99% of all ‘tiny homes’ need to be consented, regardless of whether they have wheels, skids or anything of that nature.
There are two Building Consents that relate to ‘tiny homes’. A Building Consent for the Factory Work and a Building Consent for the Work on Site (Foundations, Wastewater etc.).
- If you’re connecting your home to services or if you’re disposing of Waste (including from Composting Toilets) on the site, then you need an ‘On-Site’ Building Consent.
- If the home is lived in permanently, on a long-term basis or even as a Holiday Home or Short-term accommodation, you will need a ‘On-Site’ Building Consent.
These rules still apply to a home 30m² or less. If it has a bathroom and a kitchen, it needs consent.
You may read extensive articles on websites that paint the compliance picture as ‘unclear’ and ‘confusing’ – it isn’t.
The above rules apply.
The tiny home industry is rife with dodgy operators, and people who give you misleading information to make a sale.
We believe in transparency and integrity. How could you trust them to manufacture you a quality Home?
At Modspace, we are professional MBIE LBP Licensed Designers and Carpenters. We always endeavour to give our clients sound, trustworthy advice.
We can take care of all Design and Consenting requirements for your Site. Afterall, Modspace started as a Project Management and Design consultancy.
It’s fair to say we know what we’re doing when it comes to dealing with Councils and other authorities. Trust us to give you a seamless home-building experience.
In some cases, we’ll even offer to do a full turn-key Design and Construction that includes all necessary on-site works. Just sit back and watch the action!
To start your journey, please reach out to us today…
For MBIE guidance on Tiny Homes please Click Here
Frequently Asked Questions
Do tiny homes need building consent in NZ?
Yes, most tiny homes in New Zealand need a building consent.
Key points from our guide:
- There are two consents: one for factory work and one for work on site (foundations, wastewater and so on).
- You need an on-site building consent if you connect to services or dispose of any waste on the site, including composting toilets.
- You also need an on-site consent if the home is lived in permanently, long-term, or even as a holiday home or short-term accommodation.
- These rules still apply to homes 30 m² or less if they have a bathroom and a kitchen.
Modspace can handle design and consenting for your site as part of our service. We can advise if you may be eligible for the new “Granny Flat exemption”
Do tiny homes need resource consent in NZ?
Whether resource consent is needed depends on what home you put on your land, your zone and site-specific conditions, like overall building coverage.
Modspace can help advise what rules are in place for your property and whether you are likely to require resource consent for your project.
What is a tiny home on skids?
A tiny home on skids is a small home that sits on temporary skid bases instead of permanent fixed foundations.
Tiny homes on skids are treated the same as those on wheels when it comes to consent rules.Most tiny homes need consent, regardless of whether they have wheels, skids or anything similar.
At Modspace, our homes are built to be sited onto pile foundations in accordance with the NZ Building Code.
