Guides · 5 min
Annexes and granny flats
A room for family is different from a separate house in the garden.
The line that matters
An annexe that shares the house, with a link and no separate address, is judged more kindly than a new dwelling with its own kitchen, its own door and its own parking. Councils worry that a “granny annexe” becomes a second house.
A building in the garden that is lived in as a separate home is not the incidental garden room the national rules allow. Expect a full application, and in the Green Belt expect a hard no unless there is a strong reason.
How to describe it
Be honest in the application. If it has a bedroom and a kitchen and can be locked off, say so. A condition may tie it to the main house so it cannot be sold separately.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.
Questions
Can my parents live in the garden room?
If it is a separate place to live, assume you need permission. A hobby room is the easier national rule.
Will the council let me sell it later?
Often they impose a condition so you cannot. Do not pay a price that needs a separate sale.
Check with your council. Rules change, and every house is different.