Tiny home rules in Little Rock, AR — 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.
Arkansas has no statewide tiny-home preemption, so Little Rock applies the 2021 International Residential Code (adopted via the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code) and Chapter 36 zoning to any dwelling on a permanent foundation. Tiny homes on chassis are treated as recreational vehicles and may not be used as permanent dwellings in residential districts. Backyard tiny homes generally proceed through the city's ADU pathway adopted by Ordinance 22,647 (August 19, 2025).
Little Rock does not have a dedicated tiny-home ordinance. A tiny home built on a permanent foundation is reviewed as a single-family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit and must comply with the 2021 International Residential Code, enforced statewide through the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (Ark. Code Ann. Sec. 12-13-101 et seq.). IRC Appendix Q (Tiny Houses) is available where the local jurisdiction adopts it; confirm whether Little Rock has adopted Appendix Q with the Department of Planning and Development at 501-371-4790. Tiny homes on a chassis (THOWs) are classified as recreational vehicles under Chapter 36 and may not be occupied as a permanent residence on a typical residential lot. Following passage of Arkansas Act 681 of 2025, Little Rock adopted Ordinance 22,647 on August 19, 2025 to bring its zoning code into compliance with the new statewide ADU enabling law; under that framework, one ADU per single-family lot is permitted and an ADU cannot be placed on a lot before the primary dwelling is established. Manufactured-home placement is governed separately by Section 36-254 (manufactured home districts) and the Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission rules.
Occupying a tiny house on wheels as a permanent residence in a Little Rock residential district, or constructing a tiny dwelling without IRC-compliant plans and permits, violates Chapter 36 and Chapter 8. Planning and Development can issue stop-work orders, require removal, and refer the case to Little Rock Environmental Court for fines.
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See how Little Rock's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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