Darryl Bray had hoped to park the 84-square-foot house that he built for himself in a secluded place, maybe on some spare acreage on a farm in Connecticut.

But finding that kind of spot proved harder than expected, so instead Mr. Bray’s tiny home on wheels sits in the parking lot of the light industrial complex where he works, outside of New Haven.

Mr. Bray, 28, has lived behind the U-shaped complex for more than two years now, though not without hassle — even though the parking spot was offered to him by the complex’s owner. He started out near a noisy auto shop that was attracting unwanted attention, but has since moved to a quieter space.

The city zoning enforcement officer once put him on notice that he was violating various zoning codes. While no one has ever followed up, Mr. Bray lies low when he sees a police cruiser patrolling the complex. (For that reason, he asked that his precise location not be disclosed in this story.)