According to SmartAsset, the average rent for a one bedroom apartment in San Diego is $1,564. That’s nearly $400 more than the median one-bedroom rent for the rest of the U.S. While not as high as some places, such as the Bay Area of California, rental life in this sunny SoCal city can be pricey. In addition, the median cost of a purchased home is a staggering $626,000, according to the National Association of Realtors.
San Diego’s limited rental options are getting a boost from tiny houses.
The high cost of living in San Diego has increased the affordable housing and homelessness crisis in the city, but a little help is on the way. The San Diego City Council’s Land Use and Housing committee recently voted unanimously to allow tiny houses on wheels to be placed on properties that adhere to a list of requirements. The amendment to the San Diego municipal code will go into effect in January 2020.
Starting in 2020, THOW in backyards will be legal and allowed by the city council.
For several months the American Tiny House Association (ATHA) and the Tiny Home Industry Association (THIA) have been advocating the legalization of tiny houses as accessory dwelling units (ADU) with the San Diego City Council. The new law will also tiny houses as small as 150 square feet and as large as 430 square feet to be placed in backyards and other appropriately sized properties. Other requirements and benefits of the new law include:
- Homes can only be used for long-term rentals; short-term vacation stays or rentals for less than 30 days is not allowed.
- Property owners are not required to provide on-site parking.
- The THOW will need to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Homeowners’ associations (HOA) cannot ban ADUs from HOA member properties.
- Homes will need to have fire-resistant roofs.
- Homes will need to be connected to sewer, water and electricity.
- Setback requirements will be capped at four feet.
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]