Tiny home rules in Mission Viejo, CA — 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.
Mission Viejo does not have a separate tiny-home ordinance. A 'tiny home' is treated as either an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) under MVMC Section 9.10.020 and California Government Code Section 65852.2, a tiny house on a foundation built to CRC Appendix AX, or a recreational vehicle - which may not be used as a permanent dwelling. Movable tiny houses on wheels are not permitted as residences in Mission Viejo.
There is no standalone 'tiny home' permit in Mission Viejo. The city processes tiny dwellings under three pathways. (1) ADUs: California Government Code Section 65852.2 preempts most local restrictions, and Mission Viejo's local ADU rules at MVMC Section 9.10.020(12) implement the state law. Detached ADUs may be up to 1,200 sq ft, attached ADUs up to 50% of the primary dwelling or 1,200 sq ft, and JADUs up to 500 sq ft within an existing single-family home. State law sets a minimum 4-foot side and rear setback for detached ADUs and a 16-foot statewide minimum height ceiling cities must allow (locals may permit more). One ADU and one JADU are permitted per single-family lot. AB 2533 (effective 2024) created a state amnesty pathway for unpermitted ADUs built before Jan. 1, 2020 - it does not legalize movable tiny houses. (2) Tiny houses on a permanent foundation: built under California Residential Code Appendix AX as a single-family dwelling 400 sq ft or smaller, requiring a building permit, foundation, full Title 24 compliance, and connection to utilities and sewer. (3) Manufactured/mobile homes: regulated by California HCD and may be sited on permitted single-family lots subject to design review. Recreational vehicles, including tiny houses on wheels not certified as a manufactured home, are not permitted as a permanent residence in Mission Viejo and are subject to the city's RV/parking regulations. Confirm the current pathway and any architectural approvals with the Mission Viejo Planning Division at (949) 470-3053 and Building Services at (949) 470-3054.
Living in a tiny house on wheels, RV, or unpermitted accessory structure as a permanent residence is a code violation handled by Mission Viejo Code Enforcement (949-470-3000), which can issue notices to vacate, require removal, or cite under the city's administrative citation program. Building a tiny home or ADU without permits or in violation of setback, height, or design rules can result in stop-work orders and required modifications.
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