Who a dual occupancy suits
Three groups come to us most often. Families who want a parent or an adult child living independently but close by. Owners who want to stay in their suburb, build a home that suits them now and let the second dwelling earn its keep. And small scale investors looking to make better use of land they already hold.
The common thread is a block with more capacity than one older house is using. What differs is the outcome each owner wants, and that changes the design, the titling and the finance well before it changes the construction.
What the reforms changed
The reforms commenced on 1 July 2026 and allow missing middle housing types in the RZ1 suburban zone as well as expanding what is possible in RZ2. In RZ1 that can include duplexes, triplexes, terraces, townhouses and low rise apartments of up to two storeys, with up to three storeys contemplated in RZ2. The previous minimum block size for two dwellings in RZ1 was removed.
Removing a minimum is not the same as removing the constraint. The ACT Missing Middle Housing Design Guide points to blocks above roughly 600 square metres as typically suited to a dual occupancy. That is guidance rather than a legal threshold, and it reflects a practical reality: two well planned homes, their parking, private open space, tree canopy and solar access all have to fit.
What decides whether your block works
Block area is only the starting point. Width, depth, shape, slope and orientation often matter more, because they determine whether two dwellings can each get sun, privacy and a usable outdoor space. A wide block of 700 square metres may work comfortably where a narrow one of the same area does not.
The Crown lease has to be read carefully. Some leases authorise only one dwelling and need to be varied before additional homes can be approved, which may attract a Lease Variation Charge. A time limited concession currently reduces the codified charge for eligible missing middle developments, subject to conditions including development approval before 30 June 2029 and completion by 31 December 2030. Eligibility should be confirmed rather than assumed when a budget is being set.
Beyond that: existing buildings, easements, protected trees, driveway and crossover locations, water, sewer, stormwater and electrical capacity, waste collection, heritage or precinct controls, and the district policies applying to your area. Separate titles are also not automatic. Subdivision and unit titling each carry their own requirements and are best decided early, because the ownership structure influences the design, the services and the finance.
Our detailed guide to dual occupancy in Canberra works through eligibility, titling and the approval pathway in full.
How Ottimo Homes works on these projects
The first piece of work is a preliminary feasibility review rather than a set of drawings. That means confirming the zone, reading the Crown lease and deposited plan, identifying easements and trees, testing the likely planning envelope and forming a view on how many dwellings the site can carry properly.
From there Ottimo Homes works alongside your planning consultant, designer, surveyor and engineers so that buildability and cost are tested as the concept develops rather than after approval. Construction is then managed directly by Alessandro, who coordinates the trades, arranges the inspections and stays your point of contact through to handover of both dwellings.
The straightforward part of this: if the site will not carry two homes well, you will be told that early, before design fees accumulate.
Official ACT resources
Wondering what your block could carry? Start a conversation with Ottimo Homes.
View completed projectsThis information is general in nature and current at August 2026. Not every block qualifies for a dual occupancy. Zoning, the Crown lease, block characteristics, services, trees, access, approvals and design controls all affect feasibility, so site specific planning, legal and financial advice should be obtained before making commitments.