Tiny House Planning Permission 2021
It’s been a while since our last post, we do apologise!
For those who don’t know, we moved to a new factory in Stratford-upon-Avon with a brand new team including a new architect on board! It’s all very exciting, and we haven’t had the chance to sit down with a cuppa, let alone share new content with you! Also, while I have you, don’t forget you can now visit us! For visits, send Sue a message in the chatbox below or message us via contact@thetinyhousing.co
Let’s get started, shall we!
How can I gain planning permission for my tiny house?
Gaining permission can be relatively straightforward depending on where you are putting your home. Each location will require different permission so I’ll break it down into the key areas where you’d place a tiny home and explain the permission route for each one.
Places to put a tiny house:
Within a large back garden
On rented farmland
On private rented land (say a concrete plot within a town)
On purchased land
Placing a tiny house inside of a large back garden
In general, planning permission isn’t need if you are placing your tiny house inside of friends or family's back garden. This is because you are allowed to place a moveable structure within the curtilage of your home under permitted development rights. Problems will only arise if your tiny house is obstructing light or a view of a neighbour. If this is the case, you may want to discuss this with them or apply for a lawful development certificate by contacting your local council. We also recommend that you register yourself as living at the main address (for post and voting) to reduce the need for any planning certification.
Placing your tiny house onto rented farmland
This will be heavily dependent on which farmer you speak to. Most farmers can quite easily place your home onto their land as a temporary workers’ building. As it is their land, they will deal with the planning. All you would need to do is to provide them with the full specs of your home for them to be able to put through the permission. I’d also take note that some farmers who have a lot of land are quite happy placing you under a tree (out of the way of anyone seeing you) and renting you a plot for a few years without any permission. If you are looking at this option then we recommend speaking with as many farmers in your area as possible to get a clear understanding of what’s expected from you and what you expect from them. Think drinking water, wastewater and electrical needs.
Placing your tiny house onto private land
An example of private land may be an old concrete plot within a town centre. In these situations, movable structures may not always be granted permission which is why we do offer our tiny houses to be placed on ground screws. Another challenge may be the style of your tiny house. Loft bedrooms are difficult for the permission regulations so a ground floor tiny house would work best. Before choosing your home, we would recommend speaking with the local council about the size of your home and what would it take for you to be granted permission. The landowner will help you with this as it is their land.
(For more info, you can download the 2022 version here).
Placing your tiny house onto purchased land.
There are lots of different options regarding permission on your own land. However, the two most popular are to place your tiny house on wheels onto the land as a manager building while setting up a campsite, fishing grounds, animal sanctuary, small farm etc. This would be gaining planning for a caravan as a temporary home while you manage a small business of the land. For this, you are going to need a full business plan and specs of the temporary accommodation. If you’re not interested in setting up a small business, you could build a larger tiny house that fits the minimum space standards gaining planning for a small permanent dwelling. Both will require you to seek support from your local council and you will be required to have full specs of the chosen home.
I’m sure we haven’t answered all of your questions as it’s hard to do so when there are so many options and each council will have a different opinion on small residential dwellings. If you’re feeling lost, we always suggest seeking the answers to the most stressful questions by contacting your council. They are there to help you! If your council won’t allow you permission, check the next town over or the nearest town that has a modern feel. Towns and cities that are pushing a healthier lifestyle and have big communities (such as meetups that clean up the streets or work together to reduce the town's waste etc) are the towns that are more progressive and more likely to help you live your dream life in a tiny house!
If you don’t already know, we have a Planning Permission Guide PDF which you can get here.
Nice speaking with you guys and good luck with the planning!