Caravans, trailers or other structures on wheels
You can keep a tiny home in your backyard or on your property without requiring development approval. It must be registered with Transport for NSW (TfNSW) as a trailer, and you must meet specific exemptions.
Under NSW regulations, you're allowed to:
- Have up to two caravans, campervans, or tents for short-term stays (up to 2 consecutive days) for a maximum of 60 days each year.
- Have a single caravan, campervan, or tent for a long-term household member to reside in, but only if you already have an approved dwelling (house) on the property. The tiny house must be maintained in a safe and healthy condition.
- Use it on pastoral or agricultural land, primarily during the season by individuals employed in pastoral or agricultural activities on the land.
Details in this clause may change frequently. You must keep up-to-date on current standards by visiting clause 77 of the Local Government (Manufactured Home Estates, Caravan Parks, Camping Grounds, and Moveable Dwellings) Regulation 2021
Before installing a tiny home, the landowner must consider the following under exemption provisions:
- Bushfire
- Flooding.
- Land use conflicts.
If your tiny home on a trailer does not meet the exemptions under NSW legislation, you'll need to:
- follow the relevant Development Control Plans
- address any land-specific constraints, such as those related to bushfire, flood, or land-use conflicts.
This may involve submitting a:
These applications are required for Council assessment and certification.
- For rural properties, additional approvals may be necessary, like upgrading your existing on-site sewage management system such as septic tank.
- For properties in urban areas, you may need approvals to connect to water and sewer infrastructure. You may also be responsible for certain contributions.
Fixed tiny home, including secondary dwellings
Secondary dwellings are a popular choice to set up a tiny house alongside an existing home. To proceed with this type of development, you will need to obtain approval:
You can either submit a:
Land zone definitions
Land zone definitions under Byron LEP 2014 limit the permissibility of movable dwellings as a dwelling house on the land.
If your tiny home is considered to fit within the remit of a caravan or compact home then it can only be used in accordance with clause 77 of the Local Government (Manufactured Home Estates, Caravan Parks, Camping Grounds, and Moveable Dwellings) Regulation 2021.
At present there is no avenue to use it outside of those provisions for standalone residential purposes, such as a dwelling on vacant rural land.
Council will evaluate and certify your proposal for a permanently constructed or installed dwelling (home)/manufactured home.
To find out more about whether your tiny home proposal requires approval you can talk to our development support officers or submit a request for advice.