Council Approval for Group Homes
A group home - a dwelling used to house a small number of unrelated people with a disability or a disadvantage, generally supported by rostered staff or a live-in carer - is treated favourably under the Housing SEPP, and a permanent group home is often permissible without development consent in the same residential zones as an ordinary dwelling house. Whether yours needs an approval at all depends on which category it falls into, the number of residents, and how the site compares with a standard house in scale and impact.
Free consultation
- Nil where exempt · DA typically 6–10 weeks where consent is required
- From $1,800 + GST where an application is required
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
Why group homes are treated differently
The Housing SEPP recognises that a small household of people who need support, living together as a single domestic unit, has the same impact on a street as an ordinary family household - and exempts a permanent group home of that character from needing development consent in residential zones where a dwelling house is permitted. That policy choice is specific and has boundaries; it is not a blanket exemption for any supported-accommodation model.
What we assess
Resident numbers and whether the household functions as a single domestic unit. Staffing arrangements - rostered support workers coming and going is different in planning terms from a live-in arrangement. Parking demand generated by staff and visitors, which is one of the more common issues raised where a DA is required. And whether the specific council area layers any additional local provision over the state exemption.
If council raises a concern about an operating group home
This is not automatically an enforcement matter. We assess the actual operation against the exemption criteria first - many concerns are resolved by confirming the home genuinely meets the permanent group home definition, in writing, rather than by lodging an unnecessary DA.
How it works
Classification check
24–48 hours
Confirming whether the proposed household falls within the group home definition, and whether it is the permanent or transitional category.
Exemption or consent pathway
2–3 days
Where the home qualifies as exempt development, confirming that outcome in writing. Where it does not, scoping the DA that is required.
Documentation, where required
1–2 weeks
Planning report addressing amenity, parking and any concerns specific to the proposed household.
Lodgement and determination
6–10 weeks
Where a DA is needed, lodged and managed through to determination.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Confirming whether your group home qualifies as exempt development or needs consent
- Distinguishing a permanent group home from a transitional or larger supported-living configuration
- Preparing a development application where one is required
- Advice on parking, amenity and neighbour-notification issues specific to group homes
- Responding to a council enquiry or complaint about an operating group home
What you don't have to deal with
- Assuming every supported-living arrangement is automatically exempt
- Running a larger-scale operation than the group home definition actually covers, without checking
Frequently asked questions
Do I need council approval to run a group home?
Often not, if it meets the definition of a permanent group home under the Housing SEPP - a small household of unrelated people with a disability or disadvantage, functioning as a single household. That category is generally permissible without consent in the same zones as an ordinary house. Larger operations, or ones with a more institutional character, fall outside the exemption and need a DA.
What is the difference between a permanent and a transitional group home?
A permanent group home houses residents on an ongoing basis as their long-term home. A transitional group home provides short to medium-term supported accommodation, often as part of a program with a defined length of stay. The two are treated differently under the planning framework, and confirming which applies is the first step in working out whether consent is needed.
How many residents can a group home have without needing a DA?
The exemption is intended for a small household comparable in scale and impact to an ordinary family living in a dwelling house - it is not a fixed headcount that applies uniformly regardless of the property. Once a household is materially larger or the level of staffing and vehicle movements changes the character of the site, a DA is the safer and usually the required pathway.
Can a neighbour object to a group home?
Where the group home qualifies as exempt development, there is no notification or objection process, because no consent is being sought. Where a DA is required - for a larger or differently configured operation - neighbours can be notified and can make submissions in the usual way, which we manage as part of the application.
Related services
Residential Council Approval
Most residential developments do not need a full Development Application.
Boarding Houses
A boarding house - individual rooms let to residents with some shared facilities, such as a bathroom or kitchen - is a distinct land use under the Housing SEPP, permissible in most residential and mixed-use zones subject to satisfying its own minimum room size, communal space and parking provisions, in exchange for concessions on some standard development controls.
NDIS Home (SDA)
Specialist Disability Accommodation, or SDA, funded through the NDIS has two separate sets of requirements that are easy to conflate.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 14
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.