RV lot rental on existing septic?

[Jeff Williams]

I ran into a vacant mobile home lot, with a current conventional septic system on it. Per county that property is in, in NC, no more mobile homes are allowed. It is zoned residential. I am afraid that if I try to obtain permit to build something very small (lot is very narrow with set back requirements), the county will advise that septic needs to be re-done (installed 1979). I was possibly thinking about re-zoning for storage space, but the location it is in, I might have trouble from local neighborhoods. So, I would hate to commit to purchase, if I might not be able to build on lot. But it is a killer price, which also leads me to believe the reason why it is SO cheap is because it is not buildable, and past owners were unsuccessful getting re-zoned. Question is, since it is residential, without needing a permit to build, and it already has a septic system that county stated it was not abandoned, can I make the property RV rental?

(ps. Lot is not for sale, it was one I found while driving for dollars, and hunted down the land owner, whom is close to 100 years old. Also, county could not advise of septic condition, without permit, other than that it was not abandoned.)

[Brady Johnson]

@Jeff Williams I flip land and have run into similar situations. From my experience, getting approval for an RV on land is even harder than a mobile home in most places so I wouldn’t count on that option. If the lot is so narrow that you would have to build a small house, it sounds like putting storage on it wouldn’t be any easier since it takes more land. How much land is it and how wide is it? I would hire someone to inspect the septic system and they can give you a good idea whether it needs to be replaced or not. Having their inspection could help with permitting at the County or could be a good thing to show buyers if you’re just looking to flip it. I typically look up the local County code and it will tell you the necessary setbacks, allowable uses of land, etc. Even with a narrow lot, you can usually find a house plan that fits any size. My biggest profits have come from seeing or finding potential in a property that no one else sees and adding value to it, so depending on how far you want to take it, you could flip it to a builder for a quick profit once you show them it IS buildable, or if you have the experience or a partner who does, you can build on it and increase your profit. Let me know how it goes or if you have any additional questions, good luck!