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RV Parking On Residential Property? (Important Rules + FAQs)

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Parking RV on residential property
RV Parked on Residential Property

I have always wondered about parking My RV on my property or residential street to save some money and time finding a parking lot.

So for this, I’ve researched across the web to clear my doubts and think to write this article so that the guys like me can save time going through all the research process.

Let’s clear all the doubts about parking an RV on residential property.

Can RV Be Parked On Residential Property?

Yes, RV can be parked on residential property if you genuinely follow all the codes, rules, and regulations provided by the municipal of your jurisdiction.

Now, look at everything you need to follow to park your RV on your residential property.

It’s good to know that Vans and truck campers do not come under the category of Recreational vehicles. Hence, all the information I will provide is best practices for the vehicles considered RV according to laws.

RV parking Rules and Regulations for residential property

An RV parked in a garden of a house with a proper set up of chairs, a big platform, pumpkins, and greenery
An RV parked in a garden of a house with a proper set up of chairs, a big platform, pumpkins, and greenery

Here are some general rules you should follow to park your RV on your private property no matter which county of the USA you live in. However, some rules can vary according to jurisdiction.

  • The registered owner of the RV must be the owner of the property or the using the property for their primary residence.
  • No RVs can be used as temporary or permanent residences while parked or stored.
  • You are not allowed to connect your RV with home facilities such as gas and water; however, you may make a temporary electricity connection to recharge batteries.
  • Residential properties under 0.2 acres may not have Recreation Vehicles (RVs) over 24 feet in length, measured from point to point, including bumpers and hitches. (This is absolute for Las Vegas, Nevada, which can vary for other places)
  • Some jurisdictions allow RV storage in the garage of the residential property for a more extended period, but it should not be used for a living when parked or stored.
  • No Recreational Vehicles greater than 36 feet (This is for Texas, it can vary for other states) in length can be parked or stored for residential uses in any district zone.
  • It is recommended that RV be parked at least three feet (numbers can vary) from any structure.
  • Recreational Vehicles can be parked or stored outside of the residence building only if they have a legal license plate, is in a state of proper repair, and shall be secured to prevent unauthorized entry.
  • You can keep no more than one inoperable RV for up to 60 days in the garage, out of public view.
  • The vehicle must be operable in all categories to remain in your side, rear, or front yard.
  • Recreational Vehicles can be stored or parked in the rear or the side of the yard only if screened by a solid 6-foot tall fence.
  • Only when side or rear yard space is not available, you’re allowed to park your RV in the front yard on the paved area.
  • Your RV needed to be parked on a paved area or the side pad allowed by the municipal code of your state or city.
  • In most cases, parking of RVs on residential property is only allowed if the parking surface is paved with cement concrete at least three and one-half inches thick.
  • RV, Motorhome, or any vehicle you’re parking must not block the garage entrance in any way.
  • The RV must be kept in a well-maintained condition.
  • Your RV or Motorhome must not cover a Millimeter of neighbor’s property.
  • A vehicle needs to have alternatively screened with evergreen landscaping or fence if the vehicle is within the minimum 8-foot distance from the adjacent property. The height of the fence used or the evergreen landscape needs to be greater than the RV being screened.
  • It is needed that your RV doesn’t fall under the eyes of road passers.
  • No temporary covering like cloth screens or tarps is permitted. You are completely fine with fitted covers if they are specially designed for the RV and maintained adequately.

Read Also: RV Parking On Residential Streets? (Don’t Skip This)

Can you park an RV in Driveway?

RV parking on a driveway in the front yard is allowed because it is subjected to a temporary parking permit.

A big RV parked on a driveway in a beautiful garden full of yellow and red flowers of a ravishing house
A big RV parked on a driveway in a beautiful garden full of yellow and red flowers of a ravishing house

It means that you can park your RV on the driveway for two days to prep, clean, load, and unload the RV.

Under this temporary license, you’re completely fine if your RV is in the public view, but you need to remember that no living is allowed during this time.

Because RV living is considered camping and not parking.

You need to have a special permit to park your RV in the driveway in certain states and cities. In California, you can’t park your RV in Driveway without AUP* (Administrative Use Permit).

Here are some example codes which regulate the storing of RVs in your driveway or garage of your residential property:

  • In Dearborn Heights, you are not allowed to park or store more than one recreational vehicle or its attached apparatus upon any well-established driveway at any one time.
  • In Glenwillow, a recreational vehicle can be parked on the driveway in the front yard for loading and unloading purposes; parking in the driveway should not exceed 48 hours in any seven days.

To know if you need any permit to park RV or Motorhome in the driveway, you must contact your municipal.

Will my RV crack my driveway?

Yes, due to the weight and pressure of RV on the concrete, the driveway will gradually lead to cracks and depressions on the driveway in a few years, and once the damage starts, it will not stop growing.

The driveway made of cobblestone or asphalt will lead to more damage if it’s often used to park RV for most of the time because the pressure applied on the driveway due to its weight can make the driveway’s surface uneven or even cracked.

Hairline cracks are expected as the driveway ages.

How much weight will crack a driveway?

Your driveway will not crack if the parked vehicle is under 8,000 lbs and your concrete driveway is at least 4 inches thick, but at least 5 inches thickness is recommended when the vehicle is heavier.

If we go into a little more depth, then a 3,000 psi slab should support 3,000 pounds, but you should limit it to its 300 psi tensile strength when you care about crackings.

However, most residential property’s driveway typically uses 3,000 to 4,000 psi of compressive strength, which is not absolute depending on the region you’re living in.

That’s why codes and ordinances differ from one county/jurisdiction to another. You must check the requirements with the Local Building Department to get the necessary numbers about depth, width, length, grade, thickness, culverts, location, purpose, inspection, and other requirements.

Different home associations have different requirements which you need to follow to build a good driveway.

When can I park my RV on new concrete?

You can park your RV on new concrete after 28 days of curing time so that no damage is done to the concrete.

These days are divided into 3 phases:

  1. Concrete Setting time is 24 to 48 hours
  2. In 7 days, the concrete should have cured 70-90% of its full potential strength, suitable for parking or driving personal vehicles but not the heavy ones like RVs or buses.
  3. After 28 days after the crew finished, the full strength of the concrete is recognized and now is ready to park or drive RVs or buses on it.

The following things can happen if you park your RV on concrete before 28 days:

  • The concrete driveway may crack
  • The concrete will get the imprints of the tires
  • The future strength of the concrete might weaken

Can someone live in a camper on your property?

Anyone can live in a camper on your property like a farm if it is outside the residential district only when the City Council permits it.

Two girls are sitting in front of a camper parked in the driveway of a house
Two girls are sitting in front of a camper parked in the driveway of a house.

Living without permits is considered a violation of the law which shall be punished.

Apart from this, some cities allow the owner of the property to permit someone else to live in an RV which is the case in the City of Spring Field, Oregon, where someone can live in your RV on your property if provided proper sanitation and garbage facilities and electric connection may be provided, but that too must not be hard-wired or permanent.

Why can’t you or someone else can live in an RV on your property which is located in the residential district? Because RV is considered a travel plus residence vehicle that can catch the attention of the neighborhood, and they can complain to the city officials of you having two homes in a limited area.

Thus most of the residential districts in the USA (I don’t know the laws outside the USA) only allow parking for a limited period on your property for loading, unloading, and preparing. Some districts will also enable RV storage in your property inside the garage or side pad (I’ve already discussed this above).

The other main reason is that you can not connect your camper or trailers to the residential or live regardless if they are parked in the rear or front yard. They can get their supplies only from the RV park.

Can you live in a camper while building a house?

Yes, it is possible to live in the camper while building a house; however, it is more headache-free when off the grid.

Ask the local town/county/city officials and agencies to allow the RV to live on-site. If they qualify, ask about the restrictions and requirements placed on hookups, utilities, access, and surface drainage.

It’s a must to consult the City official or council before making this move. Don’t worry. In most cases, they will approve your request to live in an RV while building a house because It’s not that you are living in an RV on the already finished property.

Cause the already finished home is referred to as a residential home or residential property, in which case only RV parking or storing is allowed not living.

I think it would be an honest guess- you want to live in an RV instead of in a rental apartment because the house you’re building is off the grid, whereas an RV can help you save the year-long rents and travel expenses.

You can watch the video of the couple below who’ve done this already.


Can you park an RV on gravel?

Yes, you can park an RV on gravel, and it would not harm the tires.

Also, gravel drains and keeps the tires of RV from slipping in the water; however, some say that you may put something between the tires and rock, which is good if the tires of your RV are of low quality, but there is no need to put anything between the gravel and your tires when they are tough.

Apart from this, If your tires can’t keep up with the gravel, you’re missing the opportunity to use a few RV parks but most campgrounds.

There is no reason that gravel would harm the tires; instead, it is just the quality of tires that are cheap enough to get damaged with some jagged surface.

Should I park my RV on plywood?

Parking RV on plywood is a good idea if you’re using it as a barrier between the Asphalt paving and your tires because, over time, there could be a reaction between petroleum content in asphalt and the rubber of your tires.

Plywood surface can also stop the tires from sinking in when parking an RV on the grass.

However, using plywood on concrete is unnecessary if you don’t park your RV for the season but a month. It would help if you still moved the RV’s tire at least once a month.

It’s a myth that you must use plywood under the tires before parking them on a concrete paved surface.

This is true when tires were commonly made of Nylon, where they tend to create a temporary flat spot when parking or storing for extended periods. But it’s a myth with the modern tires.

Is it ok to park an RV on grass?

No, it is not ok to park an RV on grass for extended periods because the condensation can hasten the rusting process, which will result in mechanical failures. Still, it is ok to park an RV temporarily where it spends less time on the grass and more on the road.

If you’re worried about your tires sinking in mud or water, use plywood, concrete blocks, rubber pads, gravel with paving stones, or waterproof barriers to help in the rainy season. And white covers wrapping around tires can prevent damage from UV rays.

However, the grass, water, or mud don’t damage the tires because the RV’s tire is made for traveling in rain, snow, and summer.

Above all, a paved surface is much better than an unpaved surface.

References

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Scott

Monday 27th of March 2023

Good day. I am currently dealing with a situation you specifically site, regarding parking restrictions for an RV on a residential lot that is less than (.2) acre in the City of Las Vegas, NV. It is parked right on the property line between the houses and only 2 feet from the eve of my house. I'm currently trying to extend the wall between the properties, but contractor cannot even do the work because the RV is in the way. I contacted CLV Code Enforcement and they did nothing and would not acknowledge the .2 acre rule. I then contacted the CLV Fire Department and they said it was a violation of the local fire code and am waiting for their response. The code is difficult at best to navigate and not user friendly. Very frustrating. Can you please site the ordinance regarding the (.2) acre rule in the code?

Thank you, Scott

Michael

Tuesday 28th of March 2023

Hi Scott, I am sorry that you are going through this. Yes, it is written on a government website of Las Vegas, Nevada that "Residential properties under 0.2 acres may not have Recreation Vehicles (RVs) over 24 feet in length, measured from point to point, including bumpers and hitches". Here's the link to that ordinance : https://files.lasvegasnevada.gov/code-enforcement/CE-20-Questions-ENGLISH.pdf

I am also emailing you in case you don't see this message.

Water

Thursday 8th of September 2022

Can you link the official sources for all these rules you are broadasting?

Michael

Thursday 8th of September 2022

Check out the bottom of the post where I have provided references. It looks like you haven't read the article thoroughly. Though, I also skimp on a lot of boring stuff as rules so not a problem. You can check it out now.

Varietygal

Wednesday 6th of July 2022

A friend of mine lives in a RV on her friend's property and was told she could live there as long as she needed (without a lease) now the lady is evicting her is the RV considered a mobile home for eviction laws or just regular eviction laws? She has to get so eone to move it and find a place to move it and sometimes that can't happen in 24hours. The time to move is different for mobile evictions.

Texas laws

Thanks Varietygal

Michael

Thursday 7th of July 2022

Hello Varietygal, For Texas, especially, Legal Aid NC source that if the mobile home is in a rental on a property, then the landlord must give eviction notice to the mobile home owner at least 60 days before the end of the rental period no matter what are the terms of tenancy.

If the landlord receives a court order for the eviction of the mobile home lot, then the mobile home owner also has ten days to move the mobile home lot. You can read more here about legalities.

As per my understanding, 24 hours is what the land owner asked, but more days are provided by the laws to transfer the mobile home to another place. Tell your friend to get the handwritten confirmation or agreement letter for using others' property to live in a mobile home before even dropping an RV or house at that place to minimize the hassle.

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