Does anyone know how close a 2 storey building can be built from your rear fenceline?

[Guest]

Our neighbours are building one less than 1m from our fence and they’ll be able to see into our backyard and house (their house is already on an elevation and now will be towering over ours).

Any experience with this would be greatly appreciated.

We are in the inner suburbs of Perth in R15 zoning.

[Alana]

Check with your local council. All councils are different. Will also depend on what your area is zoned (medium density/high density etc).

[Jasmine]

I have a property behind me in Brisbane that will likely sell and split into 2x 400m blocks. The developer will likely build 2 huge modern box houses with high ceilings that will tower over my yard. That sale is years away yet. So I have planted a wall of 15m high native fast growingtrees on my side of the property to create a screen. They should be pretty tall by the time the boxes are moved into.

[Stacey]

Also make sure you check your access to sunlight, you have to be able to receive a minimum of 3 hours sunlight to more than 50% of your private open space, someone attempting to build behind me was told to change their roof structure as they didn’t take into account existing buildings to the side of me and the shadow fall from their build would mean I didn’t achieve sunlight to my yard for the minimum of 3 hours during winter, they were 5mtrs off my boundary, so depending which way your house faces this could impact your property.

[Sanda]

The rules in Vic means they will have to have frosted glass windows to prevent looking into your back yard. Sometimes you have to push it with the council, we noticed that sometimes new houses dont have it (maybe because its easier to sell or maybe they forget) . But def if they dont have them, bring it up with the council. You can find lots of details online.

[Kaine]

Way to many variables, and without the exact information on every aspect no one can be correct.

Even if someone thinks they know the minimum allowed, there is also dispensation or justifications to allow the "recommended" minimum to be reduced.

Ring the council and discuss with the planners.

[KJ ~]

Check overlook provisions . In our suburb in inner city Melbourne you can build to boundary but can't overlook another private space within six or seven Meters - but every council will have different requirements so it's best to call them to ask what is allowed and ask where you can find the written rules on their website or in person for you to consider further. Good luck. No one wants others looking directly in their backyard!

[Louise]

We just added a double story extension and the top half had to be a minimum 1.8m off the boundary but that was a side boundary not sure if that’s the same for the backyard.

[Anna]

If you feel it’s really going to affect your life’s in your house, might be worth getting a property lawyer to look over the DA submission once you are notified as neighbours (your chance to object). Give him/her the things you really don’t like the impact of in the design, and they’ll look for the legalities under various property laws for means to object. The council will be open to objections in relation to: access to sunlight (minimum 3hrs in each habitable room) via shadow diagrams, privacy concerns (overlooking), whether it’s in keeping with the street, noise/light pollution, and visible bulk (aesthetics).

Unless it’s a CDC, which is considered ‘complying’ and does not go through this process.

Each council is different mind you.

[Kate]

This happened to us in QLD...the neighbour gave us no warning, one day we came home and they had trucked in and restumped a house less than a metre from our fence. It looked straight in to our outdoor area and living room

The owner was an absolute dick. Spoke to council who advised nothing they can do as it was through a private certifier. Our other neighbour was beyond mad, the house towered over their pool (with young children).

In the end all we could was demand privacy screens on all the windows, frosted windows and hedging to increase privacy.

It was very testy between the neighbours for a long time.