Granny flat rules in Wyndham

Wyndham City Council assesses these under the Victoria rules below. Heritage, flood or bushfire mapping on your own lot can change what you need to apply for.

Fast-track available

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.

Wyndham: assessed by Wyndham City Council under the Victoria rules below.

Approval pathway: Build under the small second dwelling rules, introduced by Amendment VC253 in December 2023 and enlarged to 80 m² by Amendment VC306 on 15 October 2026. No planning permit is needed for a home of 80 m² or less on a lot of 300 m² or more, unless an overlay such as a flood, bushfire or environmental overlay requires one. In a Heritage, Design and Development or Neighbourhood Character Overlay it still needs no permit if it is no more than 5 m high and finished in muted tones and colours. You still need a building permit. On a lot under 300 m² in a residential zone a planning permit is needed, and council assesses the siting.

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.

Overlays can change your eligibility

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.

HeritageFloodBushfireEnvironmental

Check your address for overlays →

How often this applies in Wyndham

These are the overlays that can remove the fast-track, measured across every parcel in Wyndham 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	0.5%	635 parcels flagged. The rest are mapped and sit outside it.
Flood	0.59%	763 parcels flagged. The rest are mapped and sit outside it.
Bushfire	0%	1 parcel flagged. The rest are mapped and sit outside it.

The most common zone in Wyndham is GENERAL RESIDENTIAL ZONE - SCHEDULE 1, covering 52.4% of its 128,250 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 Wyndham

Wyndham City Council is the authority for Wyndham in West 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 Wyndham City Council ↗ Full Victoria rules →

See the Wyndham zoning map →, showing every parcel in Wyndham by zone, lot size and mapped constraints.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need council approval for a granny flat in Wyndham?

Often not. Victoria allows a granny flat to proceed without a full development application when it meets the standards, and Wyndham City Council 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 Wyndham?

Wyndham City Council is the consent authority for Wyndham (West 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

Last reviewed: July 2026. Rules can change, so verify with your council before starting work.

Related building rules

General guidance only. Not professional planning advice. Local requirements in Wyndham can differ from the statewide summary and change over time; always confirm with Wyndham City Council before starting work. Last reviewed: July 2026.

Talk to a town planner in Wyndham

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

Free planning consultation

A qualified town planner will be in touch within 1 business day.

Full name

Phone

What are you looking to do? When are you hoping to start? Property address Anything else? (optional)

Your details and property information go to an independent town planner we work with, who will contact you about this enquiry. See our Privacy Policy.