Big Plans for Tiny Homes: Government Greenlights Homes Without Planning Permission

Remember when we laughed at Tom Hanks in Big—a grown man acting like a child? Well, fast forward to 2025, and it turns out being a big kid isn’t so funny when you’re 40 and still living in your childhood bedroom. But fear not, because the Government has a new plan that might just make that situation a little less tragic: back garden cabins, no planning permission required.

In an effort to ease the housing crisis (which still isn’t ideal, but here we are), the Government is considering relaxing planning rules for modular homes and cabins in back gardens. Under current laws, you can build a 40sq m extension without approval—but if that extension is a standalone structure, you need permission. The new plan would change that, allowing people to pop up a cabin without the usual red tape.

The idea is that younger people struggling to buy a home can rent or perhaps buy a “cosy” (read the title again: tiny) garden retreat, giving them a bit of independence—because, let’s be honest, a separate front door is the dream when the alternative is sneaking in like one of the Wet Bandits from ‘Home Alone’ every time you come home from a night out. No more tiptoeing past a light-sleeping landlord or bracing for the dreaded “And what time do you call this?” interrogation.

Some details still need ironing out, like whether these garden homes could be sold separately. But for now, it’s at least a step up from sleeping on your mate’s couch—because if you’re going to be stuck renting in Dublin, you might as well have your own door (and, hopefully, soundproof walls).