Help Change the Rules

Outdated local laws are one of the biggest barriers to affordable tiny house living in Australia. Your voice can help change them. Use the letter below to contact the people who make the rules.

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Who to write to

Land use and housing rules are split across local, state and federal government. Here is who looks after what.

Your Local Council (the practical approvers)

Who to address: The Mayor, your Councillors, or the Manager of Strategic Planning at your Local Government Area (LGA).

Why them: Local councils enforce the local planning rules and decide whether a tiny house can legally park on a block. This is the most direct place to push for change.

How to find them: Find your council via your state government website, or search your suburb plus "council planning".

State Planning Ministers (the rule-makers)

Who to address: Your state Minister for Planning and the relevant planning department.

Why them: State ministers and planning departments hold the power to rewrite planning schemes, legalise tiny houses on wheels, and change minimum lot sizes.

How to find them: Search your state plus "Minister for Planning" to find the current office-holder and their contact details.

State Consumer Affairs / Tenancy Bodies (for renting land)

Who to address: Consumer Affairs Victoria, NSW Fair Trading, WA Consumer Protection, QLD Residential Tenancies Authority, or your state equivalent.

Why them: If your goal is fairer rules around renting a patch of private land to place a tiny house, these are the bodies that manage residential tenancy law.

How to find them: Search your state plus "fair trading" or "residential tenancies authority".

Federal Minister for Housing & Homelessness

Who to address: The Commonwealth Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Cities.

Why them: The federal government does not set local zoning, but it shapes national housing policy and funding that influences supply and reform.

How to find them: Find current contact details at ministers.treasury.gov.au.

Your customisable letter

Copy this, fill in the blanks, and email it to your council or local member. Personalising it with your own story makes it far more powerful.

To: [Minister / Mayor / Council planning team]
Date: [Date]
Subject: Inquiry and request for reform — tiny houses and affordable housing

Dear [Minister / Mayor / Councillors],

I am writing as a concerned resident to ask about your position on affordable, low-impact housing options, specifically tiny houses on wheels and small second dwellings, during the current housing and rental crisis.

Many people want flexible, sustainable, affordable homes, and many landowners would happily host one. The main barrier is that the rules are unclear or out of date. I would value your department's position on the following:

1. Placing a tiny house on private property
What policies allow a landowner to provide space for a tiny house as a permanent, self-contained secondary dwelling, rather than treating it as a temporary caravan?

2. Renting private land fairly
Are consumer protection or tenancy rules being reviewed to fairly cover someone renting a space to place a movable home they own?

3. Smaller land parcels
What options exist within the planning scheme for smaller lot sizes or relocatable-dwelling zoning, so more people can afford to enter the land market?

4. Learning from other areas
I would encourage your office to look at progressive examples elsewhere in Australia where tiny houses have been accommodated successfully.

I would appreciate a response outlining any upcoming reviews, amendments or consultations I could take part in.

Thank you for your time and your work on this important issue.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your contact details]
[Your suburb / LGA]

Official government resources

These official state government pages explain how tiny houses are currently treated — useful background before you write.

Ministers and department names change with each government. Search the official portals above for the current office-holder before you send your letter. This page offers general guidance, not legal advice. Last updated June 2026.