Build a second home or multiple homes

Faster 10-day permit processing

You may qualify for a streamlined permit process called VicSmart. Learn more about VicSmart.

To apply, select ‘VicSmart’ when prompted in your online planning permit application.

Small second home

Whether you need a planning permit to build a small second home depends on the land’s size, its zone, and any overlays.

You must apply for a permit if either your zone or overlays require you to get one.

A small second home must be:

60 square metres or less in floor area
on the same lot as an existing home
used as a home
have a kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.

When you need a planning permit

Land less than 300 square metres

You must get a planning permit if your land is less than 300 square metres and in a:

Mixed Use Zone
Residential Growth Zone
General Residential Zone
Neighbourhood Residential Zone.

A permit is not required in a residential zone if the land is 300sqm or more. However, you might still need a permit depending on your overlays.

Check your land’s zone

How we assess your application

For land less than 300 square metres, we assess your application against factors including:

location of the structure on the land
building height
overlooking
overshadowing.

Land in an overlay

You always need a permit for land in the following overlays:

Heritage Overlay
Neighbourhood Character Overlay.

You might need a permit in the following overlays:

Special Building Overlay
Land Subject to Inundation
Design and Development Overlay
Significant Landscape Overlay
Public Acquisition Overlay.

Check your property's overlays.

Larger second home or multiple homes

You always need a planning permit to build a larger second home (over 60 sqm) or multiple homes on the lot.

We assess your application against factors including:

neighbourhood character
street setback
building height
overlooking
overshadowing
landscaping
garden area.

Documents to prepare

When applying for a planning permit, you must supply the following documents.

General

A Copy of Title, including relevant lot plan and any restrictions listed on the title. You can get a title from land data.
A written response detailing the proposal and how it addresses the requirements of Clause 54 (one dwelling) or Clause 55 (two or more dwellings) of the Stonnington Planning Scheme.

Plans

1:100 scale and northern orientation, including:

existing conditions, including all significant features of the site such as existing home, trees, sheds, fences, and crossovers.
elevations of the existing home
demolition plans and elevations
proposed plans and elevations
overshadowing diagrams for 22 September
overlooking diagrams
section diagrams.

Additional documents

Site survey, features, and levels plan prepared by a licenced land surveyor.
A Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) response. Read or download the WSUD guide(PDF, 159KB) .
A Sustainable Design Assessment (SDA). Read or download the SDA guide(DOCX, 77KB) .
Arborist report for any significant trees. Learn more about significant trees.

Apply now

If you need a paper planning permit application form, including a VicSmart form, contact the planning department on 03 8290 3329.

For more information, visit Applying for a Planning Permit.

Building permits

You will also need a building permit. To learn more, visit Building permits

Contact us

To find out if you need a planning permit, contact the planning department on 03 8290 3329.