What are the tiny house laws in Maryland?

Maryland recognizes tiny houses in its residential building code¹. Maryland adopts IRC Appendix AQ, Tiny Houses, for homes regulated as residential buildings¹. You can use that code route, but it does not give you permission to put a small dwelling anywhere¹.

Local jurisdictions administer Maryland's building standards and local amendments¹. Zoning is a separate local responsibility, with exceptions for municipalities that do not exercise that authority². Ask the zoning office whether your proposed home is an allowed use on the lot before choosing land. Ask the building office which code classification applies to your design. Maryland Labor's Building Codes Administration publishes local contacts to help you find the right office⁷.

Maryland's statewide minimum total dwelling area is unconfirmed. Ask your local building and zoning offices which floor-area rules apply to your proposed home. Maryland's adoption of Appendix AQ does not approve a home for a particular lot¹. An advertised tiny-house size is no proof that your lot qualifies.

Maryland's local enforcement system includes plan review, building permits, inspections and appropriate use and occupancy certificates³. Local jurisdictions can charge you fees to cover those activities³. Ask for the building-permit fee schedule and required plans before you pay a builder. If you cannot resolve a code question locally, call Building Codes Administration at its published state contact⁷.

Statewide permission to live in an RV on private land in Maryland is unconfirmed. Ask your local zoning office whether you can live in a wheeled home before you buy one. Maryland's residential tiny-house code does not grant statewide land-use approval¹.

Maryland protects placement of qualifying new manufactured homes in zones allowing single-family residential uses⁸. That protection has conditions, including conversion to real property through permanent attachment, matching land ownership and a recorded affidavit⁸. Maryland law does not force jurisdictions to accept mobile homes on wheels or temporary foundations⁸. Ask the building office to classify the exact home you intend to buy. A manufacturer's description alone does not prove that your home meets those legal conditions⁸.

Maryland's ADU route applies if your land has a single-family detached primary dwelling⁵. You need a different route to place your first home on vacant land⁵. Maryland law directed local legislative bodies to authorize ADU development by October 1, 2026⁵. Ask your zoning office for the ordinance now in effect.

Your Maryland ADU must still meet building codes and public health, safety and adequate-facilities standards⁵. Local ADU laws cannot require side or rear setbacks greater than existing accessory-structure setbacks⁵. Extra parking rules are subject to legal conditions and a waiver process⁵. Ask whether your tiny-house plans qualify as an ADU; Maryland's requirement to authorize ADUs does not approve your project⁵.

Your Maryland tiny house needs an approved wastewater solution. You need approval from the local approving authority before building an onsite sewage disposal system⁶. County health departments and local approving authorities run delegated programs with guidance from MDE's On-Site Systems Division⁹. Ask that authority about your proposed home before you commit to land.

You need a safe, adequate water supply for septic approval⁶. You also need a well construction permit to build a private well¹⁰. An adequate, economically available community sewer system can require you to connect¹¹. Ask your local authority whether the site needs a sewer connection, a new septic system or certification of an existing system. Your wastewater option affects which approvals you need before construction⁶.