What is it?
A Home Business, Home Occupation or Home Office is a small-scale business or activity operated within a residential property. It must be run by the occupier of the dwelling.
Each use type is defined under the Town of Mosman Park’s Local Planning Scheme No. 3 (LPS3).
Home Business
A dwelling or land around a dwelling used to carry out a business, service or profession, provided it:
- Does not employ more than 2 non-household members
- Does not adversely affect neighbourhood amenity
- Does not exceed 50m² in area
- Does not involve retail sale/display/hire of goods (except online)
- Does not create traffic or parking issues
- Does not involve vehicles over 4.5 tonnes
- Does not use more essential services than normal residential use
Home Occupation
A smaller-scale home-based occupation that:
- Does not employ any non-household members
- Does not impact neighbourhood amenity
- Is limited to 20m²
- Has no signage larger than 0.2m²
- Does not involve on-site retail (online only allowed)
- Does not increase parking or traffic demand
- Does not involve vehicles over 4.5 tonnes
- Does not include vehicle repair, servicing or fuelling
- Does not increase essential service usage
Home Office
A very limited form of home-based work where:
- Work is carried out entirely inside the dwelling
- No clients or customers visit the property
- No signage is displayed
- No external alterations to the dwelling are made
Can I Do It?
Whether these uses are allowed depends on zoning under LPS3:
- P = Permitted use (no approval required if compliant)
- D = Discretionary use (approval required or may be exempt)
| Zone | ||||
| Use Class | Residential | Commercial | Mixed Use | Centre |
| Home Business | D | D | D | D |
| Home Occupation | P | D | P | P |
| Home Office | P | P | P | P |
Note: Not permitted in “Private Clubs, Institutions & Places of Worship” zones.
When is an Application Required?
- Home Occupation: Generally exempt from planning approval if it meets definition requirements
- Home Office: Permitted use and does not require approval if compliant
- Home Business: Requires development approval before operating
Application Requirements (Home Business Only)
If you are applying for a Home Business, you must provide:
- Completed and signed development application form
- Home business management plan including:
- Nature of business
- Operating hours
- Number of staff
- Expected visitors
- Site plan showing parking arrangements
- Floor plan showing the business area within the dwelling
Application and Checklist Form
Key Summary
All home-based business types must:
- Be operated by the resident of the dwelling
- Protect neighbourhood amenity
- Meet strict limits on size, staff, traffic, and signage
- Avoid high-impact commercial activity in residential areas