Home Office in an Airstream?
My husband and I live in a small house (less than 1,000 square feet) in Austin. We try to maximize our space, but we just don’t have room for a home office, which we need, so we came up with an idea. We want to buy a used trailer or motor home (maybe an Airstream or something similar), park it at the house, and use it as an office. Can we do that? Would the city shut us down if one of our neighbors complained?
I love being reminded by “Common Law” questions that keeping Austin weird is never too far from any of our minds. There are two big issues that will determine whether you can do this without violating city of Austin ordinances. First, you need to figure out what type of trailer, RV, or motor home (the “vehicle”) you plan to buy. Second, you need to think about whether the vehicle will be parked in your driveway, somewhere else on your property, or in the street.
The city of Austin ordinances apply differently depending on the answers to these questions. For example, if you buy a nonmotorized trailer that must be towed by another vehicle, you are prohibited from parking it on a public street (Section 12-5-11 of city ordinances). Alternatively, if you buy a self-propelled motor home or other motor vehicle containing sleeping facilities or a bathroom, you can park it on a public street, but for no longer than 72 continuous hours (Section 12-5-11).
This means that your vehicle is likely to spend most of its time in your driveway (or somewhere else on your property), but the city regulates this as well. For example, the city places limitations on the ratio between the number of vehicles stored at a residential property and the number of licensed drivers that reside at that property. The city also limits the use of the front or side yards for parking (Section 12-5-29) and requires that recreational vehicles, like motor homes or RVs, be stored behind a 6-foot wood or masonry fence.
You should become more familiar with the city’s parking rules (Section 12-5) before you invest the time and money needed to get your Airstream home office up and running, You can also contact the city with specific questions.
This article appears in July 17 • 2009.