Do you need council approval to install a granny flat on your property?

This is probably in of the most asked questions in our industry surrounding granny flats. The problem been is that there is no single answer because every State has different rules and regulations and every council has different bylaws governing this question.

There are different rules for the zone you live in, Residential, Rural Residential or Rural. For the average person just to get this information can be a nightmare, particularly if they have to deal with the local council. Even to go online on any of the Government Websites can be daunting for most people. In most areas the councils are relaxing the rules surrounding granny flats or secondary dwellings, which is good news.

Granny Flats Sunshine Coast.

For instance, on the Sunshine Coast you can put a Granny Flat or Secondary Dwelling on your property up to  90m2 of living space without council approval. This does not include outdoor living area such as decks or patios. This is providing you meet certain criterias of course which means in any case the building should be certified by a private certifier. In all cases we still have to comply with the local council bylaws.

In the case of the Sunshine Coast in general on a residential block you need to be 1.5m from your front and rear boundary and 6.0m from the front boundary. You also need to ensure you are not building over any services and should be no closer than 3.0m from the sewer main and 1.0m from the sewer connection point. Most of these criterias can be relaxed in which case you will need to get approval for. It was the case that the secondary dwelling or granny flat had to be within 20m of the main dwelling but now that rule has been relaxed in the Sunshine Coast. There is no restriction on the distance from the main dwelling. It is not the case in many other localities but I believe in time and pressure on house availability the bylaws will be relaxed around this type of development.

The best people to speak to regarding granny flats or secondary dwelling is your local Town Planner.  There will be one attached to your local council or you can call a private certifier in your area. He or she will be able to give you all the information you require about installing a secondary dwelling or granny flat on your property. Or you can call us at Direct Portable Buildings and we will do the research for you.