The WA government says its new relaxed granny flat requirements, which came into effect yesterday and allows for no minimum lot requirement, will improve housing supply.

The Planning Department laws also remove requirements for extra parking bays, and the need for an ancillary dwelling to have a compatible design with the main house.

South Fremantle renter Melanija Grike says living in a granny flat is a great experience that more people should try.

“I think its great to have a place of your own,” she says.

“It’s good way to try living independently, especially if you’re trying to move out of a friend’s place, it could be a good first place to do it because renting a house just to yourself is impossible. “

Melanija, 25, says she has been renting a house in South Fremantle with her mother and sister for the past four years but they now have to move out.

“My family is being evicted from the house we have been staying in. Our landlord said he wants to move back into the house but we’ve been pretty lucky,” she says.

“We haven’t had any of the rent increases, it’s been $500 a week for four years, but now I can feel the pressure of how hard it is to find a house.”

Melanija says her family tried to find a place where they could continue to live together, but they haven’t been accepted at any of the houses they applied to.

She says she will instead move by herself into a granny flat on the same street.

“I rented there before so the landlord knows me already and it’s a nice place and I also don’t love the idea of share-houses, which is my next option financially,” she says.

“The rent is pretty good where I’m going and it’s near my family and near where I work.”

Melanija works at an Italian restaurant on South Terrace where she waitresses and makes cocktails.

She says part of her new deal will include the partial care of the landlord’s pet goats.

“I don’t mind taking care of Bert and Ernie, I think it’s a really great place, especially with them a part of it,” she says.

Housing Industry Association executive director Michael McGowan says the new laws are an important step to ramp up housing supply, but ancillary dwellings might not suit every renter’s needs.

“I certainly don’t think it’s for everyone, but I think there’s certainly benefits to granny flats like having your own space and particularly being able to live in areas that may not have been previously accessible for renters,” he says.

“Apartment living certainly is not for everyone in much the same way, it’s not going to suit everyone, but the more housing and the more opportunities, the more more diversity that’s out there for choice is certainly a benefit for people.”

Ross&Galloway real estate agent Jenny Bradshaw says the change could be great for housing supply.

“If these residences can be created and be pumping out quick it could be fantastic,” she says.

Jenny says any change to help relieve the housing market would be a good idea, but the government needs to consider building constraints and applying leniency to property owners.

“It all depends on how long it will take for these places to be built though,” she says.

“At the moment I’m building a house and it’s probably going to take two years, one of the girls in the office is up to three years now waiting.

“If we have companies from over east that can actually build flat-packs and drop them in rather than trying to fully construct on site it could move quicker,” Jenny says.

Planning Minister John Carey says the government will continue to take actions to improve housing supply.

“This is just one of the major reforms to Western Australia’s planning system that aim to accelerate the delivery of diverse housing supply across the state,” he says.