Alternative Housing Australia
Where Can I Park My Tiny House on Wheels in South Australia?
Updated October 2026 | AHA Research Team
In South Australia, living in a tiny house on wheels usually needs development approval, wherever you park it. The main exception is when it’s used as ancillary accommodation (a second home on a block that already has a house) and there’s no building work.
This guide is for tiny house owners looking for somewhere to park and live. It covers your own land, someone else’s land and residential parks. For the full planning and building rules, see our South Australia tiny house rules and regulations guide.
Quick Answers
Can I park my tiny house on wheels in my own backyard?
Usually only with approval. Living in it doesn’t need approval if it’s ancillary accommodation and there’s no building work. But PlanSA says placing one on land usually needs approval each time it’s placed or moved.
Can I live in my tiny house on wheels on a vacant block?
Only with development approval. On a vacant block it can’t be ancillary accommodation, so it’s likely to be assessed as a dwelling.
Can I rent a spot in someone else’s backyard?
Usually only with approval. We couldn’t confirm whether a tiny house owned by the person living in it can count as ancillary accommodation, so check with the council before you move in.
Can I live in my tiny house on wheels in a residential park?
Yes, if the park will take it. Renting a site for your own home is covered by the Residential Parks Act 2007 when it’s your main place of residence, and the agreement must be in writing.
Do I need approval each time I move?
Usually yes. PlanSA says each time a tiny house on wheels is placed or relocated on land, it will usually need development approval.
Can a group of us buy land and park our tiny houses on wheels together?
Only with approval. Each tiny house someone lives in on vacant land needs development approval, and we couldn’t confirm how several on one block are assessed. SA’s co-located housing rules only apply in some areas and don’t mention tiny houses on wheels.
On your own land
In the backyard of your house. PlanSA says living in a tiny house on wheels doesn’t need development approval if it’s used as ancillary accommodation and doesn’t involve building work. But it also says placing one on land will usually need approval each time it’s placed or moved, so even this exception isn’t clear-cut. Fixing it to the ground, connecting pipes to services on the site, or attaching a deck, pergola or verandah usually counts as building work, which needs approval.
On a vacant block. A tiny house on wheels on a block without a house can’t be ancillary accommodation, so living in it needs development approval. PlanSA says it will most likely be treated as a dwelling (a main house), which usually means planning consent and building consent. PlanSA also notes that dwellings usually need to fit the look and character of the area, and that a typical tiny home may not easily meet this.
On someone else’s land
In someone’s backyard. We couldn’t find an official source that says whether a tiny house on wheels can still count as ancillary accommodation when it belongs to the person living in it, not the landowner. For caravans, the Minister for Planning has told Parliament that a change in the use of land may happen when a caravan is rented or leased for a commercial purpose, and that councils decide whether it has. We found no official statement like this about tiny houses on wheels.
On someone’s vacant block. Living in a tiny house on wheels on a vacant block needs development approval, whoever owns the land.
Who applies for approval. We couldn’t find an official source that says whether you or the landowner should apply. Under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, undertaking development includes causing, suffering or permitting it to start or continue, so the rules aren’t only for the person who brings the tiny house.
Agreements longer than 6 years. A lease or licence that lets you occupy part of someone’s block for more than 6 years, including any options to renew or extend, counts as dividing the land, which is development. The regulations exclude some leases and licences from this, but not ones that allow the land to be used for residential purposes. So an agreement that long to live on part of someone’s block needs development approval.
Sharing land with a group
Buying land together. We found no planning rule that changes because several people own the land together. The planning rules apply to how the land is used and what’s placed or built on it.
With a shared main house. A tiny house on wheels can only avoid development approval if it’s used as ancillary accommodation to the house and there’s no building work, and PlanSA says placing one on land usually needs approval each time anyway. Ancillary accommodation must be on the same site as the house, be ancillary to it, and have no more than 2 bedrooms. We couldn’t find an official rule on how many tiny homes can be ancillary accommodation to one house, or whether a tiny home that is a separate household’s main home can count as ancillary.
On a vacant block. Each tiny house on wheels that someone lives in on vacant land needs development approval. We couldn’t confirm how several tiny houses on one block would be assessed.
Co-located housing. South Australia’s Planning and Design Code now allows co-located housing: a group of 2 or more dwellings on land within the Co-located Housing Overlay. Residents can share facilities such as a common kitchen, dining or living area, but each dwelling must be self-contained. PlanSA’s co-located housing guide says it only applies in the Established Neighbourhood Zone in some council areas, is set up on a community title so each dwelling can be sold or rented separately, and needs planning consent, with each proposal assessed on its merits. The guide doesn’t mention tiny houses on wheels. Check your address on the Planning and Design Code to see if the overlay applies.
Check with your council before you move in.
Whether you need approval depends on your property, your council’s rules and how the tiny house will be used. Get written confirmation from the council, or advice from a town planner, before you move a tiny house onto any land.We’ve asked PlanSA and Consumer and Business Services about the questions we couldn’t answer from official sources, and we’ll update this guide when they reply.
In a residential park
A residential park is a park where people rent sites, or sites with homes, to live in long-term. Under the Residential Parks Act 2007, renting a site and putting your own home on it is a site agreement. The Act’s definition of a dwelling includes a trailer designed and able to be used for living in.
Who the Act covers. The Act only applies if the home is, or will be, your main place of residence. It doesn’t cover agreements genuinely made for a holiday. An agreement for a fixed term of 60 days or longer is taken not to be a holiday agreement, unless there’s proof otherwise.
Before you sign. The park owner must give you a set of documents at least 14 days before you enter a site agreement, including the park rules, a disclosure statement and a site condition report. For an agreement of 90 days or less, you can waive the 14 days in writing. The agreement must be in writing.
Bond. The bond can’t be more than 4 weeks’ rent. Whoever receives it must pay it to Consumer and Business Services within 7 days.
Park rules. Park rules can cover maintenance standards for homes residents bring into the park, as they affect the look of the park. You need the park owner’s written consent to alter the outside of your home or add a structure to your site, and the park owner can’t unreasonably refuse.
Selling and leaving. You can sell your home while it’s on the site, but you must tell the park owner before putting up a “for sale” sign. A park owner can end a periodic site agreement without giving a reason, with at least 90 days’ notice, but not if you’ve held a right to live in the park for 5 years or more.
In a caravan and tourist park
The Planning and Design Code defines a caravan and tourist park as land used to provide short-term accommodation in caravans, recreational vehicles, cabins, tents and similar demountable shelters in a managed setting. It treats a residential park as a separate land use. If you want to live long-term in a park, ask whether you’ll be offered a residential park site agreement.
What approvals you need
Planning consent and building consent. In South Australia, development approval can include planning consent (assessed against the Planning and Design Code) and building consent (assessed against the National Construction Code). PlanSA says a tiny house on wheels will typically need planning consent where there’s a change of land use or building work, and will usually involve building work, which needs building consent.
Building standards. A tiny house on wheels must meet the National Construction Code as a Class 1a building (a house), or Class 1b where it’s used for short-term accommodation. PlanSA warns that many tiny homes on the market don’t meet these standards, which can make building consent hard to get. Check before you buy, and see our buying guide.
Each time you move. PlanSA says each time a tiny house on wheels is placed or relocated on land, it will usually need development approval.
Your rights when renting a spot
Outside a residential park, we couldn’t confirm which renting law covers renting a spot for your own tiny house on wheels. The Residential Tenancies Act 1995 covers paid agreements to live in premises, but not agreements covered by the Residential Parks Act. The Residential Parks Act only applies in a residential park, which it describes as a complex of sites rented under various agreements, with common areas. Neither Act says how a single tiny house on a private block is treated. Check with Consumer and Business Services before you sign an agreement or pay a bond.
What happens if council gets involved
Living in a caravan or vehicle. Under section 254 of the Local Government Act 1999, a council can order a person to stop using a caravan or vehicle as a place to live if it’s a risk to the health or safety of the occupant, threatens damage to the environment, or significantly spoils the amenity of the area. PlanSA says the order can be made to the owner or occupier of the land, or to the person who appears to be living in the caravan or vehicle.
Development without approval. PlanSA says the maximum penalty for development without approval, or contrary to an approval, is $120,000. If you’ve started development that needs approval without getting it, PlanSA advises contacting your council as soon as possible.
Noise and unsightly conditions. If the use of a tiny house on wheels causes a local nuisance, action may be taken under the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016. PlanSA says this may not result in the tiny house being removed, but may address the nuisance.
Comparing states? See how every state’s rules stack up in our state-by-state comparison.