Building and resource consents now not required for small standalone dwellings

Updates to the Building Act and the new National Direction under the Resource Manage Act remove the need for consents for small standalone dwellings up to 70 square metres in size, otherwise known as granny flats.

Even with the building consent exemption in place, homeowners should remember that the exemption only applies to simple designs that meet the Building Code and where work is carried out by authorised professionals. To support local infrastructure in growing communities, councils can charge development contributions for granny flats when issuing a Project Information Memorandum.

The exemptions are expected to save New Zealanders up to $5,650 in direct costs when building a granny flat and speed up the process by up to 14 weeks.