Jurisdiction and research scope
Urbandale city limits only. Complete §160.34 read in 2026 S-32; it includes a narrowly conditioned 1996 resident exemption. This checker examines the ordinary route and sends grandfathering, visitor classification and unusual parcel approvals for a City answer.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Urbandale RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway storage | Ordinary front route: driveway or adjacent parallel hard surface ≥4 in; preserve required parking and access. |
| Yard storage | Required side yard adds ≥10 ft separation to adjacent like vehicle/principal building, no adverse air/light/drainage impact and neighbor/Board review. |
| Street parking | Complete current ordinary RV street conditions not available for review; home-parking rules do not authorize the curb. |
| Guest sleeping | Permanent residence excluded outside conforming parks; short guest sleeping and connections remain unresolved. |
How many RVs can stay on a residential lot?
For a single-family residential lot no larger than one acre, §160.34 (A)(1) caps the count at two recreational vehicles. A third unit exceeds that ordinary limit. The clause does not supply the count for every larger lot or multifamily property. Identify the full lot and all RVs before applying it.
Can I store somebody else’s RV?
Section 160.34 (A)(2) excludes an RV owned by a person who does not live at the property, with a visitor exception. Paid storage or an absent owner’s long-term unit cannot be treated as a visitor by assumption. Ask Community Development to classify an unusual ownership or visiting arrangement.
Can it stay in the driveway or front yard?
The front-yard route uses a driveway or an adjacent, parallel hard surface at least four inches deep. It does not describe a free-standing lawn pad anywhere in the front yard. Required parking spaces and their access must remain usable; §160.29 contains a separate referenced exception that needs its own review.
What changes in a required side yard?
The nearest part of the RV must maintain at least ten feet to a similar vehicle or principal building, including attached accessory structures, on adjoining premises; the adjoining setback contributes to that separation. The City must also find no adverse air, light or drainage impact. A written neighbor objection triggers Board of Adjustment review rather than an automatic approval.
Does an older RV create a grandfathered right?
The dated route refers to residents who owned RVs at the same residence on September 30, 1996, with continuing ownership/residency, no newly created nonconformity, no exception for more than two vehicles and a compliant surface. A one-year interruption or leaving the residence can terminate it. Owning an old RV today is not proof of eligibility.
Can somebody live or sleep in it?
Permanent residential use is excluded outside a conforming RV park or campground. That restriction does not establish the answer to every short guest visit. This review did not verify a general guest-sleeping or utility-connection route. Ask separately about the people, dates and proposed connections; a parking layout is not accommodation approval.
Who to contact for your setup
Give the City the exact address, vehicle classification and complete footprint, proposed dates, prior visits and any connections. Start with the cited official source and its review limits.
Use the Urbandale parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.
Official sources reviewed October 21, 2026
- Urbandale Municipal Code §160.34: recreational vehicles
Full operative section read in publisher edition 2026 S-32 on October 21, 2026. Proposed 2024 discussions are not substituted for adopted text. Later uncodified amendments and parcel decisions are not certified.
A review date records when we checked these sources. The notes above explain any use of older code editions or limits on access to the full source; an address-specific city determination may still be required. Read our research method.
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