Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government has produced a Fact Sheet for Tiny Houses on Wheels that outlines when a tiny house needs a planning permit. It depends on the intended use and zone that the tiny house will be. In most cases you do not need a planning permit but please check the factsheet to see what is required for your circumstances.
In addition, the Department of Justice, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) has issued a regulatory note outlining the building and plumbing requirements for tiny homes.
Tiny homes on wheels are classed as a road registerable vehicle and generally cannot have plumbing in them yet can be placed adjacent to a shed with plumbing, an approved prefab bathroom or fixtures in the tiny house must discharge over an approved dump point. Tiny homes on wheels need local council planning approval.
Tiny houses not on wheels as generally classed as a habitable building and need to have all plumbing be in accordance with the Building Act 2016 and the NCC. An occupancy permit is required before the building is occupied.
Councils
At the local government level in Tasmania, the regulatory landscape for tiny homes is needlessly complex and varies frustratingly from council to council. Councils administer the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and handle development applications, assessing compliance with zone and code requirements - but the way they apply these rules differs widely, leaving tiny home hopefuls in limbo.
Derwent Valley Council, for example, requires a planning application for all tiny homes, with outcomes ranging from permitted to outright prohibited depending on the zoning of the property. Many councils hide behind state legislation as an excuse for inaction: Huon Valley Council has acknowledged that councils cannot override State Government legislation, though to their credit they have taken a compassionate compliance approach and are lobbying for reform through the Local Government Association of Tasmania.
This is exactly the kind of advocacy that every Tasmanian council should be doing. Too many residents report being bounced between councils and building surveyors with no clear answers, leaving them with the impression that tiny homes are best avoided altogether - and that is simply not good enough.
Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government has produced a Fact Sheet for Tiny Houses on Wheels that outlines when a tiny house needs a planning permit. It depends on the intended use and zone that the tiny house will be. In most cases you do not need a planning permit but please check the factsheet to see what is required for your circumstances.
In addition, the Department of Justice, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) has issued a regulatory note outlining the building and plumbing requirements for tiny homes.
Tiny homes on wheels are classed as a road registerable vehicle and generally cannot have plumbing in them yet can be placed adjacent to a shed with plumbing, an approved prefab bathroom or fixtures in the tiny house must discharge over an approved dump point. Tiny homes on wheels need local council planning approval.
Tiny houses not on wheels as generally classed as a habitable building and need to have all plumbing be in accordance with the Building Act 2016 and the NCC. An occupancy permit is required before the building is occupied.
Councils
At the local government level in Tasmania, the regulatory landscape for tiny homes is needlessly complex and varies frustratingly from council to council. Councils administer the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and handle development applications, assessing compliance with zone and code requirements - but the way they apply these rules differs widely, leaving tiny home hopefuls in limbo.
Derwent Valley Council, for example, requires a planning application for all tiny homes, with outcomes ranging from permitted to outright prohibited depending on the zoning of the property. Many councils hide behind state legislation as an excuse for inaction: Huon Valley Council has acknowledged that councils cannot override State Government legislation, though to their credit they have taken a compassionate compliance approach and are lobbying for reform through the Local Government Association of Tasmania.
This is exactly the kind of advocacy that every Tasmanian council should be doing. Too many residents report being bounced between councils and building surveyors with no clear answers, leaving them with the impression that tiny homes are best avoided altogether - and that is simply not good enough.
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