Alternative Housing Australia
Buying a Tiny House on Wheels in Australia: Towing, Registration and What to Ask Your Builder
Updated October 2026 | AHA Research Team
Before you buy a tiny home on wheels, it helps to know how much it will really weigh, what you’ll need to tow it, and what makes it legal on the road. This guide covers weight, size limits, brakes (including electric brakes), tow vehicles, driver licences and registration. It also covers when a tiny home on wheels might be treated as a building, and the questions to ask your builder.
Some rules are national. The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 requires a new tiny home on wheels to be approved and entered on the federal Register of Approved Vehicles, and national standards set how a trailer must be built and braked. Other rules are set by each state and territory, including size limits on the road, permits, registration and driver licences. Whether your tiny home is treated as a vehicle or a building, and where you can live in it, also depends on your state and sometimes your council.
Where the rules differ, we’ve set them out state by state and linked to the official sources. Check the details with your state or territory transport authority before you sign a contract or pay a deposit.
Quick Answers
What is the largest tiny home I can tow without a permit?
In all eight states and territories, the standard limits are 2.5 metres wide and 4.3 metres high, and up to 19 metres long for the car and tiny home together. What happens if it’s wider differs by state. For example, Victoria allows some oversize light vehicles up to 3.5 metres wide without a permit, with area and time restrictions.
Can my car tow it?
Only if the tiny home’s loaded weight is within your vehicle’s towing capacity, tow ball mass limit, GVM and GCM, and within your towbar and coupling ratings. These are set by the manufacturer.
Can I tow it on a normal car licence?
Yes, if your tow vehicle’s GVM is 4.5 tonnes or less. In every state and territory, a car licence covers vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM. A heavier tow vehicle needs a Light Rigid licence or higher. Some states limit towing on L or P plates.
Does it need to be registered?
Yes, to tow it on public roads. Every state and territory has a short-term permit for moving an unregistered vehicle in limited cases, such as to an inspection, but the names and rules differ. A new tiny home on wheels must be on the federal Register of Approved Vehicles before it can be registered.
Should I tow it myself?
It depends on your vehicle, your towing experience and the route. For longer moves, or if your tiny home is near the size or weight limits, you might prefer a specialist transport company.
Does a tiny house on wheels have to meet building standards?
It depends on your state and how you use it. In some states, living in it long term, or fixing it in place, means it’s treated as a building and may need approval and have to meet the National Construction Code.
Weight: the number that matters most
Weight affects almost everything else in this guide: which vehicle can tow your tiny home, what brakes it needs, and which rules apply to it. The national trailer standard, Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB1), only covers trailers with an Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) of 4.5 tonnes or less.
VSB1 says a trailer’s plate must show its ATM, Gross Trailer Mass (GTM) and tare mass, and that these details must match the national Register of Approved Vehicles. Here’s what those terms mean, along with the tow vehicle terms you’ll need.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tare mass | The weight of the tiny home when it isn’t carrying any load. It’s the whole weight of the trailer, including the part that rests on the tow ball when it’s hitched. Under VSB1, water tanks and waste water tanks in a caravan aren’t counted as full. |
| ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) | The total weight of the tiny home when it’s carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer. Like tare mass, it includes the part that rests on the tow ball. |
| Payload | ATM minus tare mass. VSB1 says this is the maximum load the trailer can carry, such as water, furniture, food and belongings. |
| GTM (Gross Trailer Mass) | The weight that goes to the ground through the tiny home’s own tyres when it’s hitched to the tow vehicle and carrying its maximum load. |
| Tow ball mass | The downward weight on the tow ball. VSB1 says that when the trailer is fully and evenly loaded, ATM minus GTM equals this weight. Western Australia’s Safe Towing Guide says it must be included as part of the tow vehicle’s GVM. |
| GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) | The most your tow vehicle can weigh when loaded, as set by its manufacturer. |
| GCM (Gross Combination Mass) | The most your tow vehicle and tiny home can weigh together, as set by the tow vehicle’s manufacturer. |
VSB1 also has extra requirements for caravans, which it describes as “an enclosed trailer intended for use as a mobile home or living quarters when it is parked”. Since August 2026, it says a caravan should have enough load-carrying capacity for its intended purpose while staying within its GTM and ATM. That capacity should include supplied equipment such as the toilet, fridge, shower and gas cylinder, with all fluids and gas counted at full capacity. It should also include a personal effects allowance of 50 kg for each of the first two sleeping berths and 10 kg for each extra berth. Ask your builder whether your tiny home is built to these caravan requirements.
You can check what your tow vehicle and tiny home really weigh at a public weighbridge.
Size limits for a tiny house on wheels
The size limits for using a tiny home on the road are set by each state and territory. In all eight, the standard width limit is 2.5 metres. What happens if your tiny home is wider is different in each one.
The national trailer standard, Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB1), also sets size limits for building a trailer: up to 2.5 metres wide and 4.3 metres high, and up to 12.2 metres long for the type of trailer it calls a pig trailer. These are rules for how the trailer is built. The state and territory rules below cover using it on the road.
Height and length
In all eight states and territories, the height limit is 4.3 metres, and the car and tiny home together can be up to 19 metres long. Victoria also limits a light trailer to 12.5 metres long, including the drawbar.
What counts in the width
States don’t all measure width the same way. Victoria’s light trailer registration fact sheet includes mudguards, side-mounted spare wheels, side-mounted racks and awnings. Tasmania’s and the Northern Territory’s rules leave out items such as lights, mirrors, reflectors and signalling devices. Ask your builder for the home’s overall width with everything fitted, including any awning.
If your tiny home is wider than 2.5 metres
Tap your state or territory to see what applies.
New South Wales
A wider tiny home is an oversize light vehicle. It may need a special permit, or need to travel under special conditions. None of the listed exemptions mention caravans or tiny homes. A vehicle higher than 4.3 metres may only use routes approved for 4.6-metre-high vehicles.
Victoria
A wider tiny home is a Class O (oversize light) vehicle. Transport Victoria says these can travel without a permit up to 3.5 metres wide, with area and time restrictions. Some areas don’t allow anything wider than 2.5 metres. Wider than 3.5 metres, or travelling through a restricted area over its limits, needs a Class O permit.
Queensland
A wider tiny home needs a safe movement permit from the Department of Transport and Main Roads, with conditions such as routes, speed and escort vehicles.
Western Australia
A tiny home wider than 2.5 metres is generally a Restricted Access Vehicle. It can only use public roads under a permit or order from Main Roads WA. We found no permit made specifically for tiny homes on wheels.
South Australia
A wider tiny home is an oversize light vehicle and needs a light vehicle permit from the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, with fees for each vehicle in the combination. South Australia’s oversize light vehicle exemptions cover specific cases, such as farm vehicles and certain boats, not tiny homes.
Tasmania
Under the Vehicle and Traffic (Vehicle Operations) Regulations 2024, using a light vehicle wider than 2.5 metres on a public road is an offence. You can apply to the Transport Commission for a permit, which can come with conditions. We found no general exemption for tiny homes.
ACT
Under the Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2000, a light vehicle must not be over 2.5 metres wide. The road transport authority can exempt a light vehicle from the width rule, with conditions that must all be met, or register a non-complying vehicle conditionally. Towing a non-complying light trailer is an offence for both the driver and the trailer’s operator.
Northern Territory
Under the Australian Vehicle Standards Rules as they apply in the Northern Territory, a vehicle must not be over 2.5 metres wide. A wider tiny home can only use Northern Territory roads under a permit of exemption or an oversize and overmass exemption. We found no permit made specifically for tiny homes on wheels, and permits come with conditions such as route restrictions.
Brakes on a tiny house on wheels, including electric brakes
The brakes your tiny home needs depend on its Gross Trailer Mass (GTM), not its ATM. Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB1) says brake requirements are set by GTM. GTM is the weight that goes to the ground through the tiny home’s own tyres when it’s hitched and fully loaded (see Weight above).
| Tiny home GTM | Brakes required |
|---|---|
| 750 kg or less | No brakes required. |
| Over 750 kg, up to 2,000 kg | An efficient service braking system. Brakes can be fitted to only one axle, and over-run brakes are allowed. |
| Over 2,000 kg | Brakes that operate on all wheels, worked by a control signal from the tow vehicle, plus breakaway brakes. |
Breakaway brakes
Under the national trailer brake standard, Australian Design Rule 38/05, a trailer with a GTM over 2 tonnes must have an emergency brake system. If the trailer accidentally comes off the tow vehicle, this system must apply the brakes immediately and automatically, and they must stay applied for at least 15 minutes.
Electric brakes
Apart from over-run brakes, which are only allowed up to 2 tonnes GTM, ADR 38/05 says the braking force must be able to be increased and decreased by a control signal from the tow vehicle. Neither ADR 38/05 nor VSB1 names a particular type of brake, such as electric brakes.
If your tiny home has electric brakes, Transport for NSW says your tow vehicle needs the brake connections for them. It also says trailer brakes must be operable from the driver’s seating position.
ADR 38/05 has extra requirements for trailers over 4.5 tonnes ATM. Ask your builder for your tiny home’s GTM and ATM, and which brake and breakaway systems it has.
Choosing a tow vehicle
Your tow vehicle’s towing limits are set by its manufacturer. Western Australia’s Safe Towing Guide says to check them in the owner’s manual or on the compliance plate. Tasmania’s Towing light trailers bulletin says the manufacturer’s towing capacity can’t be changed through the in-service modification process. Check these four figures against your tiny home’s weight.
Towing capacity: the heaviest trailer the vehicle is rated to tow. Manufacturers may give separate ratings for braked and unbraked trailers.
Tow ball mass limit: the most weight allowed on the vehicle’s tow ball.
GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass): the most the vehicle can weigh when loaded. Western Australia’s guide says the weight on the tow ball must be counted as part of the GVM. Tasmania’s bulletin says it’s common for manufacturers to lower the GVM depending on the weight of the trailer.
GCM (Gross Combination Mass): the most the vehicle and tiny home can weigh together. Western Australia’s guide says the GCM may be less than the GVM and the towing capacity added together.
This means you may not be able to use the full towing capacity once the vehicle itself is loaded. Western Australia’s guide gives an example: a vehicle with a GVM of 2,740 kg and a GCM of 4,600 kg, loaded to its GVM, can only tow a trailer weighing up to 1,860 kg.
Towbars and couplings
Your towbar and coupling have their own ratings. In New South Wales, the loaded trailer must not weigh more than the lowest of the towbar and coupling rating, the vehicle’s towing capacity, the trailer’s maximum carrying capacity, and the tyres’ rated capacity. Tasmania’s bulletin says the loaded trailer must not exceed the rated capacity of any part of the combination, and that exceeding the manufacturer’s towing capacity is an offence under Tasmanian law.
If a vehicle has no towing capacity from its manufacturer, New South Wales limits it to one and a half times the vehicle’s unladen mass for a trailer with brakes that are connected and working.
Tow ball weight
The states give different guides for how much weight should sit on the tow ball. Transport for NSW says about 5 to 10 per cent of the total mass of the trailer and its load. Western Australia’s guide says 8 to 10 per cent of the ATM, up to the tow bar’s load limit. Ask your builder what your tiny home’s tow ball mass will be when it’s loaded, and compare it with your vehicle’s limit before you buy either.
Driver licences for towing a tiny house on wheels
Licence classes are based on the tow vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), so the licence you need depends on what you’re towing with.
Car licence (Class C): In every state and territory, a car licence covers vehicles with a GVM of up to 4.5 tonnes. Some states also say what you can tow on it. Victoria allows a single trailer up to 9 tonnes GVM or the manufacturer’s specifications, whichever is less. The ACT allows a single trailer with a GVM of 9 tonnes or less. South Australia allows a single trailer, within the combination mass limits under the Road Traffic Act 1961. You also need to stay within your vehicle’s own towing limits (see Choosing a tow vehicle above).
Light Rigid licence (LR): If your tow vehicle’s GVM is over 4.5 tonnes, you’ll need a Light Rigid licence or higher. New South Wales says this covers vehicles over 4.5 tonnes and up to 8 tonnes GVM. The trailer limit differs between states. New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT allow a trailer of up to 9 tonnes GVM. South Australia allows any trailer as long as the overall mass is within the towing vehicle’s Gross Combination Mass (GCM).
Learner and provisional drivers
Some states limit towing on L or P plates. For example:
New South Wales: On a P1 licence, you can only tow trailers up to 250 kg unloaded, with your red Ps on the back of the trailer.
Victoria: Learner drivers must not tow a trailer, caravan or another vehicle. P1 drivers can’t tow unless it’s for their job as requested by their employer, it’s solely for agriculture or similar work, or a full licence holder is sitting beside them.
ACT: On a learner licence, you must not tow a trailer with a GVM of more than 750 kg.
Tasmania: There’s no towing during the learner stage (L1 and L2).
If you’re on L or P plates in another state or territory, check the rules with your licensing authority before you tow.
Registering a tiny house on wheels
Registering a new tiny home on wheels happens in two stages. The tiny home has to be approved and entered on a federal register first. Then you can register it with your state or territory.
Stage 1: Federal approval and the Register of Approved Vehicles
Under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, a road vehicle must be entered on the federal Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) before it’s provided to anyone for road use in Australia for the first time. Since 1 July 2023, it has been an offence to provide a vehicle that isn’t on the RAV to a consumer for the first time. Tasmania, New South Wales and the ACT all say a trailer must be on the RAV before it can be registered there.
To be entered on the RAV, a trailer needs either a vehicle type approval or a concessional RAV entry approval. Applications go through ROVER, the federal department’s online portal. A concessional RAV entry approval covers up to four trailers with an ATM of 4.5 tonnes or less in a 12-month period. A builder supplying more than that needs a vehicle type approval. Transport for NSW says one-off trailers built by individuals are now known as concessional trailers.
The trailer’s identification plate stays. VSB1 says the details on the plate must match the RAV.
Stage 2: State or territory registration
What you need to register depends on where you live. Choose your state or territory to see what applies.
New South Wales
Register through Service NSW. Service NSW says registration needs an inspection report (a blue slip) issued no more than 42 days before. For a concessional trailer, the inspector checks the RAV, and the trailer fails if it isn’t listed. You also need a weighbridge ticket showing the VIN and a tare that matches the trailer’s plate, and receipts for the parts and materials used to build it.
Victoria
Register with VicRoads. A trailer being registered in Australia for the first time must be on the RAV, and in most cases VicRoads will need to inspect it. For trailers up to 4,500 kg, the tare and ATM must be shown on the identification plate or the RAV. A weighbridge docket is needed if the trailer was registered before.
Queensland
Register with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR). For a trailer built or registered from 1 July 2023, apply for the VIN online through the federal Road Vehicle Regulator system (ROVER), and the VIN is then confirmed at a pre-registration inspection. A trailer with more than one axle or an ATM over 750 kg needs a pre-registration inspection. You also need a current Queensland safety certificate or certificate of inspection. TMR only asks for a weighbridge certificate for vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM.
Western Australia
Registration is called a vehicle licence. You get it from the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure after a roadworthiness inspection at an Authorised Inspection Station. A weighbridge certificate is needed if the tare can’t be verified from the manufacturer’s specifications, previous licence documents or licensing records.
South Australia
Register through Service SA. An identity inspection may be needed first. Service SA says stamp duty doesn’t apply to trailers or caravans with a GTM of 4.5 tonnes or less.
Tasmania
Register as a trailer through Service Tasmania, after passing an inspection at an approved inspection station. The inspection is valid for 30 days, and the trailer must have an identity number.
ACT
Register with Access Canberra. For a newly built low ATM trailer, the details must be on the RAV first. Then you take the finished, unloaded trailer to an authorised weighbridge for a ticket showing the VIN and tare, and have it inspected at the government inspection station or an authorised inspection station.
Northern Territory
Register with the Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR). A new vehicle, or one being registered in the NT for the first time, needs a compliance check at a government vehicle inspection facility, and may need a roadworthy inspection.
Tiny homes over 4.5 tonnes ATM
In South Australia and Tasmania, a trailer with an ATM over 4.5 tonnes is a heavy vehicle under the Heavy Vehicle National Law. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator says this law applies in the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, but hasn’t commenced in Western Australia or the Northern Territory.
Towing without registration and selling
Every state and territory has a short-term permit for moving an unregistered vehicle in limited cases. It’s called an unregistered vehicle permit in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania (a short-term unregistered vehicle permit) and the ACT, a temporary movement permit in Western Australia, and a temporary licence in the Northern Territory. What each one covers, and for how long, differs, so check that yours covers a trailer and the trip you need before you move your tiny home. In the ACT, when a registered tiny home on wheels is sold, the registration is transferred and the buyer must lodge the transfer within 14 days.
Is a tiny house on wheels a vehicle or a building?
Wheels don’t automatically make a tiny home a vehicle in the eyes of the law. Each state and territory decides when a tiny home on wheels is a vehicle and when it’s treated as a building, and how you use it can change the answer. If it’s treated as a building, it may need building approval and have to meet the National Construction Code (NCC). Choose your state or territory to see what applies.
New South Wales
How the law treats your tiny home depends on whether it meets the legal definition of a caravan, which is a moveable dwelling designed to be capable of being registered as a trailer. If it doesn’t meet that definition, it needs council approval, even if it’s sold as a “caravan”. Some councils report homes being marketed as caravans that don’t meet the legal requirements. Councils differ on what counts as fixed in place. Some say it can’t be fixed to the ground, footings or a slab, while others say a tiny home connected to services, or with footings or a verandah, needs a development application. In Kelly v Bega Valley Shire Council (2026), a tiny home connected to water, wastewater, power and gas was still found to be a caravan, but living in it needed development consent.
Victoria
We found no formal definition of a tiny home in Victorian law, and councils treat a tiny home on wheels differently depending on how it’s set up and used. On the road, it’s a trailer and must be registered with VicRoads or covered by a permit. Parked on your land, councils disagree. Some say a tiny home on wheels that is a registered or registrable vehicle isn’t a building and may not need a building permit. Others say a tiny home people live in needs a building permit unless it’s a registered vehicle or another specific exemption applies. Some councils also say a tiny home that is fixed to the ground, or has a deck or verandah fixed to the ground, needs a building permit under the Building Act 1993 and must meet the NCC, and that connecting it to mains plumbing means it’s no longer treated as movable. Get your council’s position in writing before you buy.
Queensland
Living in a tiny home on wheels permanently needs building approval.
Western Australia
The Western Australian Planning Commission’s Tiny Houses fact sheet says a tiny house that is a vehicle and fitted for living in is classified as a caravan, and one that isn’t a vehicle is classified as a building. It says a vehicle must be a means of transportation, not just capable of being moved, and that habitable buildings need to comply with the applicable building standards.
South Australia
Most tiny homes on wheels need building consent. PlanSA warns that many tiny homes on the market don’t meet the National Construction Code standards for houses.
Tasmania
A road registrable tiny home on wheels is not a class of building under the NCC.
ACT
Living in a tiny home on wheels long term can stop it being excluded from the Building Act.
Northern Territory
Under the NT Planning Scheme, a caravan includes a vehicle that’s registered, or eligible to be registered, under the Motor Vehicles Act 1949 and is designed or adapted for people to live in. If your tiny home on wheels isn’t registered and isn’t eligible to be registered, it doesn’t fit this definition, so the caravan rules may not apply to it. We found nothing in the Building Act 1993 or the Building Regulations 1993 about caravans or tiny homes on wheels. The Act says a building includes a structure, and it counts a mobile structure as a temporary structure, but it doesn’t say whether a tiny home on wheels is a building. The building permit rules only apply in the parts of the NT the Minister has declared. Check with Development Assessment Services before you buy.
For more on where you can live in your tiny home, see our state guides below.
Building standards if your tiny home is treated as a building
The NCC sets the standards. NCC 2025 was released on 1 May 2026, and states and territories adopt it on their own timelines. For example, Tasmania reinstated NCC 2022 from 5 June 2026 and will adopt NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027. Check which edition applies where you are. The figures below are from the NCC 2022 Housing Provisions.
Ceiling heights: A habitable room (other than a kitchen) must be at least 2.4 metres high. In a habitable room with a sloping ceiling, that height must cover at least two-thirds of the floor area. An attic with a sloping ceiling must be at least 2.2 metres high for at least two-thirds of its floor area, and a stairway needs at least 2.0 metres of headroom. Any part of a room with a ceiling lower than 1.5 metres isn’t counted in its floor area.
Energy ratings: A NatHERS assessment is the most common way to meet the NCC’s minimum energy efficiency requirements. It gives a home a rating between 0 and 10 stars. The minimum isn’t the same everywhere. In South Australia, new homes have had to meet a 7-star equivalent rating since 1 October 2024, with a concession for some lightweight and transportable homes. Tasmania uses the older 2019 energy efficiency rules, so the 7-star requirement doesn’t apply there, and the Tasmanian Government has said new homes need a minimum 6-star rating.
Fire separation: Under the NCC 2022 Housing Provisions, an external wall of a house has extra fire-protection requirements if it’s less than 900 mm from an allotment boundary (other than a boundary next to a road or public space), or less than 1.8 metres from another building on the same allotment. That second rule doesn’t apply to a Class 10 building associated with the house, or to a detached part of the same house. A wall that must be fire-resisting needs, for example, a fire-resistance level of at least 60/60/60 tested from the outside, or masonry at least 90 mm thick.
If your tiny home may need building approval, ask your builder which NCC edition and energy rating it’s designed to, and check with a building surveyor or certifier before you buy.
The buying checklist: what to ask your tiny house on wheels builder
Ask these questions before you pay a deposit, and get the answers in writing.
Will it be entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles, and under which approval? A new tiny home on wheels must be on the federal Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) before it can be registered. Ask whether the builder holds a vehicle type approval or will apply for a concessional RAV entry approval. Consider writing into your contract that the final payment depends on the home appearing on the RAV, with its identification plate fitted and matching the RAV entry.
What will the finished home weigh? Ask for the tare mass, ATM, GTM and expected tow ball mass, and a weighbridge ticket for the finished home. Check that the payload (ATM minus tare) leaves enough room for your water, furniture and belongings. If it’s built as a caravan, ask how its load-carrying capacity was worked out under VSB1.
What are the exact travel dimensions? Ask for the overall width with everything fitted, including any awning, plus the height and the length including the drawbar. In all eight states and territories, the standard limits are 2.5 metres wide and 4.3 metres high, and the car and tiny home together can be up to 19 metres long. If it’s wider, check what your state requires (see Size limits above).
What brakes and breakaway system does it have? If the GTM is over 2,000 kg, the brakes must operate on all wheels, and breakaway brakes must apply automatically and stay on for at least 15 minutes if the home comes off the tow vehicle. Ask what your tow vehicle needs to work the brakes, such as connections for electric brakes.
Can my tow vehicle handle it? Compare the home’s ATM and tow ball mass with your vehicle’s towing capacity, tow ball mass limit, GVM and GCM, and with your towbar and coupling ratings (see Choosing a tow vehicle above).
Which NCC edition and energy rating is it designed to? If your tiny home may be treated as a building where you plan to live, ask which National Construction Code edition, ceiling heights and energy rating it’s designed to (see Is a tiny house on wheels a vehicle or a building? above).
Who did the electrical, gas and plumbing work, and will you give me compliance certificates? Ask for certificates for all trade work. For example, Consumer Affairs Tasmania says only a licensed electrician can do electrical work on a caravan, and Tasmanian-registered caravans must display an Electrical Compliance Certificate signed by an electrical contractor.
How does it connect to power, water and waste? In some states, connecting a tiny home to services can mean it’s treated as fixed in place or as a permanent building. Ask what connections it uses, and check how your state treats them before you buy.
Who handles delivery, permits and transit insurance? Ask whether delivery, any permits it needs to travel, and transit insurance are included in the price, and who is responsible for each.
What warranty do you offer? Ask what the warranty covers, such as the chassis, frame and appliances, and for how long. Under the Australian Consumer Law, consumer guarantees apply automatically and can’t be taken away. A warranty is an extra promise on top of them.
Moving your tiny house on wheels
Towing it yourself or hiring a transport company
A tiny home is tall and heavy, so towing one is different from towing a small trailer. If you haven’t towed something this size before, consider a towing course. For longer moves, or if your tiny home is near the size or weight limits, you might prefer a specialist transport company.
If you tow it yourself, check the speed rules where you’re driving. In New South Wales, if your vehicle’s GVM or the combination’s GCM is over 4.5 tonnes, you must not drive faster than 100 km/h, even where the speed limit is higher.
Planning the route
Before you go, check the route for low bridges, overhanging trees and power lines, and check the weather forecast for strong winds. Plan rest stops for long trips, and try to avoid peak-hour traffic. If your tiny home is wider than 2.5 metres, your permit or exemption may limit which roads you can use and when (see Size limits above).
Insurance
Check whether your insurance covers your tiny home while it’s on the road, and while it’s on the back of a truck if a transport company is moving it. If you hire a transport company, ask for a certificate of currency from their insurer. Check what it covers, including whether it covers damage to your home and up to what value.
Getting it onto your site
Check the access to your site: gate width, turning space, slope, and how firm the ground is, especially after rain. Look up for power lines and branches along the driveway. Choose a level spot with good drainage, and check how you’ll connect water and power, because in some states connecting to services can change how your tiny home is treated (see Is a tiny house on wheels a vehicle or a building? above).
FAQs
Can I build a tiny home on wheels myself?
Yes, but it still has to be approved and entered on the federal Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) before it can be registered. Transport for NSW says one-off trailers built by individuals are now known as concessional trailers. A concessional RAV entry approval covers up to four trailers with an ATM of 4.5 tonnes or less in a 12-month period, and you apply through ROVER, the federal department’s online portal.
Your tiny home must meet the national trailer standard, Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB1). In New South Wales, you can request a VIN as part of the concessional RAV entry application. In Queensland, you apply for the VIN online through the federal system. Once it’s on the RAV, you can register it in your state (see Registering a tiny house on wheels above). New South Wales also asks for receipts for the parts and materials you used.
Check your state’s rules for trade work. For example, Consumer Affairs Tasmania says only a licensed electrician can do electrical work on a caravan.
What should I check when buying second-hand?
Check its history. Search the VIN on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). The search certificate shows whether any security interests are registered against it, which usually means money is still owed. It can also show whether it’s listed as written off, and, where the data is available, whether it’s been reported stolen. The PPSR says stolen data doesn’t apply in Tasmania.
Check its approval or registration. If it’s registered, check the registration details match. If it’s never been registered in Australia, check it’s on the Register of Approved Vehicles. Transport for NSW says low ATM trailers never registered before have had to meet the federal requirements since 1 July 2023.
Check its weight. Take it to a public weighbridge to find its tare mass, and compare it with the ATM on its plate. The difference is the payload left for your water, furniture and belongings.
Check its condition and paperwork. Inspect the chassis, brakes, tyres and breakaway system, and ask for any compliance certificates for the electrical and gas work. In Queensland, the seller must give you a safety certificate for a registered trailer or caravan with an ATM between 750 kg and 4,500 kg, unless they’re selling to a dealer.
Can I import a tiny home?
Yes, but it needs federal approval. A concessional RAV entry approval is also taken to be an import approval, and it covers up to four trailers with an ATM of 4.5 tonnes or less a year. Check that approval is possible before you pay for the tiny home or ship it.
It must also meet the national trailer standard, VSB1, which sets design and construction requirements for both manufacturers and importers. This covers things like its width, brakes, coupling and lights.
Does my tiny home need a roadworthy?
Usually at some point, but when depends on your state. A roadworthy is a safety inspection by an approved inspector. Each state calls it something different, such as a blue slip or pink slip in New South Wales, or a safety certificate in Queensland.
When you first register it. Most states need an inspection before you can register a tiny home on wheels for the first time (see Registering a tiny house on wheels above).
When you renew the registration. In New South Wales, trailers and caravans with an ATM of 4.5 tonnes or less need a safety check at renewal, and most light vehicles more than five years old need one every year. Your renewal notice tells you when it’s due. In Queensland, heavy trailers over 4.5 tonnes ATM need periodic inspections and a certificate of inspection.
When you sell it. In Queensland, you need a safety certificate to transfer the registration of a trailer or caravan with an ATM between 750 kg and 4,500 kg to a new owner, unless you’re selling to a dealer. In Victoria, a roadworthy certificate isn’t required to transfer a light trailer.
When the registration has run out. You’ll need a short-term permit to move it on the road. Each state and territory has one, but what it covers differs (see Registering a tiny house on wheels above).
State and territory guides
Where you can live in your tiny home, and for how long, depends on your state or territory. Find the rules for yours in our full state guides.