Granny flats (small stand-alone dwellings)
Granny flat exemption overview
From 15 January 2026, the granny flat building consent exemption allows small stand-alone dwellings up to 70 square metres in size to be built without a building consent if:
- it has a simple design and meets the Building Code
- homeowners notify their local council before they commence building and once it is completed
- the work is carried out or supervised by licensed building professionals
- all exemption conditions are met
For a full list of exemption conditions, refer to these:
Note that "Granny flats" are referred to as “Small Stand-alone Dwelling” in the Building Act, while under the Resource Management Act they are called “Detached Minor Residential Unit”. While the name changes depending on the legislation, both refer to the same type of building.
Before starting any work, it’s important to check whether your project meets all exemption criteria under the Building Act, the National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units (NES-DMRU) and any rules under the Taupō District Plan.
- Before you build: If your project qualifies for the building consent exemption, you must apply for a Project Information Memorandum (Form 2AA PIM) – this must be issued before any building work starts.
- After you build: Let Council know when the building work is finished and send us all required documents within 20 working days.
- The PIM and NES-DMRU requirements apply whether your granny flat is built off-site and moved onto your property or built directly on your property. The building must be new.
- Effluent treatment systems: If an onsite effluent treatment system is proposed, Waikato Regional Council rules also apply.
Getting started – guidance, checklists, factsheets and research
Due diligence is essential when determining whether proposed building work meets the exemption criteria. Failure to comply can result in significant costs for homeowners.
To support informed decision-making, we’ve provided guidance documents, checklists, and factsheets below.
Step-by-step guides
Checklists
Factsheets
Resource Consents
The granny flats building consent exemption operates alongside the resource management system. Under the Resource Management Act 1991, the National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units (NES-DMRU) allows minor residential units to be built without a resource consent, provided certain permitted activity standards and criteria are met.
The NES-DMRU applies in residential, rural, mixed-use, and Māori purpose zones, ensuring consistency and clarity in how minor residential units (granny flats) are treated under district and regional plans. Building a minor unit may still require a resource consent in certain circumstances.
- The NES-DMRU applies only in specific zones under the District Plan and does not apply everywhere.
- To qualify for a resource consent exemption, you must comply with the permitted activity standards in the NES-DMRU. Other District Plan standards still apply, including those related to papakāinga, earthworks, natural hazards, reverse sensitivity and infrastructure requirements.
You can access the NES_DMRU here: Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units) Regulations 2025 (SL 2025/315) Contents – New Zealand Legislation
For further guidance see the Ministry for the Environment Factsheet
The NES-DMRU addresses provisions in the District Plan. Homeowners should also be aware of three other matters in relation to their property and information that may be on your Record of Title that will apply and cannot be exempt under the NES. These are:
- Easements
- Covenants
- Consent Notices
Each of these legal instruments may further restrict where the minor unit can be located (e.g. not over a Sewer pipe) and may also specifically limit your property to only having one dwelling.
Obtain a copy of your title from www.linz.govt.nz and if you have any questions email info@taupo.govt.nz
Rating and addressing
The minor unit will be subject to rates and the homeowner can also request a specific address for the unit.
Development Contributions
When a homeowner applies for a PIM for a Detached Minor Residential Unit, the Council may determine that a development contribution is payable under the Local Government Act 2002.
Development contributions are one-off charges and are different to rates. They are used to help councils cover the cost of increased demand on local infrastructure and services when new dwellings are added to an area. The amount charged will vary depending on the council, the size of the granny flat and whether the dwelling needs to connect to network utility operator services. If a development contribution is required, the council must issue a development contribution notice in the prescribed form
The development contribution must be paid within 20 working days after the completion of the building work. If a homeowner does not pay a development contribution when required, the council may recover the payment using existing mechanisms under the Local Government Act 2002.
Examples of development contribution fees
Location | Size | Fee |
Taupō Town Centre | Under 60m² | $9,545 plus GST |
Taupō Town Centre | 60m² or larger | $19,090 plus GST |
Mapara | Under 60m² | $10,295 plus GST |
Mapara | 60m² or larger | $20,590 plus GST |
Rural | Under 60m² | $2,000 plus GST |
Rural | 60m² or larger | $4,000 plus GST |
You can request an assessment of development contribution fees by email to info@taupo.govt.nz.
How to apply
All applications for a project information memorandum (PIM) for a proposed non-consented small standalone dwelling, should be submitted online using Objective Build.
You will need to create an account, or login to your existing account, before you can start an application. If you need any assistance with your application, please phone 07 376 0899.
See our Objective Build training guides and resources
Your PIM application must be accompanied by a copy of the following documents:
- Preliminary design plans
- A description of the proposed building work
Apply
Apply for your project information memorandum (PIM) online using Objective Build.
The PIM fee is a minimum of $90 + GST as per our fees and charges.
After you apply
Council will check your application to confirm that all required information has been provided.
If your application is complete, the PIM will be issued within 10 working days. If your application is incomplete, we may request the missing information. The 10-day processing timeframe is paused until the applicant provides the necessary details.
Once building work is complete – notify Council
The granny flat must be completed and the homeowner must have all the required documentation within two years of the project information memorandum (PIM) issue date.
The granny flat is complete when the homeowner has received the following records and documentation:
- Certificate of Work (CoW) for any restricted design work
- Records of Work (RoW) from Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs)
- Records of Work (RoW) from registered plumbers and drainlayers
- Electrical safety certificate
- Gas safety certificate (if applicable)
- Energy work certificates (if applicable).
The homeowner must also receive final design plans that show:
- building work including any changes made during construction
- sanitary plumbing
- drainlaying
The homeowner must submit the documentation to the Council that issued the PIM within 20 working days of completing the build. i.e. within 20 working days of receiving all the required documentation from licensed building professionals.
Upon completion of the granny flat, email your completion documentation to us at buildingconsents@taupo.govt.nz.
Available completion templates:
Extend your granny flat completion date
Completing building work within two years of the PIM being issued – or getting an extension to your PIM – is essential to continuing to meet the granny flats exemption conditions and avoid needing a building consent.
If the granny flat is not completed and the PIM lapses, the granny flats exemption no longer applies.
To obtain an extension to the PIM timeframe:
- apply well before the two-year anniversary of the PIM issue date
- the request must be made while the original PIM is still valid
- councils may agree to extend the timeframe if they are satisfied that the build is progressing and the exemption conditions continue to be met.
Councils are not required to monitor progress or remind the homeowner of the deadline. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to track progress and act early if delays arise. Councils may agree to extend the timeframe, the fee for an extension of time application is as per our fees and charges.
If the PIM lapses before the granny flat is complete the homeowner may need to apply for a certificate of acceptance and/or building consent to obtain regulatory approval of the work.
Additional resources and links
- Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs) lbp.govt.nz
- Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board pgdb.co.nz
- Electrical Workers Registration Board ewrb.govt.nz
- New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB) nzrab.nz
- Engineering New Zealand engineeringnz.org
- Standards New Zealand standards.govt.nz
- National Association of Steel Framed Housing nashnz.org.nz
- Natural Hazards Portal naturalhazardsportal.govt.nz
- Ministry for the Environment environment.govt.nz
- Local Government New Zealand lgnz.co.nz
- Insurance Council of New Zealand icnz.org.nz
