In most circumstances building work will require a permit from your local Council. Please note that your building work may require planning and plumbing permits prior to the granting of your building permit. It is your responsibility as the property owner to ensure that a building permit is in place prior to commencement of any building work.

If you believe a building permit is not required you should seek written confirmation from a building surveyor prior to commencing any works. Please note substantial penalties apply to persons undertaking building work without a permit.

The Granny Flat rules and regulations in Tasmania indicate the maximum size is to be no more than 30% of the total area of the principle dwelling and they can be rented to anyone. There is no statewide policy on what you can and can’t do so the rules will vary from council to council. The above guidelines are based on the Hobart City Council planning scheme for what they refer to as an ‘ancillary flat’. There is no obvious rules around a minimum block size, but similar to most of the other states, you are allowed only one main residence, and one ancillary flat per block.