Granny Flats in Queensland: Rules, Costs and Design Guide

11 July 2026 · 3 min read

Queensland calls a granny flat a secondary dwelling, and the rules that shape one look quite different from Victoria's. There's no single statewide exemption here, which makes checking your specific council's requirements the first real step.

What Qualifies as a Secondary Dwelling

A secondary dwelling is a self-contained home, with its own kitchen, bathroom and living area, built on the same lot as a primary dwelling and subordinate to it in size and scale. Unlike Victoria, Queensland hasn't introduced a single statewide consent exemption for these, so whether yours needs a full development application depends on your specific council's planning scheme.

Size Limits Vary by Council

There's no single statewide size cap in Queensland. Brisbane City Council allows up to 80 square metres of gross floor area in most metropolitan areas, and up to 100 square metres in some rural parts of the city. Other councils, including Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, typically allow between 60 and 80 square metres. Always confirm the figure that applies to your specific council before finalising a design.

Accepted Development vs Assessable Development

Under Queensland's Planning Act 2016, a proposal is either accepted development, meaning no separate development application is needed provided it meets the relevant code, or assessable development, meaning it goes through a formal assessment process. Many straightforward secondary dwellings qualify as accepted development, but this depends on meeting every relevant requirement, including size, siting and distance from the main house, exactly.

Building Approval Works Differently Here Too

In Queensland, building approval is issued by a licensed private building certifier rather than the council directly, and every new secondary dwelling needs one regardless of whether a development application was required. The certifier checks the design against the National Construction Code and the Queensland Development Code, inspects the build at mandatory stages, and issues a Certificate of Occupancy once it's complete.

Common Siting Rules

While every council's scheme differs, common requirements include keeping the secondary dwelling within around 20 metres of the main house, staying under a height limit of roughly 9.5 metres, and meeting setback requirements similar to those for the primary dwelling, often around 6 metres from the front boundary, 1.5 metres from the sides, and 6 metres from the rear. These figures vary by council, so confirm them against your specific scheme rather than assuming they transfer directly.

Energy Efficiency and Rental Rules

Since 1 May 2024, Queensland requires all new dwellings, including secondary dwellings, to meet the same 7-star NatHERS minimum covered in our guide to NatHERS star ratings. On the rental side, Queensland removed family-only occupancy restrictions back in September 2022, meaning a secondary dwelling can now be rented to anyone on the open market, the same freedom Victoria's rules allow.

What You Can't Do

As in Victoria, a secondary dwelling can't be subdivided or sold separately from the main house. If you want two independently titled dwellings on one block, that's a dual occupancy development, a different planning pathway with different requirements entirely.

Why Council Variation Matters More Here

Because Queensland's rules sit inside each council's own planning scheme rather than a single state framework, a design that's straightforward in Brisbane may need a different size or setback in a neighbouring council area. This is the biggest practical difference from Victoria's single statewide pathway, covered in our guide to granny flats in Victoria, and it's worth confirming your specific council's requirements before a design is finalised rather than after.

If you're planning a secondary dwelling anywhere in Queensland, our team can help confirm exactly what applies to your property before you commit to a design.

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