2026-08-13 · MODUNERA editorial

Plot and site for a tiny house: what admissibility really rests on

How the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany assess whether a tiny house is admissible on a specific site – and which documents help upfront.

Short answer

The site decides admissibility, not the house: land use, intended use and duration. That check belongs before choosing a model.

1. Use outweighs building form

Whether living, holiday rental, office or temporary siting: the actual use and the duration usually matter more for the legal classification than the label tiny house. A chassis does not create blanket exemption from permits.

Changing the use later often triggers a fresh assessment. That is manageable when it is known from the start.

2. Five countries, five competent bodies

In the Netherlands the Environment and Planning Portal has combined municipal, provincial, water authority and central government rules since 2024; the municipal environmental plan remains decisive for the site. In Denmark the municipality is responsible.

In Luxembourg the mayor of the municipality authorises the project, which must fit the communal development and building plans. In Switzerland procedures and exemptions follow cantonal and communal law. In Germany planning law and state building law meet.

3. What the authority wants to see

Address or parcel, intended use, duration, dimensions, weights, connections and access. The more complete these details, the faster a dependable answer arrives.

Floor plans, elevations, sections and a siting concept exist for every MODUNERA model and can be attached to the enquiry directly.

4. Access is both a permit and a cost topic

A site can be admissible in planning terms and still be difficult logistically. Turning radii, load capacity, cables above the carriageway and crane standing area belong in the same preliminary check.

Clarifying these early avoids the most expensive variant: an approved project that cannot be delivered.

5. An order that works

Check the site, fix the use, assemble the documents, obtain the authority's position, then fix model and specification. Doing it the other way round means planning against an unknown.

Official sources

As of 2026-08-13. All figures are non-binding project guidance and not legal, authority, structural, energy or tax advice. Prices are ex-works indications; only a checked quotation is binding.

WhatsApp project check Price comparison by country

FAQ

For lasting residential or commercial use, generally yes. Smaller or temporary projects may have exemptions but still have to meet applicable rules. Only the competent authority's position is binding.

Not as a rule. Wheels do not change the fact that permanent use is assessed under building law. They can help with temporary siting and with relocating later.

No. The procedure is run by owners or their appointed local planners. MODUNERA supplies the technical documents needed for it.

This differs considerably by country, municipality and project. A first indication is often quick; the formal procedure takes longer.

Five destination markets

What has to be settled in each country.

The same question is answered differently in Copenhagen than in Zurich. These five points belong in every project check, whatever detail you are researching right now.

Germany

Responsible: the lower building authority of the district or independent city.

Governing plan: the Bebauungsplan, or an assessment under §34 or §35 BauGB where there is none.

Permanent living is possible where the plot lies within a built-up area or a Bebauungsplan permits residential use and the project is approved. In the outer area under §35 BauGB, living is privileged only in narrowly defined cases — the most common reason German projects fail.

Delivery from 6,800 € · On import: German VAT at 19 per cent applies on import.

Germany →

Netherlands

Responsible: the municipality, through the Omgevingsloket.

Governing plan: the municipal omgevingsplan under the Environment and Planning Act.

Permanent living requires a residential function in the omgevingsplan. Many attractive sites are designated for recreation, where permanent residence is not allowed — even where it happens in practice.

Delivery from 7,600 € · On import: Dutch VAT at 21 per cent applies on import.

Netherlands →

Denmark

Responsible: the kommune.

Governing plan: the lokalplan together with the zone status (byzone, sommerhusområde or landzone).

Permanent living requires a site in byzone or an equivalent designation. In sommerhusområder year-round residence is restricted in principle, and exceptions are tied to personal conditions.

Delivery from 10,500 € · On import: Danish VAT at 25 per cent applies — the highest of the five destinations.

Denmark →

Luxembourg

Responsible: the commune.

Governing plan: the plan d'aménagement général (PAG) and the associated plan d'aménagement particulier (PAP).

Permanent living is possible where the PAG zone permits residential use and the autorisation de construire is granted. Because municipalities are small, practice differs noticeably from place to place.

Delivery from 7,000 € · On import: Luxembourg VAT at 17 per cent applies — the lowest of the five destinations.

Luxembourg →

Switzerland

Responsible: the municipality together with the canton.

Governing plan: the municipal land-use plan and the zoning ordinance.

Permanent living is possible inside the building zone where the zone permits residential use and the Baubewilligung is granted. Outside the building zone, living is admissible only in narrowly defined exceptions — the most common reason Swiss projects fail.

Delivery from 7,900 € · On import: Swiss VAT at the standard rate of 8.1 per cent applies on import.

Switzerland →

All questions and answers per destination →

Models

Which models come into question.

Eight plans on one technical basis, 2.55 metres wide. What differs is length, layout and specification depth.

Model	Layout	Length	Ex works
MD 1	Panorama and loft	8.00 m or 9.70 m	44,900 €
MD 2	Two lofts for families	9.00 m	52,900 €
MD 3	Loft plus extra room	8.00 m or 9.70 m	47,900 €
MD 4	Loft, room and veranda	8.00 m or 9.00 m	50,900 €
MD 5	Compact with extra room	8.00 m or 9.00 m	46,900 €
MD 6	Chalet with pitched roof	8.00 m or 9.00 m	54,900 €
MD 7	Entry model	8.00 m	42,900 €
MD 8	Compact, upgraded line	8.00 m	45,900 €

See MD 1 to MD 8

Checklist

Five points before ordering.

A written answer from the responsible authority on admissibility at the specific plot — verbal assurances do not carry a project.
Access and unloading point, with photographs and dimensions. In practice the last hundred metres cause more trouble than the long haul.
Servicing: the distance to power, drinking water and sewer. That distance sets one of the largest secondary items.
Type of use and number of people. Permanent living, holidays and letting lead to different specifications of the same model.
Budget range including foundation, connections, unloading, planning, fees and insurance — not just the ex-works price.

As of 2026-08-14. All figures are non-binding project guidance and not legal, authority, structural, energy or tax advice. Prices are ex-works indications; only a checked quotation is binding.