Renting out a granny flat
in Rockhampton.
The build cost is the easy number. Whether you are allowed to let it, and to whom, is the one that decides if the project works.
The short answer
The approval decides whether you can let it, not the build — some secondary dwellings are approved only for the household of the main house. Ask the council that before anything else. Then get real rent figures from current listings in your own suburb rather than from anyone selling you a build.
Approval decides this, not the building
A secondary dwelling can be built to a perfectly good standard and still not be lettable to the general public, because the approval it was granted under may restrict occupation — commonly to members of the household of the main dwelling. This is the single most expensive thing to discover late. Before you spend anything, ask Rockhampton Regional Council what a secondary dwelling on your specific block can be approved for and whether it may be tenanted separately. Yeppoon and the Capricorn Coast are Livingstone Shire Council instead, with their own planning scheme.
Questions to put to the council, in this order
Is a secondary dwelling permitted on this block at all? Is there a maximum floor area? Must it remain attached to, or share services with, the main dwelling? Can it be tenanted to someone outside the household? Is separate metering required or permitted? What parking is required? Is the block in a flood or other hazard overlay? Every one of those changes the design or the business case, and none of them can be answered by a builder.
Working out the return honestly
The arithmetic is simple; the inputs are where people fool themselves. Total build cost including services, approvals, certification and connection — not just the quoted build. Realistic rent, taken from current comparable listings in your actual suburb rather than a figure someone quoted you. Then subtract: vacancy, insurance, rates impact, maintenance, agent fees if you use one, and the tax position, which is a question for your accountant and not for us. We are not going to publish a rent figure or a payback period here, because both vary by suburb and year and a wrong one sends people into bad projects.
Where to get the real numbers
For rent, look at what is actually listed and what has actually let in your suburb — realestate.com.au and the equivalent listing sites show both, and a local property manager will give you a realistic figure in one phone call. For rates and charges implications, ask the council. For the tax treatment of income and depreciation, ask your accountant before you build rather than after, because it can affect how the project is best structured.
Specify for a tenant, not for a guest
A tenanted secondary dwelling is used every day by someone with no reason to be careful with it. The parts that fail are always the same — glued edging that lifts, standard runners that sag, chipboard carcasses that swell at the first dripping tap. Spend there and keep the finishes simple. It is the cheapest insurance in the project. Granny flat kitchens covers how we specify these, from $6,500 for a 2.4 metre run.
Short-stay is a different question again
Letting a secondary dwelling on Airbnb rather than to a long-term tenant brings a separate set of council and, if applicable, body corporate considerations, and the kitchen brief changes too. See short-stay kitchens.
Last checked: September 2026. This is general information, not building, legal, financial or insurance advice. Rules, funding and figures differ by council, insurer and individual circumstance and change without notice — confirm with the authority linked above before you commit to anything.
Frequently asked
Common questions
If your question is not here, call the studio. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
Ask us directly →Can I rent out a granny flat in Rockhampton?
It depends on the approval attached to your specific property. Some secondary dwellings are approved only for occupation by the household of the main dwelling. Ask Rockhampton Regional Council about your block before you budget on rental income — it is the question that decides whether the project works.
How much rent can I get for a granny flat in Rockhampton?
We will not quote a figure, because it varies by suburb, size and year, and a wrong number leads people into bad decisions. Look at current comparable listings in your own suburb and ring a local property manager. Both take minutes and give you a real number rather than a guess.
How much does a granny flat kitchen cost?
A 2.4 metre run starts at about $6,500 and a 3.0 metre run at about $7,700, including carcasses, doors, Blum hardware and a benchtop. That is the kitchen only, not the dwelling.
Does a granny flat add value to the property?
It can, particularly where it is approved for separate tenancy and therefore represents income. Where occupation is restricted to the household, the effect is usually smaller. A local agent is better placed than we are to tell you what it does in your street.
Do I need separate metering?
Sometimes required, sometimes optional, sometimes not permitted — it depends on the approval and the utility. Ask the council and your electricity distributor early, because retrofitting metering is far more expensive than allowing for it at design stage.
Delivered assembled
The assembly is done
before it arrives.
Carcasses built square on a bench, Blum hardware fitted, doors hung and adjusted to even gaps. On site you are fixing finished cabinets to a wall, not building them on the floor. Our own team fits it in Central Queensland; your installer fits it anywhere else in Australia. Prefer to build it yourself? The same kitchen ships flat pack.
Mitred stone edge over assembled carcasses
Full-height stone splashback
Timber island, stone top
Secondary dwellings
Specify it for the second tenant,
not the first.
The parts that fail in a let property are always the same: glued edging, standard runners, chipboard that swells at the first dripping tap. We specify against all three as standard, because replacing a kitchen in four years costs more than doing it properly once.