The Queensland government is encouraging homeowners to rent their granny flats over the next three years to help alleviate the housing supply crisis.
Queensland Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles said the changes to granny flat rules that were suggested by the stakeholders at the Queensland Housing Roundtable remove restrictions on people who can live in secondary dwellings.
“Many homeowners have granny flats that they’ve built or converted for family members or teenagers who have since moved out; right now, most homeowners can’t rent secondary dwellings, such as granny flats, to anyone other than their immediate family,” he said.
“It just makes sense to allow existing accommodation to be occupied by someone other than a relative to provide more affordable accommodation for Queenslanders.”
Dr Miles said not only will this move be able to help house Queenslanders who are struggling to find a place to live, it will also allow homeowners ease the pressures of cost of living by providing them with a supplementary source of income.
Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) President Shannon Batch said the changes would provide a much-needed boost to the state’s housing supply
“The PIA supports more housing diversity, and this change will help deliver additional housing types that can meet Queenslanders’ needs,” Ms Batch said.
“This change highlights how good planning can help address our housing challenge and reduce the barriers to more diverse housing forms.”
A recent report from the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) found that Queensland lost nearly a third of its rental dwellings over the last two years as close to half of investors sold at least one property.
Meanwhile, figures from SQM Research showed that in August, Brisbane’s rental vacancy rate was at 0.7%, among the tightest among all capital cities.
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