Are tiny homes feasible as rentals?

The tiny homes I have seen on HGTV are generally 150–200 square feet with the bedrooms in a loft. Sorry if I’m getting you confused with someone else, but aren’t you in a wheelchair?
If so, I don’t see how that could fit your needs. I’ve never seen any for rent either.
In my area, there are a lot of 2 bedroom homes for rent that are usually pretty small. Maybe around 700–900 square feet.

I have seen several with no loft. There are numerous styles. In Spur, Texas, they are encouraging tiny home living. Of those, I only saw one with a loft.
Having less space is not the biggest interest I have with them. Without wheels, they sit flat to the ground. I could drive an electric scooter right in with no ramp.
I have done enough research to see there are single levels and bilevels, single level being the greater number.
I have located a few tiny home villages, but they are owner only.
Spur, Texas, and Dallas Lake, Texas are the two I have found so far which are not vacation rentals, but they are owner only.
Getting a two bed house that is small, well, I have that now. The front steps are high.
There is more involved than just small space.

@Patty_Melt there is a growing business of converting shipping containers into homes.

I’m just guessing, but I suspect the demand for tiny homes is fairly low in the rental market. Landlords want to own properties that have high demand and aren’t sitting around empty. The other issue I see is that tiny homes are likely to be very low cost to build, so most people who would want to live in one would probably buy/build one and pay less on a mortgage than they would in rent. I’m not an expert though, so I might be very wrong about this.

In the area I live in, there are a lot of small houses (some would consider them tiny) that are two bedroom, about 1000 square feet or maybe a little less. Of course, the area is not only small houses, there are all sizes, including mansions. The small houses are occupied by both renters and owners, but they’re usually two bedroom, and not usually handicapped accessible. Most of the small homes around here were previously summer homes, built when people would build two bedroom summer cottages.

I, also can’t imagine myself living in a building after living in a house, but it definitely helps to have someone or numerous people to help with the various things that go wrong in a house, like something getting clogged or lawn needing to be mowed or snow needing to be shoveled. In an apartment, that’s all taken care of which is convenient.

I should clarify.
Tiny homes are a specific type. They are not simply small. They are made to be green.
The style, materials, size all go together to be of a type known as tiny homes.

I appreciate the kindness of housing suggestions, but what I really hope to find is a tiny home village. I saw mention of one for veterans, but I don’t remember the source. At the time I got the impression it was for combat veterans, but I might have been mistaken on that detail.
Apparently, some or many areas resist allowing tiny homes to the point of amending building codes to eliminating that house type. That doesn’t make sense to me. Other communities are beginning to embrace the new trend, but I’m not finding much to pursue.

In general, Tiny houses are very expensive especially when considered on a $/sqft basis. To be economically viable for the landlord the rent would need to be high as well.

I saw this article about Petite Retreats which has references to other Tiny house communities. It might be helpful.

Would a mobile home do the job? They are very economical and can be modified to be more efficient.

I lived in a RV in my sisters backyard for years. I paid 900 for the RV, gutted the interior and redid the walls and floors. A few hundred hours and 2K and I had a pretty nice place to live.

I was tied into the electrical and plumbing of the main house.

But it was huge and still drove if needed. I was comfortable living in it.

Right now a dude has a RV parked in my moms backyard. He pays a few hundred a month and has a extension cord for power and has to use the bathroom in the garage to pee and poo and get water. He can shower inside but he doesn’t have a key to the main house.

Lots of flexibility with a RV if you are down with craigslist.

I can’t really see there being much of a market for tiny homes as rentals. Except for may as a cottage/weekend retreat/Air BnB type thing.

https://www.ic.org/directory/

Tiny homes are wonderful, but seem best suited to a shared piece of land with shared community spaces. Check out some of the eco villages and intentional communities here. There are all kinds, all over the world.

There is a cottage on the hill behind us that UPS drivers nick-named “The Rental” because so many people have been in and out over the years. It is a small, cute house that has been remodeled. We knew the original owners, who had raised 3 of their children in this home. Our village has many small homes that rent quickly.

@All, thanks for weighing in.
It seems most people see them as a vacation cabin. People who are motivated to live in one buy their own, or even make their own. I can’t afford a purchase of anything more expensive than a pair of shoes in any given month, so saving up enough would take….
I’ll let Lucky Guy or dxs figure that.
I’m going to continue looking, but I’m losing hope of finding one.
The problem with trailers, small older homes, etc, is they don’t have an entrance at ground level. When you take the wheels off a trailer they still sit three to five feet from ground to doorstep. Tiny homes sit flat on a concrete slab.

Again, thanks for the input, and links.

@BookHound, welcome to Fluther! I hope you love it, and stay.
If you hate it, stay anyway. We grow on you…
kinda like moss.

@Patty_Melt Good luck in your search.

I’m telling ya, intentional communities. There are bound to be ones appropriate for you if you seek, and small homes for rent are quite common. They can provide much needed stability and community for people without many resources, but plenty of goodwill.

I think some folks are confusing small homes for tiny houses. A tiny house isn’t simply small, but is a specific type of structure built with a specific mindset. They emphasize frugal living, a small environmental footprint and maximizing efficiency of space.

@Smashly, those are shared living which is precisely what I want for myself.
A tiny home village is a way for several people to share a small parcel of land, yet live independently.

Edit I said above precisely what I DON’T want.
Again with the judgemental phone thinks it knows everything.

@Darth_Algar

The difference between tiny homes and trailers is classism.

@Patty_Melt: Have you seen the tiny home shows on HGTV and other DIY networks?

The tiny homes are very impressive with their organization and their nice features but they’re probably expensive. Then again, the whole point of putting them on a show like that is that they’re the creme de la creme of the bunch.

I’ve seen on Pinterest and Instagram where they take old school buses and make them into tiny homes.

I live in a small house and I know there are certain challenges (like very little storage space). When I see the tiny homes on TV and social media, my first thought is why would someone live like that if they didn’t have to. It’s pretty hard living in my small house, with very little closet space and places for towels, sheets, coats, boots, shoes, etc. The people in the tiny homes really have to keep their possessions to the bare minimum. I think with kids, it would be really hard, as kids have their own possessions, toys, school books, plus need a desk to do work and stuff like that. Forget having company – unless people were outside, space would be so tight.

I don’t have cable, so no, I haven’t seen those programs.

@Smashley, again, tiny homes are a specific title given to homes made in a particular way, following specific building codes. Converts do not qualify.

@Smashley “The difference between tiny homes and trailers is classism.”

No, it really isn’t. Unless you want to argue that this is the same as this.

Finally! I found the video which started my search. This is what I hope to find. If it is for combat vets only, then I will need to seek another type tiny village with rental options.

This is the Tiny House Nation show I was thinking of:

https://www.fyi.tv/shows/tiny-house-nation

@Darth_Algar – The second one isn’t a trailer, but I get it. Prefabs with vinyl siding look cheap and bespoke handcrafted houses with specialized appliances and equipment are the green future for some reason. But are they really different? You can fit 4 people in a trailer, but a tiny house is basically maxed at two people who really like each other. It’s just that one is the stuff of eco villages and the other of trailer parks, which both carry their own class assumptions. I’m all into small building principles, I have plenty of lived experience, but what is and isn’t a tiny house, and thus good or green, is pretty gatekeepy.

@Smashley “The second one isn’t a trailer,”

Yes, that’s exactly my point.

“but I get it.”

I’m not sure that you do.

“You can fit 4 people in a trailer”

LOL, what? Have you ever actually been in a trailer, at least one built in the last 30–40 years? Or is your conception of “trailer” the little, poorly built shitboxes from the 1950s-1970s? I have lived in both. The difference between trailers now and trailers from several decades ago is enormous. You want to talk about classism, but a modern trailer will cost you around $20,000 more than the tiny house will.

“but what is and isn’t a tiny house, and thus good or green, is pretty gatekeepy”

Actually, no, you really don’t get it.

@Darth_Algar well stated. Thankyou. <Fist bump>

Just trying to help. Intentional communities are amazing. People should be open to multiple building styles, keeping geography in mind first.

Sheesh.

@Smashley, I do realize that everyone on this thread contributed what they hoped would help.
I am glad for your input, because it very well could help someone.
It just so happens it it wrong for me.

1Tiny home villages for vets
2Tiny homesvillages for vets
3 tiny home villages for vets
Hope this is something that you were looking for that can help.

Excellent video list! Now I have a great place to start my search.