Granny flat for rent?

Pepino_Man

Is it possible to create a small studio of about 30m2 in my 150m2 garden? I have a friend who lives in Dublin and pays 1300 euros for a room with his partner and they are not comfortable with the owner of the house. I have a large back garden and I am thinking of building a small studio to make an 80% independent life, a small kitchen and a small bathroom. Electricity and water would have to be connected from my house, not independent, and the entrance would be from my house, not independent. The function would be to rent the small studio as a room to my friend for a lower price than he pays now and having independence (not total, they will have to use some appliances from my main house). Is that possible in Dublin?

Esel

Not legal, afaik.

A 'granny flat' has to be attached to the main residence.

whomadewho

Op, any habital resisdence in a private back garden would need planning. You could build a granny flat if you want, and as long as there are no objections, after 7 years the council cannot make up tear it down.

Every back garden in the row of houses on my road have flats without planning. If you do decide to build without planning you wont be able to sell the house without getting retention planning in the future. A shed up to 25m2 can be built without planning, it must be non- habitable tough.

Pepino_Man

so i can't do something like in this ad?  https://www .daft.ie/for-rent/house-phibblestown-wood-ongar-dublin-15/4511809 Can't build a separate room from the main house?

Pepino_Man

and is it possible/cheap to get the planning to do it all legal? My idea was simply to make a large room with a small bathroom, but I see that it is much more complicated than I thought. I had already read about the 25m2, but it couldn't be habitable and I had thought of renting it to my friend. If I can't do it, it's not worth it.

Ginger83

You can build an extension on to your house and use it under rent a room scheme.

Graces7

What are the rules re a residential trailer on your land? Some live in one while they are building/renovating.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119875865#Comment_119875865

You can store a residential trailer, caravan, camper etc on your land for up to nine months a year without planning permission. But if you're living in it for more than 10 days, you need planning permission.

Yes, people do this during building projects; either (a) they get planning permission or more usually (b) they don't, but they rely on the building project being finished and the caravan no longer being needed in less time that it will take the planning authority to run enforcement proceedings.

Pepino_Man

So to summarize, I cannot or it is almost impossible for me to be allowed to build a room in my own garden without being attached to my own house, and for that room to be treated like the other 2 rooms I already have. It's a shame, I would understand that they put many requirements on me but that it is impossible seems incredible to me.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119875634#Comment_119875634

Same on my road. Every second house nearly has one. So many sons and daughters now living in fancy "Sheds" in their parents gardens. Ive been in one or too of them and they would put a lot of apartments to shame. They are lovely inside. One even has a wood burning stove in it.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119876724#Comment_119876724

Free-standing tiny structures make for poor-quality (from a social point of view) and environmentally/energy inefficient housing stock. There's a strong preference that if you build extra accommodation space - living or sleeping areas - they should be integrated into the existing structure, not free-standing. The idea is to maintain the quality of the housing stock

whomadewho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119876724#Comment_119876724

Granny Flat.JPG

My Friend and his missus moved his mother in laws house and built her a 40m2 granny flat/extension for her to live in, it was attached to the existing house by a corridor. This did not require planning. See attached outline of what was built in red.

If your are building a habitable residence up to 40m2 it will have to be attached to the existing house or else it will require planning. You can go a head and build what you want out your back garden without planning, if none of your neighbors complain you wont have a problem. If start building a structure more than 25m2 and a neighbor complains to the council, the council will come out make you tear it down.

You can go ahead and build a concrete shed up to 25m2 and not more that 3m high that is not attached to the existing building without planning and then convert it into a habitable space, I have a cousin that has done this. I would actually be legal but who will know

Like I said before, every back garden I can see from my bedroom window has a habitable home that were all built without planning, some are 60m2. To build any detached residence legally, will require planning.

endofrainbow

Your proposal would nt pass planning regulations. It would be a fire hazard as it has no escape route except through main house. It would also be uninsurable.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119877085#Comment_119877085

Living in a fancy shed with a wood burning stove is a future death by smoke inhalation or burning.

penny piper

I don't know if you have a garage or not? we converted a large double garage into a granny flat....we had to get planning permission for change of use...but we ended up with a large lounge...kitchen...full bathroom and large bedroom... a chimney had to be constructed for heating etc...

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119877999#Comment_119877999

I wouldnt say that. Its really well done. Smoke alarms, plumbing and everything. I saw the very model for sale in the local garden center and it had the stove in it there so i think they are designed like this. I still think its a fancy shed though to be honest, but far better than most apartments ive been in.

Pepino_Man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119877678#Comment_119877678

I can't build and spend 30,000 euros on something so that later the city council tells me that it won't allow me to make it habitable and I'm left with a useless structure... I suppose that the people who make it habitable are because they already had it built before, not that they build a new one.

endofrainbow

Not necessarily. They may have applied for permission for change of use. Councils are more amenable if its for a family member but you want to rent it out commercially which is entirely different.

What happens if your friend decides to move on after a few months? You're still left with the structure.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119879991#Comment_119879991

With the ones near where I live the planners are well aware. There is even one where an extension was built on the main house not 30 ft away from the it and the owner of the house was explaining to the planner who was doing an inspection on the extension that the "shed" was only temporary so his sons family had somewhere to live til they get their own house. He told me he was expecting to be told to get rid of it. The planner said not to worry, they are not focusing on these structures at all because there is a housing crisis. Perhaps if the housing crisis ever ends then people will get letters. But for now he said as long as people dont take the p1ss and build them in a nice fashion, not renting them out and without looking into neighbors gardens or are seen from the road then they wont be chasing people who build them for their families.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119905210#Comment_119905210

That’s BS.

The planner is legally prohibited from dealing or talking to the Building Owner during the planning application duration unless they had made a decision to request further information.

What you say the planner was saying is totally out of kilter from someone who deals with planners daily.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119913465#Comment_119913465

Whatever you say. No skin off my nose. You explain the amount of garden dwellings around then and beiong allowed to stay. Been going on for years around the country.

Just telling you that everyone knows everyone here and its not unusual for people to speak to each other in all walks of life. Nobody is forcing you to believe me. Honestly dont care if you do or not either.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119914529#Comment_119914529

100’s of cars speed everyday.

It’s not legal and only matters if you’re caught. Same goes for people living in garden sheds.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915031#Comment_119915031

Agreed. But plenty or people are living in them as we can all see if we open our eye in our neighborhoods, and are not exactly hard for the authorities to detect if they wanted to detect them. Pretty sure you would have a nice story in the paper should a family be told to leave one in this day and age.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915219#Comment_119915219

The LA’s are not remitted to look for them.

They are legally obliged to enforce once one is reported to them (Planning Enforcement). And they do follow it through to courts if necessary.

There have been many families turfed out of cabins in recent months and years due to this. The media don’t really report on it as they know it’s illegal.

I’ve also got much retention application jobs from these people so it’s win win 🤣

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915234#Comment_119915234

Now thats BS and you know it. Because the media will be sniffing around at any sob story they can get, especially with housing, and for sure there is no shortage of nosy neighbors around the country just reporting things day and night.

It hink you just have a need to be right, so i'll just let you on and wont argue the point with you anymore. For the sake of some peace, just assume I agree with everything you say after this no matter what you say.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915266#Comment_119915266

Search the courts.ie enforcement file if you want evidence.

Sounds like you sell cabins for living. In which case I’ll let you be.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/judge-orders-demolition-of-young-familys-wooden-chalet-home-built-in-gross-breach-of-planning-laws-31150441.html

https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/save-our-home-2

https://www.98fm.com/podcasts/98fm-39-s-dublin-talks/dublin-man-speaks-dcc-demanding-remove-log-cabin-garden-neighbour-reports

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/dublin-city-council-votes-against-log-cabin-proposal-following-safety-concerns-37880052.html

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119915312#Comment_119915312

Yep. You are really making your case there :) Did you even read the date on that article.

OK, I give up. You are right and all those structures in gardens all over the place the last few are empty.

arctictree

Lots of these log cabins in parents gardens. The problem is that if someone reports you then the council have to take action. It's a huge risk.

endofrainbow

There is a huge difference between a short term solution for a family member and 'commercial rent' which is the OP's intent.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119878359#Comment_119878359

A smoke alarm doesn't help much if you live in a tinderbox.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119927847#Comment_119927847

I think you are overstating the danger. Go and have a look at these buildings. There are lots of companies with showhouses dotted around the coutry. Its not like people havent been living for hundreds of years in wooden buildings with open fires, never mind closed stoves.