Tiny homes have existed ‘under the radar’. But changing rules are making the lifestyle more permanent.

Kathryn McGoldrick had moved 15 times in five years when she decided to take the leap into tiny house living. But she soon realised it wasn’t going to quite achieve the housing security she had been yearning for.

The 66-year-old, who lives in the central Victorian town of Castlemaine, couldn’t park her tiny home on wheels on a property for more than 30 days unless she got a permit, which lasts six months and can only be extended for up to two years.

That changed in July this year when the council, Mount Alexandra Shire, became among the first in Australia to allow its residents to live in a tiny home indefinitely.