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QDH BLOG

Building a Granny Flat in Brisbane

5/11/2015

3 Comments

 
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So what is the deal with building a granny flat in Brisbane? What can you do and what can't you do?

Building laws (as at 02/11/17) regarding Granny Flats are pretty straight forward. Basically, this is the law from the Dwelling House Code in the Brisbane City Plan 2014:

- "Development comprises not more than one dwelling house and one secondary dwelling (granny flat) occupied by one household."
- "A maximum of 80m2 in gross floor area."
- "Located within 20m of the dwelling house."
- "Occupied by 1 or more members of the same household as the dwelling house."
-  "1 car parking space for the dwelling house; 1 car parking space for any secondary dwelling on the same site"


Household is defined in the Brisbane City Plan 2014 as:
"Means 1 or more individuals who-
(a) live in a dwelling with the intent of living together on a long-term basis; and
(b) make common provision for food and other essentials for living"


The dwelling house code further defines a "household" as comprising:
"(a) 1 person maintaining a household; or 
(b) 2 more more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption; or
(c) not more than 5 persons, not necessarily related by blood, marriage or adoption; or
(d) not more than 5 persons under the age of 18 and not necessarily related by blood, marriage or adoption, together with 1 or 2 adult persons who have care or control of them."


So who is a granny flat suited to? There are a few possible reasons for wanting to build a granny flat:
- Aging parents are needing extra care,
- Separate living space for a family member, 
- Extra space for a growing family,

- Renting out a dwelling room by room under one tenancy agreement

If you are thinking of building a granny flat to rent out to a separate tenant, think again. Granny flats are NOT multi-unit dwellings.  Multi-unit dwellings are very different in type and construction. Especially with regard to fire separation.  (See the Dual Occupancy Code in the Brisbane City Plan 2014)

A granny flat is generally designed to have one tenancy agreement between all members living in the main and secondary dwelling, one letterbox, one metered water & electricity supply etc. If a granny flat was being used in a Dual Occupancy situation and there was a fire, or similar emergency issue and someone was hurt, the owners could be liable for big dollars if their insurance refuses to cover the owners based on the definitions of a 'household' in the City Plan.

For any family, building a Granny Flat in Brisbane is a fantastic addition to your home. It creates a separate living area and creates more space and freedom within the family.

Let us help you design a Granny Flat that suits your family's requirements, or a Dual Occupancy dwelling that meets all the current regulations.

Sam
​QDH Director

3 Comments
Brisbane Drafting Services link
11/9/2016 09:16:43 pm

This is really a helpful article. Thank you for sharing.

Reply
Classic Granny Flats link
1/2/2018 11:10:04 am

This is amazing. Love your granny flats in brisbane. Thanks for sharing this.

Reply
Blaize
19/2/2024 10:41:45 am

An amendment to the Planning Regulation announced on 23 September 2022 will come into effect on Monday 26 September 2022.

This amendment removes the restriction of how members of a household live together. This recognises that the relationships of occupants in a dwelling and how they interact with one another should not be considered in a planning assessment of how land is used.

https://planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/planning-issues-and-interests/changes-to-secondary-dwellings

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Sam Davies

    Hi there & welcome! My focus as Managing Director of Queensland Designer Homes, is to provide you with helpful articles that will assist you in getting you everything than you would wish for in your home design! Got a comment? We'd love to hear from you. Sam.

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