Granny Flats

I think that I last heard the phrase “Granny Flat” used way back in the 1970s, before the term PC had been invented. But it is back with a vengeance this week, as a new rule has been announced: you are now allowed to build an Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) on your property, up to 70m² in size, without having to ask for permission from anybody. Is this a good thing? Or is it something else?

I’m intrigued, because the rule used to be that you could build an Ancillary Unit (AU) up to 10m², and that was mostly a good thing, I think. My parents built a 10m² box on every single house we owned when I was growing up, and to escape from the parents I would always claim this as my own territory. An ex-Army hut for one house, an ex-Railway shed for another, an existing out-house for another, and for their final house, my Dad built what he called a “painting studio” out the back. Don’t be fooled by the fancy name – it was just a shed, full of dog hairs and excess tools from the workshop. It was also where I retreated to to write my architectural thesis way back when, but fortunately, this one had both a view and opening windows. I claimed it as my own. Dad claimed it as his own. In truth, it was the home of the Hound. Thanks Dad!

I think that the rule of the 10m² AU was that there was not allowed to be any services, such as plumbing and drainage, although Electricity was allowed. There was of course no phone out there back in the day, nor TV, so it was a remarkably serene and peaceful place to hang out, in a box that was always just a basic 2.5m wide x 4m long. Bed at one end, chair and desk at the other. Work and sleep, sunbathe and playing music on my own stereo. Ten square metres of Bliss. From about age of 10, this little Fish had effectively left home, returning only for meal times and ablutions.

So it is fair to say that I have a soft spot for the 10m² AU and was equally excited to hear of the impending 30m² unit – that’s almost the size of the smallest allowable housing unit (35m² I believe for a studio apartment?). It was proposed that NO Resource Consent and NO Building Consent would be required. Yet somehow it all still had to comply with the building code, despite that no-one would ever come to inspect the work. This was an interesting proposal – why, in 30m² you could really have a life of your own. Presumably you would have been allowed to have Plumbing and Drainage, Electricity and Fresh running water, an electric cooking range and even perhaps a gas hob – all of which required no permission and no inspection by nosey Authorities. If there was nobody there to inspect it, who was to say what on earth you had built, except perhaps for overly nosey neighbours – but who would they report you to, if there was nothing to report you for in the first place?

The announcement over the weekend that the Ministers involved – Penk, Bish, I forget who – are now going to allow not just 60m² but 70m² I think really changes the game. No permission required for planning or for Building. As Fleetwood Mac sang, “You can go your own way!” Seventy squares allows for a perfectly acceptable two-bedroom, one-bathroom residence, and certainly could cater for a granny or two at the bottom of the garden. Yes, the intention is to reduce red tape to a minimum, and is to be commended for that, but as with all these sort of things, the devil is in the detail.

What’s your thoughts? Got a granny you want to stash away? Or a grandpa? Or both of them? Maybe with a cousin as well? Or a couple of grandchildren in the second bedroom? Can you have a sleep-out in an AU beside the ADU? How many AU can you have to equal one ADU? If you have to ask for permission for an extension to your house for a bathroom, what happens if you want to put a 10m² extension onto your already 70m² ADU / Granny flat? Do you now have to apply for consent for the full monty 80m² house? So many questions….

Any answers?

Post-script: From the official Government Press Release.

“The Coalition Government will go even further than it earlier proposed to make it easier to build granny flats by increasing the maximum size allowed to be built without consents, say RMA Reform and Housing Minister Chris Bishop, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk.
“It’s currently far too hard to build the homes New Zealanders need, with even the simplest dwellings tangling up homeowners and builders in red tape. That’s a big part of the reason why we’re replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) with new laws based on property rights,” Mr Bishop says.
“At present, people who want to build a simple standalone dwelling on their properties need a building consent under the Building Act. In many cases, a resource consent under the Resource Management Act is required as well. These processes are complicated, time-consuming, and costly.
“Last year the Government consulted on allowing granny flats of up to 60 sq m to be built without building or resource consents. The proposal received huge support, and as a result the Government has agreed to go even further by increasing the maximum size to 70 sq m,” Mr Bishop says.
“Making it faster and more affordable to build granny flats provides families with more housing options, particularly for grandparents, people with disabilities, young adults and workers in the rural sector. We know increasing housing availability directly translates to lower living costs for our communities.
“A new National Environmental Standard (NES) under the RMA will be developed and in place by the end of this year to give effect to our proposals, timed to take effect with changes to the Building Act. This NES will require all councils to permit a granny flat on sites in rural and residential zones without the need to gain a resource consent.”
The move delivers on a New Zealand First-National coalition agreement to amend the Building Act and resource consenting system to make it easier to build granny flats.
“In the Far North I saw how extended family often live together at the same property. Changing the rules to make it easier to build more family accommodation allows generational living at an affordable price,” Mr Jones says.
“I am delighted to see this proposal come to fruition through this Government, which enables pragmatic solutions to problems which have previously been thought too difficult to solve.”
Mr Penk says the Government is laser-focused on making it easier for builders and all tradies to get on and do what they do best.
“Removing regulatory barriers and taking a commonsense approach to the consenting system is a critical part of increasing housing supply for Kiwis.
“The sector is vital to New Zealand, and we want to support its growth and productivity by doing all we can to get builders back on their tools, and out of the office by reducing their paperwork.”
The Government will introduce an amendment to the Building Act in the middle of this year which will exempt granny flats from needing a building consent if:
• The granny flat has a simple design and meets the Building Code
• Building work is carried out by authorised building professionals
• Homeowners notify their local council before they commence building and once it is completed.
“We have carefully considered the feedback to make sure the path forward strikes the right balance between enabling housing growth and managing risks,” Mr Penk says.
“To support councils with local infrastructure funding for growing communities, the Government has agreed that infrastructure charges will continue to apply to granny flats through the Project Information Memorandum process.”
Note :
• Public consultation ran from 17 June to 12 August 2024 and received a total of 1970 submissions.
• A summary of submissions was published in November 2024 and can be found on the MBIE website.
• The proposed consent exemption will not apply to any building work currently in progress or existing structures that fit the specifications of a granny flat under the final exemption criteria. It will apply only to granny flats built after the exemption is in force.
• Anyone who is unsure whether their building work needs a building or resource consent should check with their local council.