Under emergency planning changes, granny flats will be allowed to hit the Queensland rental market over the next three years to help alleviate the state’s housing crisis.
By allowing Queensland homeowners to rent out their granny flats, the secondary dwellings will be made available to people outside their immediate family and expand accommodation options for smaller households, such as students, single persons, older people, and couples.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the change would mean “cheaper properties will enter the rental market, helping thousands of people,” ABC News reported.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said secondary dwellings are currently only able to be used by family, while “at the same time, some Queenslanders are sleeping in their cars or in tents.”
Miles said using under-utilised granny flats was quicker than building new accommodation and will allow “homeowners to earn rent, helping them meet the increased cost of living.”
“They’ll still need to comply with all council regulations, building codes, as well as fire safety regulations, so they may need to get them safety inspected,” he said.
Shannon Batch, Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) president, said the changes could address some of the diverse housing needs in Queensland.
“This change highlights how good planning can help address our housing challenge and reduce the barriers to more diverse housing forms,” Batch said.
The changes will undergo review after three years to make sure there were no unintended consequences and consider future housing supply, Miles said.
The granny flat changes were also supported by deputy opposition leader Jarrod Bleijie, who said, “We support anything that gets a roof over a Queenslander’s head,” ABC News reported.
