Can you build a granny flat without consent in NZ?
Yes, since 15 January 2026, if it meets every condition of the exemption: new, standalone, single storey, no more than 70 m² including any internal garage, at least two metres from boundaries and other homes, and designed and built or supervised by licensed building professionals. Miss one condition and you need a building consent.
The work still has to comply with the Building Code. What goes away is the council approving the plans and inspecting the build, not the standard the building must meet.
What are the conditions of the granny flat exemption?
Central Otago District Council's summary lists them: new, standalone and single storey; up to 70 m²; two metres or more from any residential building or legal boundary; lightweight timber or steel framing and lightweight roof; wall cladding up to 220 kg/m²; connected to council services where available; no level-entry shower needing a membrane; licensed trades throughout.
Plumbing, drainage, electrical and gas work must be done by appropriately licensed people and certified as required. And the build must be finished within two years of the PIM being issued, though the council can extend that before it lapses.
What do I have to do with the council?
Apply for and get a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) before any work starts, then send the council the required documents within 20 working days of finishing. The council issues the PIM and stores the records. It does not approve, inspect or certify the granny flat, so compliance sits with you and your builder.
Do I still need resource consent?
Often not. A separate National Environmental Standard for detached minor residential units also came into force on 15 January 2026, making many granny flats a permitted activity in residential and rural zones. It runs independently of the building exemption, so a project can pass one and fail the other. Check both.
Natural hazards, heritage overlays, infrastructure capacity and other district plan rules can still restrict what you build, so ask the council or a planner about your specific site.
What does a granny flat still cost in council charges?
Less than a consented build, but not nothing. There is a PIM fee, and councils can still charge development contributions through the PIM process for the extra demand on water, wastewater and roads. Those contributions can be several thousand dollars or more depending on the council, so ask for the figure before you commit.
Our cost-to-build page shows the published Auckland and Queenstown development contribution figures for a full new dwelling, as a guide to the scale.
Is a granny flat the same as a minor dwelling?
Mostly. Councils have long used 'minor dwelling' or 'minor residential unit' for a small second home on the same title. The building consent exemption uses the phrase 'small stand-alone dwelling'. Whatever you call it, the 70 m² limit and the other conditions are what decide whether you need consent.
Can a kitset or transportable home use the exemption?
It can, if the finished building meets every condition, including the 70 m² limit, the framing and cladding weights, and licensed people doing or supervising the work. Designs under the MultiProof or BuiltReady schemes automatically meet some of the conditions, which is why several factory-built suppliers market granny-flat models.
Our guide to kitset and transportable homes compares the two routes, including the costs that sit outside the headline price.
What should I check before relying on the exemption?
That the exemption applies to your site and design, that your builder is a Licensed Building Practitioner, how your lender and insurer treat an unconsented-by-exemption dwelling, and what a future buyer will want to see. Keep every certificate and record. With no CCC, your paperwork is the proof the building complies.