Secondary residence rules
in Tasmania.
Tasmania has one of the more distinctive rules in the country: a secondary residence generally shares services with the main house, not just the lot.
The short answer
Tasmania regulates a granny flat as a "secondary residence" under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme. As of our last check, a secondary residence is commonly capped at a set gross floor area and is generally required to share access, parking, and water, sewerage, gas, electricity and telecommunications connections with the main dwelling — it is not necessarily fully independent the way a secondary dwelling can be in some other states. A formal proposal has been under consideration to increase the permitted size; whether and when that takes effect should be confirmed directly before you plan around it.
Shared services is the detail that catches people out
Where several other states now allow a fully self-contained secondary dwelling with its own separate connections, Tasmania's rule has generally required a secondary residence to share access, parking and utility connections with the main house — a meaningfully different starting point for planning your project, and worth confirming still applies before you design around full independence.
A size change is in progress, not yet confirmed
A proposal to increase the permitted gross floor area has been under formal review. Because this kind of amendment has a process and a timeline, do not plan a design around a figure that may or may not be in effect by the time you read this — check the current status directly with the state planning authority.
Both planning and building approval still apply
A secondary residence generally needs a building permit regardless of whether a planning permit is required for your specific proposal, assessed against the National Construction Code and Tasmanian building standards.
It remains appurtenant to the main dwelling
A secondary residence is legally attached in status to the single dwelling on the same site — it is not a separate title and is not intended as an independent second house.
Last checked: 21 September 2026. General information, not planning or legal advice. Tasmania has an active proposal to change the size limit discussed below — confirm the current position on Planning in Tasmania before you design anything.
Council rules for second dwellings
More in this series: Granny flat rules across Queensland · Granny flat rules in Rockhampton · Class 1a granny flats in Yeppoon · Isaac Regional: secondary dwellings · Mackay Regional: secondary dwellings · Whitsunday Regional: secondary dwellings · Renting out a granny flat in Rockhampton · Granny flat rules in NSW · Granny flat rules in Victoria · Ancillary dwelling rules in WA · Granny flat rules in SA · Secondary residence rules in the ACT · Granny flat rules in the NT.
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Common questions
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Ask us directly →What is a secondary residence in Tasmania?
The Tasmanian planning term for a granny flat — a self-contained additional dwelling on the same site as a main house, generally required to share access and services with it, under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme.
How big can a secondary residence be in Tasmania?
There has been a commonly cited size limit, with a formal proposal under review to increase it — confirm the current figure directly with the state planning authority rather than relying on either the old or proposed number.
Does a secondary residence in Tasmania need its own power and water connection?
Generally, current rules require it to share the main dwelling's connections rather than have fully independent ones — confirm this still applies to your proposal before designing around independent services.
Is Tasmania changing its granny flat size rules?
A formal amendment process to increase the permitted floor area has been underway — check its current status before finalising a design around either the existing or proposed figure.
Does a secondary residence in Tasmania need a full kitchen?
If approved as a self-contained residence, generally yes — confirm the specific requirement against your approval and whether shared-services rules affect the kitchen and laundry arrangement.
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