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Secondary Dwellings on the Gold Coast – What You Need to Know in 2025

Secondary Dwellings, often referred to as granny flats, have become an increasingly popular way for Gold Coast property owners to house family members or generate rental income. While they can be a great investment, there are some important planning and approval requirements to understand before you start building.

Under the Gold Coast City Plan, a Secondary Dwelling is a self-contained home located on the same lot as the main dwelling. Some key things to consider are:

  • Association with a Dwelling House only – A Secondary Dwelling must be associated with a single Dwelling House and cannot be associated with Dual Occupancy or Multiple Dwellings.
  • Size limits – Gold Coast City Council generally restricts Secondary Dwellings to 80m² gross floor area and they must remain subordinate to the main house. However, this is not a strict limit, and we have successfully gained approvals for Secondary Dwellings up to 120m² gross floor area.
  • Bedroom limit – Council will not allow a Secondary Dwelling to have more than two bedrooms. This is a strict rule.
  • Attached or detached – A Secondary Dwelling can be either attached to, or detached from, the main residence.

  • Infrastructure charges – From 1 July 2025, Council introduced infrastructure charges for Secondary Dwellings over 80m². This could mean around $24,000 in charges for sewered areas or $17,000 in non-sewered areas.
  • Driveway access – Council is now stricter on Secondary Dwellings sharing the same driveway as the primary house and will rarely allow access from a separate driveway.
  • Design and appearance – Council prefers Secondary Dwellings to have similar colours and materials to the primary dwelling. If not, they generally require only one dwelling to be visible from the street. This is negotiable in many cases.
  • Approval requirements – All Secondary Dwellings require building approval. This includes tiny homes on trailers if they are used for permanent living. Building approval is obtained from a private certifier after development approval is granted.

Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid

 

  • Assuming tiny homes are exempt from approval – If someone is living in it permanently, you will need building approval.

 

  • Designing over 80m² without budgeting for infrastructure charges – These costs can be significant and apply even to lodged but unapproved applications.

 

  • Ignoring driveway and access rules – Council is unlikely to approve a separate driveway for a Secondary Dwelling, so plan for shared access early.

Before committing to a design or signing a building contract, it’s essential to seek professional planning advice to confirm the approvals you’ll need and to avoid costly surprises.

At Align Planning, we help clients navigate these rules and secure approvals efficiently, so your project can get underway with confidence.