), or a separate detached structure on the same lot. One of the two dwelling units must be owner-occupied as a principal residence; if the ADU is leased, it must be registered with the City under Chapter 140 (Property Maintenance and Rental Certification). No ADU may be leased or rented for less than thirty (30) days, and an ADU may not be used as a short-term rental. A deed restriction enforceable by the City must be recorded prior to issuance of the building permit confirming that the ADU will not be conveyed separately from the primary dwelling unit. All ADU construction must comply with the Michigan Residential Code (one- and two-family) as adopted by Michigan LARA, including provisions for ceiling height, room dimensions, egress, energy, and life-safety. Tiny houses on wheels (THOWs) registered as recreational vehicles are not recognized as permanent dwellings under Chapter 61, and parking a THOW for full-time occupancy on a residential lot is not an authorized use. State authority for residential zoning rests with the City under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (Act 110 of 2006, MCL 125.3101 et seq.).