A particularly frustrating part of the Australian town planning and building approach is that there is no one overall system across all States and areas. Instead, each local government region has its own set of individual town-planning rules, requirements, and nuances that must be followed. Therefore, using a Town Planner is generally necessary unless you have the experience and expertise in a particular area.

While the rules for Granny Flats differ across Council Areas, an essential factor that is usually similar across all areas is that a Granny Flat must be leased to a household or family member.