Tiny Homes Zoning — State ProfileReviewed 2026-08-23
Can you put a tiny home in Maryland?
Current tiny-home-on-wheels and ADU rules for Maryland, sourced and dated — plus verified local builders.
DEPENDS ON LOCATION
Maryland — Statewide ADU law now signed, with an October 2026 compliance deadline (verified 2026-08)
Tiny home on wheelsNo statewide tiny-home-on-wheels law. The DC-adjacent counties have historically been stricter than the more rural Eastern Shore, and that pattern still holds for THOWs even as ADU policy shifts statewide.
ADU / accessory unitThis is a significant update: Maryland's Accessory Dwelling Units Act of 2025 (SB 891) took effect October 1, 2025 and requires every local jurisdiction with planning and zoning authority (including charter counties and Baltimore City) to adopt a law authorizing ADUs on single-family lots by October 1, 2026 — a deadline landing shortly after this review. The statute sets 75% of the primary home's size as a ceiling, not a floor; individual counties can and do cap lower. Montgomery County's own ZTA 19-01 (2019) already allows detached ADUs down to a smaller footprint on lots under an acre; Howard County caps at 75% of the primary home's footprint, requires owner-occupancy, and (unusually) raised its parking requirement to three spaces.
Minimum square footageState law sets a 75%-of-primary-home ceiling, not a minimum; local jurisdictions set their own floors
Foundation requirementMontgomery County has the most established program in the state; most other jurisdictions are actively rewriting their codes to meet the October 2026 deadline
Local notesThis deadline is close enough that the answer for a given county may change within months of this review — confirm whether the specific jurisdiction has already adopted its compliant ordinance or is still working toward the October 2026 deadline.
!Zoning is set by your specific city or county, not the state as a whole. Use this as a starting point, then confirm with the local building or planning department before you buy land or start a build. Not legal advice.
Last reviewed 2026-08-23