Family flats are different from ancillary residential units as they must only be occupied by relatives or dependents of the household occupying the primary residential unit, or by employees such as farm workers or domestic help of the household living in the primary residential unit. They may not be on a different tenancy agreement to the primary residential unit.
To be a permitted activity, family flats need to meet the following standards:
- The primary residential activity must comply with the density for the relevant zone, i.e., minimum site size for residential activity (refer to Rule 16.5.2 for rural zones, or Rule 17.5.2 for rural residential zones).
- The maximum gross floor area is 60m2.
- The family flat must be within the same building or located within 30m of the primary residential unit, must have the same driveway and must be connected to the same services as the primary house on the site (these requirements do not apply in the following rural zones: Hill Country, High Country, Middlemarch Basin).
This advice is not site-specific and there may be factors such as natural hazards or landscape overlays which mean that resource consent is required for a family flat.
Subdividing family flats
There is no specific provision in the 2GP for subdividing ancillary units from the primary residential unit. This means resource consent would be required to do this, usually as a non-complying activity due to an inability, in most cases, to meet the minimum site area requirements for stand-alone residential units.
Development contributions
Family flats are likely to result in a development contribution being payable to the Dunedin City Council (DCC). Please refer to the DCC's Development Contributions Policy for further information; or email the Development Contributions Team to request an estimate.
Rates
The addition of a family flat will likely increase your rates for the property – due to both an increase in the rateable value and the addition of a second residential unit. The amount of any increase will largely depend on the increase to your rateable value, so it is not possible to estimate what the increase will be until the valuation has been set. Find more information about rates on the DCC website.