Granny flats exemption in place from early 2026

Government passed the Building and Construction (Small Standalone Dwellings) Bill in Parliament on Thursday, 23 October marking a key deliverable in the Coalition Government’s Q4 Action Plan. The regulations giving effect to the new building consent exemption for granny flats up to 70 square metres are expected to come into force early in 2026, following the removal of resource consent requirements at the end of 2025.

Removing building and resource consenting requirements for this simple building work is expected to increase housing supply and availability, helping to lower living costs for New Zealanders as a result and boosting productivity in the construction sector.

The building consent exemption will come into effect as soon as the necessary regulations have been made. These regulations will create consistency for councils, homeowners and building professionals by setting out the clear forms and records of work that are needed for effective implementation.

Homeowners interested in building a granny flat in their backyards should get planning now and over their summer breaks. A good place to start is by thinking about their preferred design and by finding suitably qualified professionals to get the work underway.

Homeowners will be eligible for the exemption if their granny flats are simple in design, meet the Building Code and building work is carried out by authorised building professionals. Homeowners will need to notify their local council before they begin building and once the granny flat is completed.

Find out more about the building consent exemption and its conditions:

Building consent exemption conditions for granny flats(external link) — Building Performance

Read the Minister’s press release: 

Granny flats get the consent-free go ahead(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz