Tiny house: planning permission or prior declaration?

Before installing a tiny house, one question always comes up: do you need planning permission? The answer depends less on the house itself than on how it will be installed and occupied. This guide sets out, case by case, the procedure to follow, the processing times and the pitfalls to avoid.

If you do not yet know which rules apply to your project, start with our guide tiny houses and regulations.

Which procedure for your project?

• Tiny house on wheels, less than three months a year on the same land: no planning formality.
• Tiny house on wheels, more than three months a year outside a campsite: prior declaration, or déclaration préalable (article R*421-23 of the Code de l’urbanisme, the French planning code).
• One or more demountable dwellings used as a permanent home, with 40 m² of floor area or less in total: prior declaration for the development of the land (article R*421-23).
• At least two demountable dwellings together exceeding 40 m²: development permit, or permis d’aménager (article R*421-19).
• Tiny house fixed to the ground, from 5 to 20 m²: prior declaration.
• Tiny house fixed to the ground, over 20 m²: planning permission (permis de construire).

These thresholds are the general rules. The local urban plan (plan local d’urbanisme, PLU) may prohibit certain installations in a zone, and protected areas (surroundings of historic monuments, listed sites) follow stricter rules.

How are the three months calculated for a tiny house on wheels?

The Code de l’urbanisme refers to the installation of a caravan “for a period of more than three months a year”. For this calculation, all parking periods, consecutive or not, are taken into account. Moving the house away for a few days and then bringing it back therefore does not reset the clock.

This rule does not apply to campsites, residential leisure parks (parcs résidentiels de loisirs) or holiday villages classified as light accommodation, which have their own framework. It does, however, apply to a camping pitch sold outright or rented for more than two years.

How does a prior declaration work?

1. Prepare the application: the appropriate Cerfa form (available on Service-Public.fr), a location plan, a site plan and the documents describing the project (dimensions, external appearance).
2. Submit it at the town hall or online.
3. Wait for it to be processed: the processing time is one month in the general case. In a protected area, the town hall notifies you within the first month of a two-month time limit.
4. Display the authorisation on the land, visible from the public road, before starting.

A prior declaration is valid for three years.

What about planning permission?

Planning permission concerns tiny houses fixed to the ground that create more than 20 m² of footprint or floor area. For a detached house, the processing time is two months (three months in a protected area). Using an architect is only compulsory above 150 m² of floor area, which does not concern a tiny house. Planning permission is valid for three years; it lapses if work is interrupted for more than a year.

What about the development permit?

The development permit covers the development of land intended to accommodate at least two demountable dwellings that together create more than 40 m² of floor area and form the permanent home of their users. This is the case, for example, with a small hamlet of tiny houses. Below this threshold, a prior declaration is enough.

When the dwellings are not connected to public utility networks, the application must include a certificate on compliance with hygiene and safety rules, particularly fire safety, and on how water, drainage and electricity needs are met (article R441-6-1).

How can you find out what the municipality allows before applying?

Ask for a planning certificate (certificat d’urbanisme). It is free and valid for 18 months. The information certificate (reply within one month) states the planning rules that apply to the land. The detailed certificate (certificat opérationnel, reply within two months) also states whether your specific project can be carried out. Note: a planning certificate is not an authorisation.

Follow it up with an appointment with the town hall’s planning department, presenting the plans of the house and how it will be occupied. Choosing the land is covered in a separate guide: where to put a tiny house.

What taxes apply after authorisation?

An authorised building or installation may be liable for the development tax (taxe d’aménagement). In 2026, its base is set at €892 per m² of taxable area outside Île-de-France and €1,011 in Île-de-France, with a 50% allowance on the first 100 m² of a main residence. For caravan and mobile leisure home pitches, the base is a flat rate: €3,000 per pitch.

This base is then multiplied by locally voted rates: from 1 to 5% for the municipal share (up to 20% in certain areas) and no more than 2.5% for the departmental share. The actual amount therefore depends on your municipality. The overall cost of a project is detailed in our guide on the price of a tiny house.

What are the risks without authorisation?

A building that should have been authorised but was not cannot be permanently connected to the electricity, water, gas or telephone networks (article L111-12 of the Code de l’urbanisme). It is also exposed to the penalties provided for by the Code de l’urbanisme and may have to be removed. Completing the procedures beforehand remains by far the simplest solution.

Key takeaways

• On wheels: no formalities for up to three months a year, a prior declaration beyond that.
• Demountable permanent home: prior declaration up to 40 m² in total, development permit beyond that for two or more dwellings.
• On foundations: prior declaration from 5 to 20 m², planning permission beyond that.
• Processing times: one month for a prior declaration, two months for planning permission for a detached house.
• The planning certificate, which is free, tells you the rules for the land before you buy.

Note: this guide sets out the general rules, checked on the date shown. It does not replace personalised advice: local rules (PLU, protected areas, risk zones) may be stricter. For a specific project, contact your town hall’s planning department or the ADIL (departmental housing information agency) in your département.