New law will give big boost to Maine’s tiny home lovers

Jonah Crowell of Auburn became interested in building a tiny house after watching TV shows about her. When his girlfriend told him that she had always wanted to live in a tiny house, he was determined to build one and learned more about the process as he built it. Andree Kehn / Sun Journal

AUGUSTA – Maine residents who dreamed of owning a tiny home don’t have to wait long.

Last month, Governor Janet Mills signed Act LD 1530, which defined what a tiny home is and gave it the same status as traditional single-family homes. The law goes into effect this fall and makes it easier for people to live in tiny homes as their main or secondary residence.

As defined in the bill, a “small house” cannot exceed 400 square feet and is considered a residential home if it is built on either a standard foundation or a vehicle-towable platform on wheels. Semi-trailers, caravans, mobile homes or prefabricated houses are not qualified.

“Under the recently signed state law, we’re allowing people to build a tiny house in any location that a single-family home is allowed,” said Jimmy Buzzell, land use planner for the City of Lewiston. “You can build a tiny home on any plot of land on which you can build a family house. They must meet single-family home standards and the requirements of Maine state law. “

Buzzell added that he had seen an increase in inquiries about tiny homes over the past month.

Jonah Crowell, who is currently building a tiny house in Auburn, has noticed a change in the way people react to his dream of building such a house. His inspiration was the HGTV series “Tiny House, Big Living”.

“I used to say it when someone asked what I was building and they kind of laughed at me,” said Crowell. “For example, ‘Oh, that’s a joke. This is not a real home. ‘ But lately, in the last month, I’ve got a feeling that it’s more like, “Oh, wow, you’re building one of these. That is so cool!’ Now it’s more of a cool thing than something to make fun of. “

Crowell plans to build at least two more tiny houses over the next six years and agrees that recent legislation will make it easier for residents to build tiny homes.

Seth Goodwin, who teaches Tiny House Building at Edward Little High School in Auburn, sees many benefits to the new legislation.

“My opinion on this bill, especially at the local level where it is opening up to smaller buildings on lots, means that it will be easier for us,” Goodwin said. “It’s a plus for people on a smaller budget. I think if they’re built right, they’re attractive, and in the right place, that’s a plus. “

Jonah Cowell, 21, pins Tyvek house foil to the outside of the tiny house he is building on a trailer at his parents’ house in Auburn. Crowell searches for land in Auburn to relocate the tiny house upon completion. Andree Kehn / Sun Journal

As society drifts away from the pandemic lifestyle, the appeal of a tiny house seems clear for one main reason: its affordability compared to larger homes.

“For some time now we’ve really needed an affordable housing alternative, and this is a very simple solution to that,” said Corinne Watson, founder and CEO of Tiny Homes of Maine. “I think that getting the last bill passed will help a lot of people and somehow speed it up. Some cities might have taken longer if they had been responsible for it. Other cities have taken it upon themselves to work with people to make tiny houses possible. “

Watson said that many people cannot afford rent and mortgages right now because they are “so extremely high”. Tiny home legislation will not only help a population group struggling with this problem, but also a wide variety of people with different needs.

“In our experience working with customers, we don’t just have pre-pandemic demographics and post-pandemic demographics, you know. It’s very different now. It used to be older single women in their 50s and 60s who wanted to downsize. Now it’s all. They are young couples. They are older people. It’s the people who buy these (little houses) just for … Airbnbs for rental income. They are small business owners. They are massage therapists, ”she said.

At the national level, the tiny home industry is growing in popularity among all segments of the population, said Daniel Fitzpatrick, president of the Tiny Home Industry Association, who called it “booming”.

The plans for the tiny house Jonah Crowell is building on his parents’ farm had to be adapted for a larger trailer. Crowell also added dormers to the roof. Andree Kehn / Sun Journal

“All of our builders across the country are very busy building houses, and more and more states and communities are becoming tiny house-friendly,” said Fitzpatrick. “Consumers are buying them and finding them in cities and towns across the United States and doing very well.”

“Of course what Maine has been doing in a tiny industrial world is big news and it will certainly be celebrated nationally,” he continued. “I think there is a lot going on in different states.”

Alan Plummer, Maine representative to the American Tiny House Association, who said he lived in a “tiny house in a tiny, friendly town” outside the Lewiston-Auburn area, said he celebrates and believes this legislation It will be a lot easier to own a tiny house if this law becomes legal this fall.

“I’ve been an enthusiast for probably six or seven years,” said Plummer. “It is a lifestyle change to be a ‘consumer’ all my life. It’s a much easier way of life. I’m glad I did because it is an adjustment of my thinking, thinking about what I have and what I need. “

Even after the LD 1530 was passed, Plummer believes the Maine tiny house environment could use some improvement. He said Maine needs a “more cohesive face of code enforcement” as code officials have too much room to highly interpret rules that small home living should not be allowed. You can also use existing building codes to say no to potential builders and owners while other officials can be more lenient.

Overall, however, Plummer believes the legislation is a necessary step forward.

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