Support Tiny House Rentals on MN's North Shore!

WHAT ARE TINY HOMES?
Tiny homes are buildings, many times built atop heavy duty trailers, that are intended for full time or part time living and are designed pack all of the necessities of a house into a smaller, more eco-friendly space. They are built for people looking to down size while also having all the must-have amenities you would expect to see in a standard house such as heat, AC, kitchen, bathroom, sleeping areas, etc. In some cases, they are also being used to create unique rental experiences for travelers and tiny home rentals/resorts can been seeing popping up all over the globe.

OUR STORY.
My name is Tyler Thompson. I am a 25 year old Minnesota native and the Founder of Endeavor Tiny House Retreats. We are a single unit rental business who provide unique tiny house getaways on Minnesota's North Shore.

We began this journey last Winter and by June of 2018 we had created our very first tiny house rental unit called Endeavor One. Immediately it was clear that we had created something truly special. People from all over the midwest were becoming enamored with our property and just 8 weeks after we opened our books for reservations we had booked out 2018 and 2019. We we're so excited share all of our hard work with the world and the few guests that we were able to host provided some of the most heart felt and appreciative 5-star reviews we could have ever hoped for.


THE PROBLEM WE ARE FACING.
In June of 2018, we invited the health inspector for Lake County (the county that Endeavor One is located) up to our property for a health inspection. Upon arrival, he explained that he does not have jurisdiction to license tiny homes and that we should reach out to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) because, in our case, they would be the governing body who would grant our health license.

When we got ahold of the MDH, we were told that they only license tiny homes if there are 5 or more units on a single parcel of land and that because we only have one unit, they do not have jurisdiction either. He went on to explain that unless we are 5 or more units that the county representative would "normally" be able to issue us a permit upon a satisfactory inspection. Long story short, each county has an inspector that is employed through the state except Lake County. Lake County has no representative that is able to complete an inspection and issue the proper permit. There is no existing health license or inspector with jurisdiction to license any tiny home located in Lake County.

Lake County's official document which lists the minimum requirements for short term rental states: "The owner shall obtain and maintain a MN Department of Health license or Lake County Health Department license, if applicable."

Due to neither Lake County or the Minnesota Department of Health having jurisdiction in this matter, we submitted our short term rental application in full and in the section about the health license, we wrote 'non-applicable' with the argument that if there is no existing health license available for tiny homes, we should be granted a short term rental permit without one while Lake County officials create a health license specific to tiny homes.

We have now been asked to cease all rental activity until further notice and we need your help to change that by showing Lake County officials that tiny house rentals, like our, are a benefit to the environment, the economy and to the community.


WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We need your help to convince Lake County officials that tiny homes are absolutely acceptable rental dwellings. The lack of space within this type of house is by design and is actually a huge benefit to not only the environment, but also as a way for guests on vacation to cut out the unnecessary extras and enjoy the company of friends and family while being immersed in the beautiful landscapes on Minnesota's North Shore. Plus, our rental property has already proven it will drive thousands of people into the area which will only help local businesses and the county's economy as a whole.

To be very clear, we agree that having a health license for a vacation rental is important and we want to have one. The issue is that there is currently no license available for tiny homes and because of that, we are pushing to have a tiny house specific health license created. This will allow us the opportunity to to be fully licensed by Lake County and will help ensure that our guests have the best experience possible. At the end of the day, that's our number one priority.

We believe that tiny homes are here to stay and will continuously grow in popularity over the next decade. It only makes sense that Lake County should put the proper licensing opportunities in place to avoid these kinds of issues moving forward.


THE SIMPLE SOLUTION.
What we are asking for in this petition is the following:

1. Tiny homes should be allowed to be rented in Lake County and a new health license should be created to reflect the unique differences of tiny homes, especially size.

This point will ensure that future tiny home rentals do get the proper health inspections required to ensure safe stays for guests and protection against governmental liability. This also ensure that tiny homes and their owners are not legally punished for being smaller than a standard house even when the limited size is by design to create a specific lifestyle or guest experience.

2. Lake County should approve the short term rental permit for Endeavor Tiny House Retreats and allow us to rent in the interim as the newly formatted licenses specific to tiny homes are adopted.

This will ensure that Endeavor Tiny House Retreats is able to continue providing guests with the incredibly unique and sought after North Shore getaways that we have become known for while driving traffic to local businesses and supporting economic growth in Lake County. Additionally, we and our future guests will not punished by Lake County for the not being able to obtain a health license that does not yet exist.

THANK YOU!
We thank you for taking the time read our story and, if you agree with our outlook on this issue, we ask that you please sign this petition and share it with friends and family who may also want to show their support.

If you wish to learn more about Endeavor Tiny House Retreats or get involved further in this cause, please feel free to visit us at EndeavorTinyHomes.com