Low Rise Housing Diversity Code (NSW)
The Low Rise Housing Diversity Code is the NSW CDC pathway for dual occupancies, manor houses, and terraces under Codes SEPP 2008. How it differs from the Housing Code.
Ask Chalkline about this →The Low Rise Housing Diversity Code (LRHDC) is one of the codes within the NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (the Codes SEPP). It is the complying development (CDC) pathway for low-rise medium-density housing types that sit between a single dwelling and an apartment building: dual occupancies, manor houses (small apartment buildings up to four units in one block), and terrace houses (verified 2026-05-28, NSW Planning Portal).
What it does
A project that meets every LRHDC standard can be approved as a CDC (typically 20 days) instead of going through a council-assessed DA (months). Where the Housing Code within the same Codes SEPP covers single dwellings in residential zones, the LRHDC covers the medium-density step up (two or more dwellings on one lot, in a low-rise form). The two codes sit side by side in Codes SEPP 2008 with distinct development standards, eligibility, and Design Guide.
Where it applies
The LRHDC is targeted at the R1, R2, and R3 residential zones (low-density to medium-density residential), with eligibility further constrained by:
- Lot size and frontage: a minimum lot size set by the council’s Local Environmental Plan, or 400 m² with a 15 m frontage where the LEP is silent, for a dual occupancy.
- Council carve-outs: some councils opted out of parts of the LRHDC, so the zone alone is not enough.
- Codes SEPP exclusions: bushfire-prone land, flood planning areas, heritage listings, acid sulfate soil risk, and the other standard CDC exclusions still apply.
The 2024 and 2025 Low and Mid-Rise (LMR) Housing Policy reforms expanded the broader CDC framework for medium-density and mid-rise housing around designated centres and transport nodes; the LRHDC was adjusted as part of that package. Check the current Codes SEPP and NSW Planning Portal for the up-to-date eligibility map.
How it differs from the Housing Code
| Housing Code | Low Rise Housing Diversity Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling type | Single dwelling (and dual occupancy attached) | Dual occupancy, manor house, terrace |
| Zones | R1, R2, R3, R4, RU5 | R1, R2, R3 (with eligibility constraints) |
| Form | 1 to 2 storeys, single dwelling | Up to 2 storeys, multiple dwellings on one lot |
| Standards | Housing Code DTS | LRHDC DTS + Low Rise Housing Diversity Design Guide |
The LRHDC’s specific development standards (height, FSR, setbacks, landscaping, deep soil) live in the Codes SEPP and the Design Guide, see CDC NSW for the current numbers.
Why it matters
For builders and clients pursuing dual occupancies, manor houses, or terraces in NSW, the LRHDC is the difference between a 20-day CDC approval and a multi-month DA. It is also the difference between a project that has to comply with the code’s specific design standards (height, FSR, deep soil, landscaping) and one that goes through merit assessment against the LEP and DCP. The trade-off is conformity for speed.
Also known as: LRHDC, Low Rise Medium Density Housing Code (former name), Diversity Code.
Category: Planning / NSW CDC
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See also
Last updated: 2026-05-28. Verified: 2026-05-28. Quarterly review for currency.