Will a granny flat fit on your section?

The rules since 15 January 2026

Two instruments came into force together: an exemption from building consent in Schedule 1A of the Building Act 2004, and the National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units, which make one such unit a permitted activity in residential, rural, mixed-use and Māori purpose zones.

• Up to 70 m² inside
• In residential zones, 2 m from every boundary and from other homes, with 50% building coverage
• In rural zones, 10 m from the front boundary and 5 m from the side and rear

Where it fits on your section

Landsight places a granny flat behind the house or in front of it on the surveyed parcel, keeps the setbacks and coverage, and says what fits, what fits with matters to resolve, and what does not.

The PIM comes first

Under the exemption, no building work may start until the council issues a project information memorandum for the site, which it has 10 working days to do. Landsight drafts the application in seven steps — the property, eligibility, the design, its placement, the planning and services assessment, the application, and a review — ready to check and lodge.

• A studio of about 40 m², one bedroom of about 50 m², or two bedrooms up to 70 m²
• Records lodged with the council within 20 working days of finishing
• The work finished within two years of the PIM

What it costs and earns

The Development Studio's granny flat path costs the build at market rates per square metre and sets the cost against the rent, so you can see the return before you commit.

What no dataset can confirm

The exemption and the permitted status turn on conditions no record holds — a licensed design and build, simple construction, the site's hazards and overlays, its title. Every result says which of them are left to the council and to professionals.