Queensland, Secondary Dwellings
Yes, and it’s the change that has made granny flats so popular. Since September 2022 a secondary dwelling in Queensland can be rented to anyone, not just family. Here’s what that means, and what still has to be done properly.
For years, a common restriction across Queensland councils was that a secondary dwelling, a granny flat, could only be occupied by a member of the main household. That ruled out renting it to a tenant on the open market.
That changed in September 2022, when the Queensland Government amended the Planning Regulation to remove the occupancy restriction state wide. A secondary dwelling can now be rented to anyone. For homeowners, that turns a granny flat from a space for family into a genuine rental income option on land they already own.
It’s important to be clear about what stayed the same. The 2022 change removed the occupancy restriction, it did not remove the requirement to build an approved, compliant dwelling. To rent out a granny flat legally you still need:
In other words: you can rent it out, but it has to be a properly approved building first. Our guide on granny flat approval in Queensland covers the council size limits in detail.
Plenty of Queensland properties already have a structure that’s been used as a granny flat without ever being approved. Renting one out in that state is risky, an unapproved building can affect your insurance, complicate a future sale, and attract council enforcement.
The good news is that many existing structures can be regularised, brought into compliance, with measured drawings of the existing building and a certifier’s assessment. It isn’t always a demolition conversation. If you’re in this situation, it’s worth getting drawings done before you advertise it for rent.
Renting out a granny flat turns part of your property into an income producing asset, which has tax and potentially capital gains implications. That’s outside our lane, we draw the plans, but it’s worth a short conversation with your accountant before you commit, so there are no surprises at tax time.
Plan Draft prepares fixed price granny flat plans at $4,990 for homeowners across Brisbane and South East Queensland, the full approval drawing set, with engineer and certifier coordination included. Before any work begins we check your block against the relevant council’s secondary dwelling rules so the dwelling you build is one you can legally rent out.
View the granny flat plans service or send us your project details.
Yes. Since September 2022 the Queensland Planning Regulation was amended so a secondary dwelling can be rented to anyone, it no longer has to be occupied by a member of the household.
Yes. The dwelling still needs a building approval and must meet your council’s planning scheme for size and siting. The 2022 change removed the occupancy restriction, not the requirement to build an approved, compliant dwelling.
Not safely. An unapproved structure can affect insurance, complicate a sale, and attract enforcement. Many existing structures can be regularised with measured drawings and a certifier assessment, which is the right step before renting it out.
A secondary dwelling is self contained with its own kitchen and bathroom. Whether it can be separately metered or addressed depends on the council and the configuration. We address services in the drawing set and flag what your project needs.
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$4,990 fixed price for approval ready plans. Send us your project details and we’ll confirm suitability within one business day.