Granny Flats Exemption

A granny flat is a small, standalone dwelling that is additional to an existing dwelling on the same property.

Building consent exemption criteria include that the granny flat must: 

• be 70 square metres or less in floor area
• be single storey only - without any part-storey or mezzanine floor
• be standalone - not attached to another building
• not contain a solid fuel heater or a level entry or wet-floor shower requiring a waterproof membrane
• not be an addition, alteration or conversion of an existing building
• comply with all Building Code requirements for a detached dwelling
• be built or supervised by licensed building professionals 

There are also other criteria which must be met. For more information on what qualifies as a granny flat (and what doesn't) please refer to: 

• MBIE Granny flats exemption guidance
•  Building and Construction (Small Stand-alone Dwellings) Amendment Act 2025
•  Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units) Regulations 2025

Tiny houses on wheels, which are mobile, are not considered granny flats and are subject to different requirements. See MBIE's guidance on these here.

If exemption conditions are not met, a building consent will be required. Non-compliance may result in enforcement action against the homeowner and/or the licensed building professional.

Before any building work begins on a granny flat, the homeowner must apply for and receive a Granny Flat Exemption PIM. This is a mandatory step and must occur before building work starts. 

Apply Now

If this is your first time applying for a consent online, you will need to begin by registering for an account. Follow the prompts on-screen, consult our Online Building Consent Customer Guide, or get in touch with us if you require assistance.

Once you have logged in, complete an application for a PIM. As part of your application, you must also upload the following attachments:

• Evidence of Ownership, i.e. Record of Title/Sale and Purchase Agreement. (If you would like us to supply a record of title for you, a fee of $30.00 applies.)
• Preliminary design plans for the proposed building work (which must include site plans, elevations, basic sections and floor plans).
• As part of your application, you will also need to upload a completed Form 2AA: Application for project information memorandum for non-consented small standalone dwelling.

We will check the application to confirm that all required information has been provided and send you an invoice for the application fee. Once the application is complete and payment has been made, we will process and issue your PIM within 10 working days. 

The application fee for a Granny Flat Building Consent Exemption PIM is $1,285.00. This covers the PIM application, processing and administration time, and the filing and storing of completion documentation. If you need us to provide the Record of Title for your property, an additional $30.00 applies.

Additional fees may apply depending on your project. This includes resource consent and/or other approvals that may be needed, and development contributions may be payable. 

The Project Information Memorandum (PIM) you must obtain will tell you about relevant planning rules, based on the documentation provided.

The Granny Flats Building Consent Exemption operates alongside the resource management system and the new National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units 2025 (NES-DMRU).  

The NES-DMRU allows minor residential units (commonly known as granny flats) up to 70 square metres to be built without a resource consent, provided you have an existing dwelling on your property and certain permitted activity standards and criteria are met. If your granny flat does not meet the standards and criteria, a resource consent may still be required.

As a starting point, to qualify for a resource consent exemption, the NES-DMRU requires that your property be located in a zone classified as residential, rural, mixed-use, and Māori purpose zones. The intention is for consistency and clarity in how detached minor residential units (granny flats) are treated across the country. The zones under our District Plan that the classifications apply to are:  

• Section 44 – Coastal Living Zone (classified as ‘rural zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)
• Section 47 – Extra Density Residential Zone (classified as ‘residential zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)
• Section 51 – Low Density Residential Zone (classified as ‘residential zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)
• Section 57 - Residential Zone (classified as ‘residential zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)
• Section 59 – Rural Zone (classified as ‘rural zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)
• Section 60 – Rural Lifestyle Zone (classified as ‘rural zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)
• Section 61 – Village Zone (classified as ‘rural zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)
• Section 62 – Waterfront Zone (classified as ‘mixed use zone’ for the purpose of the regulations)

Further considerations include:

• Other District Plan standards that still apply including those related to papakāinga, earthworks, natural hazards, reverse sensitivity, and infrastructure requirements.
• Restrictions in some significant sites, areas and landscapes that mean the NES-DMRU may not be able to be used for resource consent exemption.
• Information on your Record of Title that will still apply and cannot be exempt under the NES-DMRU regarding Easements, Covenants, and Consent Notices. Each of these legal instruments may further restrict where a minor unit can be located (e.g. not over a sewer pipe) and may also specifically limit your property to only having one dwelling.

You can obtain a copy of your Record of Title from LINZ and review our information on resource consents and our District Plan.

If you are considering building a granny flat and need help about resource consent requirements that may apply to your circumstances, you can contact us. 

Important information about water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure availability will be provided in your Project Information Memorandum (PIM), based on your application documentation. 

If you need utility connections or other approvals, additional fees may be payable. Find out more about water utility connections and building over or near a public pipe.

Your Project Information Memorandum (PIM) will provide you with relevant vehicle crossing information, based on your PIM application documentation.

To read about our vehicle crossing standards and specifications, and the process to apply for a vehicle crossing approval, click here.

Rates

Building a granny flat means you are adding another habitable building to your property. It will likely increase the property's capital value, which affects rates. It may also attract additional targeted rates assessed as a fixed amount per separately used or inhabited part, these include water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, works and services and the uniform annual general charge.

For more information on rates, please see our Rates page.

Development Contributions

Building a granny flat will attract development contributions if the build creates extra demand on Council provided services. The contributions are specifically tagged for paying for the additional cost of community and infrastructure needs as a result of development.

For more information on development contributions, please see our development contributions page which includes our policy and FAQs.