Hamilton property experts are welcoming consent-free granny flats, but warn new rules are not a “silver bullet solution” to the city’s housing pressures - and not every backyard will be suitable.
Under new national rules, a standalone dwelling up to 70 m² can be built without a building consent if the structure meets all exemption conditions. Many sites will also no longer require a resource consent under the new national planning standard.
The government estimated exemptions would save New Zealanders up to $5650 in direct costs when building a granny flat and speed up the process by up to 14 weeks.
CKL director and planner Bevan Houlbrooke said despite new regulations, the section remained the real test - services and connections, natural hazards, overlays, access and title restrictions all needed to be considered before construction went ahead.
“There’s a perception that this is a free-for-all, but that’s not the case.”
Homeowners wanting to construct a granny flat on their section still needed to apply for a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) before building work started, use licensed building professionals, and provide completion documents to the council at the end of the build.
“This isn’t a shortcut for any small structure,” Houlbrooke said. “The exemption only covers new, detached, singlestorey dwellings; it doesn’t apply to conversions [and] additions, sleepouts, sheds, garages, tiny houses on wheels, or anything over 70 m².”
While regulations had removed the need for resource consent in most circumstances, hazards, heritage and significant natural areas could still trigger consent requirements.
“For example, parts of Hamilton East, Claudelands, Frankton and Hayes Paddock are subject to historic heritage overlays, so it’s worth checking early what applies to your specific property before you assume you can build a granny flat without resource consent.”
Lodge Real Estate managing director Jeremy O’Rourke said new granny flat rules added to the “diversity of housing within the city”.
Both he and Houlbrooke agreed the change would contribute to gradual intensification across Hamilton.
Uptake was likely to be strongest in Hamilton’s older suburbs, including Chartwell, Dinsdale, Glenview, Melville, Forest Lake, Nawton and parts of Hillcrest.
“These neighbourhoods were largely developed in the 1950s through to the 1970s, when larger sections were the norm.”
Sections in Hamilton’s newer subdivisions might not be suitable for a granny flat because of physical feasibility constraints, he added.
“Even where the idea stacks up financially, the site itself may not support a second dwelling.”
However, building a granny flat on a reasonable sized section was often more affordable than purchasing a larger property for extended families wanting to live together, O’Rourke said.
He said it signalled “a real cultural shift where we're having so many more families that have intergenerational living arrangements.”
It was also a good opportunity for investors who wanted “home and income”.
His advice to to homeowners was to get advice before committing to the build.
“The pathway is more straightforward than it used to be, but the details still matter.”
