S 897 Massachusetts Senate · 193rd Legislature (2023-2024)

An Act allowing movable tiny houses as permanent residential dwellings and accessory dwelling units

This bill allows movable tiny houses to be used as permanent homes or secondary living spaces in Massachusetts. It defines these structures as transportable units under 400 square feet that must be built to state safety standards but with lower insulation requirements than traditional homes. The legislation creates a new registration category for these homes, requiring them to be permanently attached to a vehicle chassis and establishing a process for issuing titles and certificates of occupancy after 180 days of residence. Local towns are permitted to set their own rules as long as they do not use design criteria to ban these units, and they may offer tax incentives to encourage their use.
Bill status passed 3 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2023
Committee Review
Mar 2024
House Passage
Feb 2023
Governor
Introduced Feb 16, 2023 Last action Mar 18, 2024
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House. No roll call record of that vote is available.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Mar 18, 2024
Upper · Passed
Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means
upper
Feb 16, 2023
Lower · Passed
House concurred
lower
Feb 16, 2023
Committee
Referred to the committee on Housing
upper
1 primary · 23 co-sponsors

Sponsors