Life in a tiny house: How can it be made better?

Safe shelter is a fundamental human right, but conventional housing has become increasingly unattainable for many. So why aren't laws around tiny houses keeping up with the movement?

Can tiny houses help alleviate homelessness? Watch a promo above for Dateline's Tiny Home Rebel, available via SBS On Demand.

Mention “tiny house” in any social gathering and people almost always say, “Oh I love tiny houses.” The enthusiasm for tiny houses isn’t matched, however, by the take-up of tiny house living. Very few people actually live in tiny houses. So, why the discrepancy?

As a follow-up to my research (in 2015 and 2017), I interviewed people around the country (in person and on social media) about their lived experience in tiny houses. I also stayed in a tiny house.

Nearly all had built their own tiny house, but some had bought their homes from tiny house builders. Interestingly, few homes were the archetypal tiny house on wheels – there were container houses, converted buses, and even tents.

So how do people feel about tiny house life?

People had lived in their tiny houses from weeks to a couple of years. The majority had only positive things to say about tiny house living, including:

• freedom from debt – “the real cost savings and availability to be an actual home owner instead of permanent debt”
• community – “joining the community of like-minded people”
• having one’s own space.

Those who were negative expressed minor concerns with issues such as cleaning composting toilets and small spaces. One commented:

"The multipurpose nature of each room means that the bedding smells like fish when I cook salmon."

But, more seriously, longer-term concerns included:

• insecurity of tenure
• lack of privacy
• inability to get bank loans
• difficulties with having young children in a very small space.

Watch how schoolkids plan a house for a homeless veteran.

Why haven't planning laws kept up?

An ongoing issue is where to put tiny houses. Planning laws are still the major obstacle to tiny house living.

One respondent said:

"I don’t like the fact that there is no surety that I can stay legally in one place. I don’t like knowing that I can’t stay long-term. You know what your timeframe is for renting, [you’re] not going to be moved for a ridiculous reason. There’s no protection if in a tiny house. Silly [council] rules like I [have to] stay in it for two nights, then move into the main house for one night, I get why these things have been put into place … waste and water, amenity; but I don’t see why [regulations] for that can’t be implemented."

Major findings of this and other research are that tiny houses are here to stay. They are definitely not just a niche market, but are more suited to certain demographics.

Interestingly, those who had moved to more conventional houses seemed almost guilty about having left. Tiny houses should be more realistically viewed as one stage in the lifetime housing journey, which may suit some and not others.

What needs to change

Housing in the 21st century needs to be more flexible to suit various lifestyle stages and households, not just singles and nuclear families.

Local governments in particular could be far more proactive by adapting their planning schemes to permit more flexible types of dwellings, obviously in accordance with building, health, safety and environmental regulations. This would enable people to live in security without being afraid that they are going to be moved off because some neighbour might complain.

Finally, as the owner of a property that has a number of tiny houses said:

"I have worked in urban development for 20 years and the concept of affordable housing is a furphy unless we change legislation and allow people to live smaller. I am passionate that housing should be accessible by all, that people shouldn’t have to resort to social and public housing. Tiny housing offers a major disruptive solution to an ever-growing housing unaffordability and social divide in housing."

Heather Shearer is a member of the Australian Greens Party.