Yes. Dual occupancy developments must provide a minimum amount of planting area.

For multi-unit housing, including dual occupancy, the minimum planting area is:

• RZ1 and RZ2: at least 30% of the block area
• RZ3, RZ4 and RZ5: at least 25% of the block area

The planting area must also meet the applicable technical requirements for its dimensions and layout, and separate tree-canopy and planting requirements may also apply.

Reference: Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026 (NI2026-303) – Specification 19.1, Planting Area – Multi-unit Housing – Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026

For a dual occupancy, the parking requirements depend on the residential zone and the number of bedrooms in each dwelling.

For RZ1 and RZ2:

• At least 1 car parking space per dwelling.
• Plus 1 additional space for every five 2-bedroom dwellings.
• Plus 1 additional space for every three dwellings with 3 or more bedrooms.

For a typical dual occupancy of only two dwellings, this means the starting requirement is 2 parking spaces in total — one for each dwelling. Additional parking is calculated across the development according to the bedroom-based rates above.

For RZ3, RZ4 and RZ5, the same resident parking rates apply. Visitor parking is additionally required where a development contains 4 or more dwellings, so this visitor-parking requirement would not normally apply to a two-dwelling dual occupancy.

Reference: Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026 (NI2026-303) – Parking Provision Rates for Residential Zones & Requirement 27.3 Car Parking – https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/ni/2026-303/current/PDF/2026-303.PDF

A dual occupancy is generally designed as a low-rise development of 1–2 storeys.

For a dual occupancy in RZ1, the maximum permitted height is 2 storeys. The Missing Middle Housing Design Guide also identifies 1–2 storeys as the typical height for dual occupancy.

The achievable height will still depend on the applicable building height, setbacks and other planning requirements for the block.

Reference: Planning (Missing Middle Housing) Design Guide 2026 – https://www.planning.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/3092411/ACT-Missing-Middle-Housing-Design-Guide.pdf

Yes. For a dual occupancy, the dwellings generally need to be constructed and have their Certificates of Occupancy and Use before separate unit titles can be approved.

You may be able to lodge the unit title application earlier, but the required completion documents, including the Certificates of Occupancy and Use, must be provided before final approval of the unit titles.

ACT Government – Advisory Note 19: Block Subdivision versus Unit Title Subdivision in Residential Zones – Block Subdivision vs Unit Title Subdivision (Residential Zones)

After unit titling, shared areas designated as common property are collectively owned by the unit owners.

For a dual occupancy with different owners, each owner has a share in the common property based on their unit entitlement. The owners corporation manages the common property on behalf of the owners.

Common property can include shared areas such as driveways, paths and other shared spaces, depending on what is shown on the registered Units Plan.

Reference: Unit Titles Act 2001 – Section 13, Common Property – https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/a/2001-16/current/html/2001-16.html

No. A new dual occupancy is not DA-exempt and requires a Development Application (DA).

The ACT Government specifically states that a dual occupancy development does not meet the requirements for exempt development under the Planning Act and that a DA must be prepared and lodged with the Territory Planning Authority.

The proposal must then be assessed against the applicable Territory Plan requirements for dual occupancy.

Reference: Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 – Schedule 1, Sections 1.10 and 1.15 – Criterion 5: No multiple occupancy dwellings – Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023