Granny flat rules in Melbourne
City of Melbourne assesses these under the Victoria rules below. Heritage, flood or bushfire mapping on your own lot can change what you need to apply for.
Usually no planning permit needed
Yes. A small second dwelling of up to 80 m² on a lot of 300 m² or more needs no planning permit in most residential and rural zones unless an overlay requires one, so you only need a building permit. The limit rose from 60 m² to 80 m² on 15 October 2026.
Key rules at a glance
| Maximum floor area | 80 m² total floor area, all floors, measured from the outside of the external walls (60 m² before 15 October 2026) |
| Minimum lot size | 300 m² for the no-permit path |
| Planning permit | Not required on a lot of 300 m² or more unless an overlay or another provision requires one |
| Building permit | Always required |
| Setbacks | Per Building Regulations / Clause 54 siting |
| Subdivision | Cannot be subdivided or sold separately |
| Can it be rented? | Yes |
| Zones permitted | A small second dwelling is a Section 1 permit-not-required use in the General Residential (GRZ), Neighbourhood Residential (NRZ), Residential Growth (RGZ), Low Density Residential (LDRZ), Mixed Use (MUZ), Township (TZ), Housing Choice and Transport (HCTZ), Rural Living (RLZ), Farming (FZ) and Rural Activity (RAZ) zones, including all their schedules. The 300 m² permit trigger in clause 32.08-6 applies in the urban residential zones only - in LDRZ, RLZ, FZ and RAZ the buildings and works clause catches Section 2 uses only, so no lot-size trigger applies there. |
Flood, bushfire and environmental controls on your specific lot can remove the fast-track and require a full application, even when the general rules say you're fine. Heritage mapped on your lot adds requirements, but does not by itself close the fast-track route.
How often this applies in Melbourne
These are the overlays that can remove the fast-track, measured across every parcel in Melbourne from the same data behind our zoning map. They describe the council, not your block, and they are counted separately — one parcel can carry more than one, so they cannot be added together.
| Overlay | Share of parcels | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage | 38.3% | 62,042 parcels flagged. The rest are mapped and sit outside it. |
| Flood | 37.98% | 61,515 parcels flagged. The rest are mapped and sit outside it. |
| Bushfire | 0% | Mapped right across Melbourne, and no parcel is flagged. |
The most common zone in Melbourne is CAPITAL CITY ZONE - SCHEDULE 1, covering 33.7% of its 161,971 parcels. What you can build is decided by your own lot's zone, not the council's most common one.
Measured from our mapped parcel data, snapshot taken 2026-11-08. Overlays are checked live for a specific address on the address tool.
Granny flats in Melbourne
City of Melbourne is the authority for Melbourne in Inner Melbourne. The statewide Victoria rules above set the baseline; the council can apply extra local controls, and heritage, flood or bushfire overlays on your lot can change what's allowed.
Visit City of Melbourne ↗ Full Victoria rules →
See the Melbourne zoning map →, showing every parcel in Melbourne by zone, lot size and mapped constraints.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need council approval for a granny flat in Melbourne?
Often not. Victoria allows a granny flat to proceed without a full development application when it meets the standards, and City of Melbourne follows that framework. But local overlays — heritage, flood or bushfire — can remove the fast-track, so check your exact address before you rely on it.
Which council approves a granny flat in Melbourne?
City of Melbourne is the consent authority for Melbourne (Inner Melbourne). You can review local planning controls on the council website and lodge through your state planning portal.
Do I need a planning permit for a granny flat in Victoria?
Usually no. A small second dwelling of up to 80 m² on a lot of 300 m² or more needs no planning permit unless an overlay requires one, but a building permit is still required. In a Heritage Overlay it needs no permit if it is no more than 5 m high and finished in muted tones.
Sources
- Small second dwellings - Planning Victoria ↗
- Small second dwelling siting guide SI-03 - Building and Plumbing Commission (VIC) ↗
- Victoria Planning Provisions clause 73.03 Land use terms (small second dwelling, Amendment VC306) ↗
- Victoria Planning Provisions clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay ↗
- Victoria Planning Provisions clause 32.08 General Residential Zone ↗
Related building rules
General guidance only. Not professional planning advice. Local requirements in Melbourne can differ from the statewide summary and change over time; always confirm with City of Melbourne before starting work. Last reviewed: July 2026.
Talk to a town planner in Melbourne
This page covers the general rules. A qualified town planner can tell you what applies to your block, including the zone, overlays and approval path, before you spend money on drawings.
- Qualified, practising town planners
- Advice specific to your property
- Free, with no obligation