Guidance available for tiny houses

People look at tiny houses as a housing option for a number of reasons, such as the affordability of standard homes in the housing market.

There are many factors to think about when considering building, buying, or living in a tiny house.

The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) have some guidance that comes from the Building Act 2004.

The Ministry's guidance helps improve understanding of what rules apply to tiny houses and what requirements need to be considered before building a tiny house. This guidance ensures that tiny houses as buildings are safe, healthy, and durable for their intended use.

The guidance seeks to provide clarity on:

•  the meaning of building and vehicle
• when and how tiny houses interact with the Building Act 2004 and the Building Code, including whether these tiny houses are subject to the requirements of the Building Act and require a building consent
• ways to comply with the Building Code
• why it is important to apply the Building Code to buildings that people live in
• the building consenting process for immovable tiny houses.

You can find MBIE's tiny house guidance here(external link).