Council Regulations
Your tiny house without the bureaucracy
The rules and regulations around where to put your tiny house on wheels can be confusing. Especially as every local council has their own set of requirements. The tiny house movement is gaining tremendous momentum and as such the requirements are slowly, but surely changing. Some councils are currently being proactive in supporting this movement, whilst others are proceeding more cautiously. Very exciting times ahead for all in the tiny house community, so watch this space!
Typically, a tiny house is currently treated as a caravan by most councils.
Many councils have allowance for residing in the tiny house for a set number of days throughout the year without any permits, which may have the potential to suit an AirBnB style arrangement. Others may look more favourably on allowing a tiny house on a site longer term where there is already a primary residence and family members will be living in the tiny house.
Longer periods of habitation may require a permit or use of caravans parks etc. There have been ground breaking rulings made in favour of tiny houses and their residents, which is encouraging the whole Tiny house community to grow rapidly.
Here’s a summary of information Tiny Tect has compiled from some of the councils throughout Australia.
QLD
Sunshine Coast Council
Tiny houses on wheels fall under the local laws section as they are not fixed structures.
Typically someone can live in a tiny house/caravan for up to 4 weeks in a calendar year without requiring any permits. Anything beyond that requires a ‘Healthy Places – temporary accommodation application’.
- https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/council/local-laws
- Click link to ‘Subordinate Local Law 1’
- Refer to Schedule 7
Noosa Shire Council
Tiny houses on wheels fall under the local laws section as they are not fixed structures.
- https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/community/local-laws/local-laws-overview
- Click link to ‘Subordinate Local Law 1’
- Refer to Schedule 9
Gympie Regional Council
Typically someone can live in a tiny house on wheels/caravan for up to 2 weeks in an 8 week period without requiring any permits which could lend itself well to short term accommodation options.
- https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/local-laws
- Click link to ‘Subordinate Local Law 1’
- Refer to Schedule 8
Gold Coast Council
- https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Building-applications/Domestic-building-works/Do-your-building-works-need-approval#caravan
- Refer to section ‘Caravan or tiny house on wheels’
Fraser Coast Regional Council
NSW
Typically in NSW, a member of your household can live in a tiny house on wheels on a long term basis, without requiring any planning permits (DA), as long as there is already an approved main house on the land.
Gold Coast Council
- https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Building-applications/Domestic-building-works/Do-your-building-works-need-approval#caravan
- Refer to section ‘Caravan or tiny house on wheels’
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Lake Macquarie City Council
VIC
Mornington Peninsula Council
No permits are required for living in your tiny house for a 6 month period out of a 12 month period if it’s on your own property with appropriate sanitary facilities and no detrimental impact on adjoining properties.
- https://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/About-Us/Laws-Regulations/Local-law-detail
- Click link to ‘General Purpose Local Law’
- Refer to Section 36.
Surf Coast Shire
There may be options for obtaining a planning permit for a tiny house on wheels for longer term living.
