Richmond, VA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

Richmond's zoning ordinance defines a tiny home narrowly and regulates it narrowly. 121:1, a tiny home means a small, relocatable, structure for shelter, whether on foundations or on chassis, no larger than 400 square feet and in conformance with International Residential Code AQ101 through AQ105, and the definition specifically excludes recreational vehicles and travel trailers. That definition only matters because of Division 15 of Article VI, the City's emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing rules. 1, an assemblage of two or more tiny home units is one of the recognized ways to deliver emergency housing, transitional housing, or permanent supportive housing, alongside a building, a tent encampment, or a safe parking area.

2(a)(4) confines any tiny-home assemblage to just two zoning districts citywide: the B-3 General Business District and the M-1 Light Industrial District. The same section layers on siting limits that apply to every housing type under this division: a property must sit within 2,640 feet of a public transit stop, and no less than 1,320 feet from any other property already running an emergency, transitional, or permanent supportive housing use. 3, which requires a site plan, a filing describing egress routes and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and an operations statement covering staffing, admission criteria, and hours.

There is no separate pathway in Richmond's code for a single tiny home as a standalone residential accessory structure on an ordinary house lot; the only zoning-recognized tiny home use is the licensed multi-unit assemblage described above.