QUICK FACTS:
Are Tiny Houses Legal In New Mexico: Yes
Tiny House Costs In New Mexico: $50,000 – $200,000
Tiny House Friendly Cities: Roswell, Albuquerque
Martinez Casitas Central New Mexico
Southwest Tiny Homes Williamsburg, New Mexico
LivLab Studios Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jackssons Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sandia Trailer Sales And Service Edgewood, New Mexico
Tip Top Trailer Sales Alamogordo, New Mexico
Tiny Houses For Sale In New Mexico
New Mexico is a gorgeous state to call home. It also ranks in the 50th percentile for lowest average taxes paid per household as well as being one of the most affordable states to live in.
Locals enjoy living in the Land of Enchantment for its beautiful natural landscapes and laid-back community. Consider moving into one of these tiny homes in New Mexico.
From its eclectic culture, historically rich architecture, beautiful scenery, and delectable local cuisine, there is much to explore. Be sure to stop by Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Monument, Taos Pueblo, Santa Fe, and International UFO Museum while exploring the state.
River Edge Tiny Home Village
River Edge Tiny Home Village is currently open to renters who are looking for a place to legally park their tiny house on wheels in New Mexico. This tiny house village accepts 50Amp/100Amp tiny houses, as well as tiny homes that are entirely off-grid.
Located in Rio Communities, New Mexico, River Edge provides its residents with access to the natural beauty of its surroundings including Whitefield Wildlife Conservation Area, Manzano National Forest, and more. The community is located just south of Albuquerque.
The lots at River Edge are spacious, with enough space to park two cars and the ability to plant a garden and build a shed if you so desire. You can look into pricing on their website and contact the owner at morgan@riveredgetinyhomevillage.com to become a renter yourself.
Tiny Home Village
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tiny Home Village is a tiny house community that focuses on the housing crisis in New Mexico. To be a resident at this tiny home village, you must undergo a rigorous selection and screening process. The goal of this tiny house village is to create a solid community support system that will stand with villagers as they transition out of the village and continue to work towards personal self-sustainability. You can learn more on their website.
Valverde Commons
The Valverde Commons community exists to provide a sustainable cohousing community for adults over age 55. If you are looking to retire in a tiny house community, Valverde Commons may be a place for you to consider.
This community is located in the heart of Taos, New Mexico, and is made up of 28 private home sites designed and operated by its residents. Valverde operates as a sustainable community, so each of the homes are built with energy-efficiency and water-saving features. Homeowners are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their private property.
Common spaces include a common house, kitchen, laundry facilities, library, common barn, garden, and woodworking shop. Nearly 4 acres of open space are also shared. These buildings and open space are maintained by all homeowners through their HOA fees and monthly work days. You can inquire about living at Valverde through their website.
Homesteading in Otero County, New Mexico
Homesteading in Otero County, New Mexico is a Facebook group created for homesteaders in Otero County and other surrounding New Mexico counties. The group exists for those looking to connect with other homesteaders and farmers in the area. The page promotes living an independent lifestyle and all aspects of homesteading: farming, raising livestock, butchering, food preservation, hunting, bartering services or goods, harvesting rainwater, using solar power, and more.
New Mexico Gardening
The New Mexico Gardening Facebook group is for those in New Mexico who love gardening and want to discuss any and everything to do with gardening. Members can share tips and knowledge on how to grow crops and plants in New Mexico. The group primarily focuses on fruits and vegetables but any plants or crops are open for discussion.
New Mexico Rental Property Meetup Group
In the world of alternative housing, owning your own rental property is a big part of the community and culture. The New Mexico Property Meetup Group gets together monthly in Albuquerque to discuss the ins and outs of the housing market in the area.
Their monthly Apartment Investor Breakfast meetup will either have a special guest speaker, state or local reports about current laws, trends, contracts, or new procedures. Additionally, there is always an open discussion to share ideas and experiences with others.
Are Tiny Houses On Foundation Legal In New Mexico?
Yes! New Mexico uses Appendix Q across the entire state, effective January 15, 2018. It defers to Appendix Q from the 2018 International Residential Code when it comes to tiny houses on foundation. Appendix Q is applicable to tiny houses used as single-dwelling units. The appendix loosens some various requirements within the general code as they apply to houses that are 400 square feet or less.
Here are some of the regulations worth noting:
- Habitable space and hallways in tiny houses shall have a ceiling height of not less than 6 feet 8 inches.
- Bathrooms, toilet rooms, and kitchens shall have a ceiling height of not less than 6 feet 4 inches. Obstructions such as beams, girders, ducts, and lighting shall not extend below the minimum ceiling heights mentioned above.
- Lofts may have ceiling heights less than 6 feet 8 inches.
- Lofts shall have a floor area of not less than 35 square feet and shall not be less than 5 feet in any horizontal dimension.
- The loft guards shall be located along the open side of the lofts.
- Loft guards shall not be less than 36 inches in height or one-half of the clear height to the ceiling, whichever is less.
- Tiny houses shall meet the requirements of Section R310 in the One-and-Two-Family Dwelling Building Code for Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings.
- In lofts used as sleeping rooms, egress roof access windows shall be deemed to meet the requirements of Section R310.
- Windows shall be installed such that the bottom of the opening is not more than 44 inches above the loft floor, provided the egress roof access window complies with the minimum opening area requirements of Section R310.2.1.
Defer to Appendix Q to parse through the additional regulations that may be applicable to your tiny home.
Are Tiny Houses On Wheels Legal In New Mexico?
In New Mexico, it honestly depends on which city or county you reside in whether or not you’re able to live full time in your tiny house on wheels. Some cities allow tiny homes on wheels with permits, some classify THOWs as recreational vehicles through the state, and some do not allow tiny houses on wheels at all.
The best way to understand the laws for tiny houses on wheels in your city or county is to call or email your local municipality. Your representatives should be able to tell you the exact laws and restrictions for mobile tiny homes in the city or county that you live in.
Tiny House Laws in Key Nevada Counties: Local Zoning Ordinances
The counties in the state of New Mexico have a lot of room for variation when it comes to its building laws.
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
In Bernalillo County, New Mexico, converting a tiny house on wheels into a legal dwelling with a certificate of occupancy is possible. You will need a permit to anchor the tiny home to some kind of foundation. In order to live in a tiny house on wheels in Bernalillo County, your tiny house must be built to residential code standards, as well as the ANSI codes for RVs.
Hidalgo County, New Mexico
In Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and specifically in the city of Rodeo, tiny homes have recently been legalized. There is talk of a tiny house village in the works in the city of Rodeo.
Tiny House Laws in Key New Mexico Cities: Local Zoning Ordinances
Contact your local representative to discover if tiny houses are legal in the city you live in. While some cities in New Mexico have specifically allowed tiny houses into their city-wide zoning codes, other cities have restrictions which make it illegal to live in a tiny home.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque has its own set of regulations for tiny houses. Here’s what is allowed in Albuquerque:
Tiny House Laws In Albuquerque:
- A tiny house must have a room that’s at least 70 square feet and not less than 7 feet in any one direction (including ceiling height).
- Each tiny house must have sanitary facilities including toilet, sink, and either a bath or shower.
- Bathroom and kitchen sink must have both hot and cold water.
- Plumbing fixtures must be connected to an approved sewage system.
- The tiny house must sit on a permanent foundation.
- The tiny house must meet the requirements of the New Mexico Energy Conservation Code.
- Other requirements include windows, permanent heating facilities, wall-switch lighting, bathroom windows or exhaust fans, smoke alarms, and a door to the outside that’s at least 32 inches wide by 78 inches high.
Roswell, New Mexico
On Dec. 12, 2019, the city of Roswell, New Mexico, defined tiny homes in their building codes and amended zoning laws to allow tiny homes within city limits. Under this ordinance, tiny homes on foundation will be required to be constructed according to 14.73.28 Appendix Q (Tiny Houses) NMAC(New Mexico Administrative Code). Roswell has become one of many cities to specifically adopt Appendix Q at the city level.
Additionally, Residential Mobile Home/Tiny Home Subdivisions Districts will allow to provide an alternative to conventional housing by permitting low to medium density mobile home and tiny home development on privately owned or rented lots in subdivisions designed for such development only.
Tiny House Building Codes In New Mexico:
Tiny House Laws In New Mexico:
*Disclaimer: The information provided on this website should not be taken as an expert opinion, consultation, or advisement of any kind. Building codes, home building, zoning, local laws etc are complicated and ultimately your responsibility to execute legally and safely. You must do your own research, consult with and verify with all applicable authorities, local officials, regulatory bodies, code and zoning officials, and city/state/federal governments. See our full legal page for further information here: https://thetinylife.com/about-us/legal/
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