This article continues our discussion on the rules and regulations for granny flats and dual occupancy developments in each Council throughout southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales.  Our team at Granny and Co have been working closely with Marc Joyce Town Planning to provide this information and will update this section again in the near future but in the meantime call us if you need clarification.

Logan City Council’s requirements for granny flats are set out in the Logan Planning Scheme. 

Logan actually has 3 distinct development options: secondary dwellings plus two different type of dual occupancy. To keep it simple, a secondary dwelling is meant for family use. If you want to rent out your granny flat then it becomes a dual occupancy… and you will have to pay a levy to Council.

The typical size limit for granny flats (secondary dwellings and dual occupancy: auxiliary) in Logan is 70m2 which this is enough for a very comfortable 2 bedroom solution… you may be permitted to build up to 100m2 if the size of your lot is more than 1000m2, which is basically a small home.

Here’s a link to a great checklist on Council’s website that helps to clarify the rules and regulations for building granny flats and dual occupancy developments in Logan Council’s catchment… but to make things easier we’ve summarised the main points below. 

Logan City Council have 3 definitions

DUAL OCCUPANCY CHECKLIST

• Granny flat definition: “secondary dwelling”
• Permitted land zone: All residential zones
• Self-assessable? Yes, provided there aren’t any significant development constraints
• Maximum size: 70m2 GFA on lots less than 1000m2, on larger lots you can build up to 100m2 (GFA is measured around the outside of the granny flat walls… excludes Patios, Decks, Carports, etc)
• Maximum overall site coverage / footprint on your site? 50%
• Maximum distance from the primary dwelling: typically 20m
• Does it need to be located behind the primary dwelling? Yes, Logan are quite particular about the granny flat being subordinate to the main house
• Is there a minimum lot size (frontage)? 450m2 with 15m wide frontage
• What are the required boundary setbacks? As per the Queensland Development Code 
• What are the total number of car spaces required? This varies, normally 2+0
• Can I rent out my granny flat to someone outside of my household group? Yes and No. At the moment the State Govt has allowed rental of a secondary dwelling, but it is a “temporary measure” to alleviate the SE Qld affordable housing crisis. However in the long term, you’ll need dual occupancy approval for this. 
• Do infrastructure contributions / levies apply? Not for secondary dwellings (yes for dual occupancy)

DUAL OCCUPANCY CHECKLIST: “AUXILIARY UNITS” (LCC)

• • Granny flat / house definition: “dual occupancy (auxiliary)”
  • Permitted land zone: All residential zones
  • Self-assessable? Yes
  • Maximum size: N/A
  • Maximum overall site coverage / footprint on your site? 50%
  • Maximum distance from the primary dwelling: 20m
  • Does it need to be located behind the primary dwelling? Yes
  • Is there a minimum lot size (frontage)? 450m2 with 15m wide frontage
  • What are the required boundary setbacks? As per the Queensland Development Code 
  • What are the total number of car spaces required?  2+3 (yes, that’s 5 spaces!)
  • Can I rent out my granny flat to someone outside of my household group? Yes
  • Do infrastructure contributions / levies apply? Yes

DUAL OCCUPANCY CHECKLIST: (LCC)

• Granny flat / house definition: “dual occupancy”
• Permitted land zone: All residential zones
• Self-assessable? No, it’s code assessable which means you’ll need development approval
• Maximum size: N/A
• Maximum overall site coverage / footprint on your site? 50%
• Maximum distance from the primary dwelling: N/A
• Does it need to be located behind the primary dwelling? N/A
• Is there a minimum lot size (frontage)?  As per the “dwelling density” for your particular land zone
• What are the required boundary setbacks? As per the Queensland Development Code 
• What are the total number of car spaces required? This varies, 2+2
• Can I rent out my granny flat to someone outside of my household group? Yes
• Do infrastructure contributions / levies apply? Yes

Source: Logan Council’s website

Keep in mind that these are only applicable to properties within the Logan City Council’s catchment, so make sure to double-check your Council’s rules and regulations if your property falls outside of this catchment.