So-called granny flats in Western Australia will be able to be rented by people other than relatives of home owners if the Liberal Party is re-elected to government.
The party's planning minister John Day announced proposals to redevelop Department of Housing land to create 500 new affordable dwellings over three years.
Should the Liberal Party be re-elected, the allowable floor space for annexes would increase from 60 to 70 square metres to provide flexibility for families to invest in and rent out a granny flat to students and seniors.
“At the moment, granny flats must be used by family members or the home owner themselves," Mr Day said.
"By scrapping this old restriction, so called ‘empty nesters’ and seniors can unlock equity in their homes and receive a regular income, or provide space for a carer to live close by in their aging years."
The Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) welcomed the policy announcement, saying the move would help the tight rental market, provide more opportunities for low income earners to live in the suburbs and could provide property managers with additional work.
“The proposal by Planning Minister John Day to increase the allowable floor space of a granny flat from 60 to 70 square metres makes sense, but better still is the proposal to change to allowable use of these flats to anybody and not just family members, as is currently the case,” said REIWA president David Airey.
Posted by Steve Douglas
