Minor dwellings up to 70 m² since 15 January 2026

A new, stand-alone, single-storey minor dwelling of up to 70 m² no longer needs a building consent. The council still issues a project information memorandum (PIM) before work starts, and receives the certificates and final plans within 20 working days of finishing.

The same job has different names here

If you have built in Australia, these are the words to swap.

• Minor dwelling: what Australians call a granny flat. The Building Act calls a small one a small stand-alone dwelling.
• Resource consent: permission under the Resource Management Act for how the land is used. It is the planning side.
• Building consent: permission under the Building Act for the building work itself.
• Council: for most homes the city or district council issues both consents. Regional councils look after rivers, flooding and the environment.