Can I put another house on my property?

Image of letterboxes in front of a residential property.

Under the District Plan a house or residential dwelling occupied by a single household unit is called a Residential Unit.

Some properties can have more than one residential unit as a permitted activity (meaning resource consent is not required). This depends on your property zone and the amount of land you have.

In some zones you are allowed to have a small standalone unit (referred to as a minor residential unit) on your property in addition to your main residence (referred to as a principal residential unit).

The number of residential units allowed (as a permitted activity) per site is called the permitted density. In most rural and residential zones at least one residential unit is allowed, regardless of whether your property size is large enough to meet the permitted density stated in the table that follows.

Permitted density for the rural and residential zones where residential units are allowed, are shown in the table below. If a zone allows for Minor Residential Units, these are in addition to the stated density.

Zone Permitted Density
Rural Production 1 per 20ha
Rural Lifestyle 1 per site
Settlement - Centre 1 per site
Settlement - Residential
  • Connected to Council reticulated wastewater – 1 per 500m2 net site area
  • Not connected to Council reticulated water – 1 per 2000m2 net site area
Future Urban 1 per 1ha net site area
Large Lot Residential 1 per 5,000m2
Low Density Residential 1 per 2,000m2 net site area
General Residential 2 per site subject to meeting a range of criteria AND except where a multi-unit development is proposed. Refer GRZ-R15 of the District Plan.
Medium Density Residential 2 per site subject to meeting a range of criteria AND except where a multi-unit development is proposed. Refer MRZ-R14.

If your zone allows Minor Residential Units (a residential dwelling in addition to the primary residence), these may not require a resource consent where certain criteria are met.

For a dwelling to be considered a Minor Residential Unit (rather than a Principal Residential unit) it must:

  • be self-contained; and
  • be ancillary to the principal residential unit; and
  • held in common ownership with the principal residential unit on the same site.

A Minor Residential Unit can include a residence that is not permanently fixed to land (for example a moveable home).

The rural and residential zones that allow for Minor Residential units and the permitted activity criteria that apply to these, are outlined below.   

Zone Permitted Activity Criteria
Rural Production
  • 1 minor residential unit per site.
  • The nearest distance between the minor residential unit and the principal residential unit does not exceed 15m.
  • The maximum Gross Floor Area of the minor residential unit (including decking and garage areas) is 90m2.
Rural Lifestyle
  • 1 minor residential unit per site.
  • The minor residential unit does not have a separate access / driveway from the principal residential unit.
  • The nearest distance between the minor residential unit and the principal residential unit does not exceed 15m.
  • The maximum Gross Floor Area of the minor residential unit (including decking and garage areas) is 90m2.
Settlement - Residential
  • 1 minor residential unit per site.
  • The net site area of the allotment is at least 750m2.
  • The minor residential unit will be connected to a public reticulated wastewater system.
  • The nearest distance between the minor residential unit and the principal residential unit does not exceed 15m.
  • The maximum Gross Floor Area of the minor residential unit (including decking and garage areas) is 90m2.
Future Urban
  • 1 minor residential unit per site.
  • The minor residential unit does not have a separate access / driveway from the principal residential unit.
  • The nearest distance between the minor residential unit and the principal residential unit does not exceed 15m.
  • The maximum Gross Floor Area of the minor residential unit (including decking and garage areas) is 90m2.
Low Density Residential
  • 1 minor residential unit per principal residential unit on the site.
  • The nearest distance between the minor residential unit and the principal residential unit does not exceed 15m.
  • The maximum Gross Floor Area of the minor residential unit (including decking and garage areas) is 90m2.

In addition to the rules set out here other zone specific and District wide rules may apply to any new residential unit.  For help to navigate the applicable rules, follow the link below.

Finding your property zone 

Where your minor residential unit complies with all the applicable District Plan rules it will not require a land use consent. However, a building consent may be required.

Apply for a building consent

Apply for a land use consent

Disclaimer

The information on this page provides an indication of District Plan rules which frequently apply to what you can do with your property. They are not a comprehensive list of all rules that might apply to a particular use or development.

The District Plan should be referred to in all cases for a comprehensive list of applicable rules.   

Whangārei ePlan

Enquiries

Use our online form to get help understanding the second dwelling, minor unit or multi-unit rules.

Enquire online

Phone: 09 430 4200

Related Information

Back to top