Oakland County, MI Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

Michigan adopted Appendix Q of the 2018 IRC ('Tiny Houses') as part of the Michigan Residential Code, which sets standards for dwellings 400 sq ft or less on a permanent foundation — minimum 70 sq ft habitable rooms (other than kitchens), 6 ft 8 in ceiling in habitable spaces, ladder access to lofts permitted with specific dimensions, and emergency egress. However, Appendix Q is overridden by local zoning minimum-floor-area rules. Pontiac, Royal Oak Ch. 770, Troy Ch. 39, and Rochester Hills typically require single-family dwellings to be at least 850–1,200 sq ft and to sit on a continuous permanent foundation with permanent utility connections — disqualifying virtually every THOW. Tiny houses on wheels are classified as RVs under MCL 257.49 (Motor Vehicle Code) and may not be occupied as a residence outside a licensed campground or mobile-home park. Manufactured-housing tiny homes (HUD-Code) may be sited in licensed Oakland County mobile-home parks subject to MCL 125.2301 et seq. A handful of Oakland County congregate-style projects (cottage cluster pilots in Pontiac and Ferndale discussions) have been proposed but none have been codified countywide.