When Is An Annex A Separate Dwelling?

When considering an annex, there are a minefield of questions one has to cross due to the complexities – one of these being, when is an annex a separate dwelling?

The reason for asking this question is down to a whole host of outcomes, from planning to council tax, who will be accommodated to billing circumstances.

At iHus, our core offer is about making life easier for our customers, from the initial planning consultation to the turnkey solution provided where we complete the final finishing touches for you on site as you move in.

Another way we help is via our annexe resource library – full of information for you to learn from and gain advice to help you find a perfect solution, and this guide is no different.

Questions on Your Annexe as a Separate Dwelling

We’ve covered a host of different questions that you may have of your own, or may need to know the answer to depending on how you will be using your granny annexe. Ultimately these will help you understand if your new build annexe should be considered a separate dwelling to your main property.

In short, an annexe is not considered a separate dwelling when used in the way that the majority of iHus customers use their annexe: to provide an alternative living arrangement for their elderly parents or relatives who still wish to have the freedom of their own home while having the comfort of knowing that their family are immediately close by should they need them.

Can An Annexe be Detached?

Yes! It doesn’t matter whether or not your project forms a part of an existing building (such as an extension or a garage conversion) or if it is a separate building in its own right, it can still be classed as part of the same dwelling.

Planning guidance includes the following information:

Accommodation which is ancillary to the main residential dwelling and used for this purpose. It may be interconnecting within the property as a whole (for instance via doorways) or it may be accessed via a completely separate external entrance, but if it forms separate and additional accommodation for the main house, it will be viewed as an annexe.

Our full range of annexes are detached from the main building of the owner’s home, and thus should be considered the same dwelling.

Can an Annexe Have a Separate Address?

No, Annexes are usually built on the same plot of a main family home and so they do not have an address of their own. However, this should not be seen as an issue – living on the same property as your family makes it easier for post-collection. You may even have your family drop it round for you.

With a property with the same address, you can once again rest easy that it is classed as the same dwelling as the main family home and so the concerns of it being classed as a separate dwelling, need not be an issue.

Do I Need to Pay Council Tax?

This is by far the most popular question we get asked by potential annexe owners, and we’re not surprised, Council Tax is one of your most expensive bills.

Now there are plenty of intricacies involved with this question, so much so we have a full blog post considering annexe council tax, however, the good news is, you likely don’t have to pay a full rate.

Martin Lewis, the Money Saving expert covers this well and states that local councils often give a discount of 50% for those living in annexe property if they are a related member of the family to those living in the main house.

Does My Annex Need Planning Permission?

Yes, absolutely. There are a few circumstances that can mean that planning permission is not needed. However, the majority of the time, if someone is going to be living in the annex, you will need planning permission for the build.

Again, we have covered annexe planning permission in this in a full blog post as there are a number of items you will need to consider when applying, including the size of the build, the specification of the build and your reason for wanting to construct a granny annexe.

While planning can and does add time to the annex build process, we’re highly skilled in helping you gain it. We’re so confident that you will, we offer a full money-back guarantee on all spend with iHus if you do not get the required permission.

Can I Use the Annex as a Holiday Let?

While we live in a time that renting out a property as a holiday let is simple, you cannot build an annexe to do this and still expect it to be classed as a single dwelling for the benefits that come with this.

If you are going down the holiday let route, ensure you have the correct permissions in place. Aside from specific planning permission to do so, you will need to apply for a change of property use on the address.

If you did plan on using your annexe for anything other than a residential solution, you may need to consider the consequences of this separately.

Take The Hassle Away With iHus

There may be other items to consider when you’re putting your plans in place for your perfect annexe build. Let iHus take all the questions away and provide you with the information you need – our team of experts are talking to people across the UK every day that would like an iHus annexe and most questions have been covered before, we’re sure we’ll be able to help you out.

Contact the team today to start your annex journey.