You do not need development approval to keep your tiny house in your backyard or on your property, if you can register it with RMS as a trailer, and you meet certain exemptions.
You do not need to get approval for your THOW in certain situations – Local Government (Manufactured Home Estates, Caravan Parks, Camping Grounds and Moveable Dwellings) Regulation 2021.
Have not more than 2 THOWs or caravans or tents if they are not occupied for more than 2 consecutive days and no more than 60 days in a 12-month period.
1 caravan or THOW on land occupied by the owner of the caravan in connection with the owner’s dwelling house if the caravan or THOW is lived in by you or a member of your household. 1 caravan or THOW only when you have an approved dwelling house on the allotment. The caravan or THOW is maintained in a safe and healthy condition.
Caravan or THOW on pastoral or agricultural land, provided it is merely occupied seasonally by people employed in pastoral or agricultural operations on the land.
Moveable dwelling (includes a caravan or THOW) or associated structure on land to accommodate a person who has been displaced because of a natural disaster if the moveable dwelling or associated structure is-
maintained in a safe and healthy condition, and
removed within 2 years after it is installed, or a longer period specified a relevant local approvals policy for the moveable dwelling or associated structure.
You also do not need to get approval for your THOW if it meets certain development standards under the SEPP Exempt and Complying Development Codes 2008 to provide Farm stay accommodation on a “working farm”. https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/epi-2008-0572#pt.2-div.1-sdiv.16E
Farm stay accommodation permitted in RU1, RU2, RU4 zones and in other zones where agriculture, extensive agriculture, intensive livestock agriculture and intensive plant agriculture are permitted with a minimum landholding of 15ha, demonstration that the property is a commercial farming operation and further development standards that must be met for the development to be considered exempt from requiring development consent.
If not exempt as outlined, a THOW would need development approval and meet the relevant development controls and address any applicable constraints such bushfire, flooding, land use conflicts and the like.
Note: The information in this clause changes often and Council recommends that you review it and the relevant legislation to keep updated on current standards.