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Straight answers

Tiny home council rules in Australia

A starting map, not the final word

Planning rules for movable dwellings are set locally, so this is a starting map, not the final word — your specific council always decides.

Use it to know what to ask. The single most useful thing on this page is the checklist below: six questions that get a straight answer out of any council, whichever state you're in. Take them with you.

Go to the checklist Can you live in one full-time?
Take this to your council

The questions to ask, wherever you are.

Same six questions in every state. Ask them in this order and you'll get an answer you can actually plan around, rather than a shrug.

  1. 01

    Is a caravan permitted to stay on my zoning, and for how long?

  2. 02

    Can it be a primary residence, or only secondary to an approved house?

  3. 03

    What approval do water and sewer connections need, and who issues it?

    What we would expect: a vented connection installed by a licensed plumber, and nothing more elaborate than that. If your council describes something heavier, ask them which rule they are applying and to what — it may be a rule written for a building.

  4. 04

    Are there time limits on occupation before your council requires approval, and do they vary by zone?

  5. 05

    Are there bushfire (BAL) overlay requirements for my block?

    BAL construction levels are written for buildings, so we would not expect them to attach to a caravan — though whether any bushfire requirement applies on your land is a question for your council and depends on your zone. We build every MicroHome to BAL 29 Bushfire Resistant standards anyway.

  6. 06

    If the answer is no as things stand, what would have to change for it to be yes?

Tell us your address and how you plan to use the home, and we'll talk you through what to ask and what we'd expect you to hear — before you spend anything.

Talk it through with us first
No hard sell

Talk it through before you spend anything.

Tell us your address and how you plan to use the home, and we'll talk you through what to ask your council and what we'd expect you to hear.

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or call 0429 461 659