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I have lived in several different states in our tiny houses and it is always interesting when it comes to getting an address.
So, do tiny houses have addresses? Tiny houses can have addresses if they are parked somewhere permanent. If they are constantly moving or parked on unnamed land then they can use a P.O. Box or a family member’s address.
So the answer is: it depends. If you are parked in an RV lot than you will have an address there. If you are parked on someone else’s property, then you will have their address. But what if you are constantly moving?
Getting an Address for a Tiny House that Travels
Having the freedom to travel or move frequently is one of the major appeals for those looking to get a tiny house. It was for me. My husband and I were planning on moving frequently and we did not want to throw money away on rent or continually be buying and selling homes.
We have pretty much always had a P.O. Box since we have been living tiny. This is probably the easiest method for those who move. It is safe and relatively cheap. I typically get a P.O. Box near my work. That way even if we move around the area I know I will be close to the same Post Office often enough.
Another option, is to have a family member get your mail. You can leave your address with your parents, a sibling, or a friend. This can be convenient if you travel so often that you do not know when you will be anywhere long enough to set something up.
This is not always an option for everyone and it can be a burden on the other family member. If they need to forward your mail every so often, because you are not around, this can be time consuming although it is free.
You can set up a central location and have a P.O. Box there. Then you can just return when you need to collect your mail. Be careful with this method though, the Post Office keeps an eye on that type of thing and you may need to be constantly putting a hold on your mail if you get too much.
Getting a Physical Address can be just as easy. The Post Office will have a physical location address, you can use this with Suite: Box Number, for your physical address. For example: My Name, 123 Post Office Rd, Ste 123, Reno, NV 89433. I have had a lot of packages mailed to me with this method and have used it for account set ups too.
If the packages are small and fit in your box, they will leave them there. If they are slightly bigger they will leave a numbered key in your box for you to open a larger box and get your package. If it is too big, they will leave a yellow slip and you need to go to the front desk to get it. This has to be done during regular business hours.
Getting an Address for a Tiny House that is on Unmarked Land
When this is the case you can still use a family member or friend’s address and collect it from them. But the best option is to get a P.O. Box, since you will at least live in that area for a while. There are Post Offices in every town, even if it is very small.
When my husband and I first moved into our tiny house on wheels (THOW), we moved to unmarked land in Utah. We were allowed to temporarily stay on this land. We would just move to different BLM areas every so often until we were able to find somewhere permanent.
This was our first time living on unmarked land and getting a P.O. Box. We also needed a new bank account because they did not have our bank there. During this process the banker asked us for our physical address. We didn’t have one.
This was before we knew the trick about using your P.O. Box location and box number as your physical address. We told them we lived on 5 Mile Pass, which was the name of the federally owned land parcel we were parked on. And shockingly that worked.
As tiny houses become more popular things like this will become easier. I try to go paperless on as many items as I can so I do not have so much mail all the time. However, I still keep all of our important paperwork. The best option is to get a P.O. Box and use it as a physical as well.
Getting an Address for a Tiny House that is on Someone Else’s Land
There are a few options here:
- Use Their Address
- Use a P.O. Box
- Add an Additional Address
Obviously, you can just use the same address and sort mail. This can be a great option if it is a family member. If you do not have a close relationship with the owner of the land, this may be awkward. Especially if you get a ticket in the mail.
Again, a very good option is getting a P.O. Box. In this case you can still use the land you are staying on as your physical address, and just use the box as your mailing address. The downfall to this is that you do have to make those trips to get your mail.
The third option is to add an additional address and mailbox. This is not as easy as just putting another mailbox in the ground. The Post Office will need to recognize that as an address for them to deliver mail there.
I would only recommend this if you know that you will be there for a long time. You would need to get approval from the zoning board and then talk to your Post Office to get an address set up. The zoning board will need to do an inspection and many places do not allow tiny houses. You can talk to your local zoning board and see the requirements for this process.
How to Change Your Address when You Move Your Tiny House
We have been living tiny for several years now and have moved to four states now. And in two weeks it will be five! We will be moving from Portland, Oregon to Reno, Nevada. Moving is one of the best parts of owning a tiny house. However, moving in a tiny house is very different than in a larger house.
The first couple of times we moved we had family either where we were moving from or where we were moving to. This makes it much easier. We simply forwarded our mail from our current location to their house. Or left our mail going there until we got a P.O. Box and then set up forwarding.
This was a pretty simple process. We would get a P.O. Box as soon as possible and they would just forward all of our mail after a couple weeks. There was usually only a couple weeks of overlap between moving and getting our mail.
However, now we are moving from a location and to a location that we don’t have any family. I talked to the Post Office about this and it is actually very easy. A couple of days before we leave we will set up a P.O. Box in Reno online.
Then we can go into our Post Office in Portland and have them call to get your box number. This way we can set up forwarding before we leave, so we don’t miss any mail, and we can return our keys as well. I was so glad to find out I did not have to drive to Reno and back just to set up a P.O. Box!
Steps to Moving a P.O. Box
- Apply online for a Box number at the location to where you will be moving.
- Go into your current Post Office and have them call the new one to get your box number.
- Set up mail forwarding at the Post Office or online.
- Return your keys to your current Post Office.
Related Questions
Can I put a tiny house on my property?
This will very greatly depending on where you live. Some counties allow a ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) to be placed on property with a larger home. Some places do not allow them at all.
What is considered a tiny house?
Most definitions consider a tiny house anything that is less than 500 square feet. Many tiny houses are on wheels, but not all of them. They can be mobile or be on a foundation.
