Under 30m²
Schedule 1 of the Building Act exempts a single-storey detached building under 30 square metres from building consent. At 11.5m² internal, the RoomDrop® cabin sits well inside that.
Christchurch · Auckland coming soon
More room for your family, without the extension.
A private studio cabin, delivered and set up in your backyard. Room for an adult child, a parent, visiting whānau or a proper home office — in weeks, not months, and without the build.
8 arriving in September in Christchurch. Next batch won't be until December.
- From
- /wk
- Internal
Delivered across Ōtautahi Christchurch
How it works
Four steps from enquiry to keys in hand.
No site works, no builders, no council paperwork. Just extra room where you need it.
- 01
Choose your cabin
One thoughtfully designed 11.5m² studio with everything you need. No configurator overwhelm.
- 02
Check availability
Share your suburb and intended use. We confirm delivery windows and site access within 24 hours.
- 03
We deliver & set up
Lifted into place by truck-mounted crane, levelled and plugged in. You unlock the door and move in.
- 04
Flexible from month six
Six-month minimum, then week-to-week. Extend, shorten, or end the rental — you decide.
The Cabin
Small footprint. Big room to breathe.
Dark charcoal timber-look cladding, black aluminium framing, and a full-height sliding glass door. Fully insulated with 75mm EPS panels in the walls and 50mm in the roof and floor, double-glazed with Australian-made windows and doors, and built on a solid galvanised steel structure. Considered inside and out, so it feels like part of the home — not a temporary shed.
11.5m² is about the size of a generous bedroom. It takes a queen bed lengthwise, a wardrobe and a desk, and you can still walk around all of it.
- Smoke alarm fitted
- Queen bed zone
- Dedicated desk zone
- Wardrobe storage
- 11.5m² internal (13.4m² external)
- 4 power outlets + USB throughout
- Sliding glass door
- Caravan plug lead — fits standard NZ socket
- 75mm EPS wall insulation, 50mm roof & floor
- Two sliding windows (0.93 × 1.10m) + double-glazed Australian joinery
- Wired to NZ standards, certified
- Solid galvanised steel structure
- Timber steps included
Furnished layout
How it lives, by day and night.
Hover or tap a zone to see dimensions.
Furniture shown for illustration only — your cabin is delivered unfurnished.
Overall
5.94 × 2.26m
Internal
11.5m²
Opening
1.94 × 2.28m
NO BUILDING CONSENT
No consent. No council queue. No six-month wait.
This is the part most people don't believe until we explain it. Here's exactly why it's true.
No plumbing
No bathroom, toilet, shower or kitchen sink. Nothing connects to your wastewater or water supply — that's a condition of the exemption, and it's why we designed the cabin without them. Power runs from a plug into a standard outdoor socket.
Built to code, no consent needed
Exempt from consent doesn't mean exempt from standards. The cabin is engineered, insulated and wired to New Zealand requirements — you just skip the consent process, the development contributions and the council processing time.
The trade-off, stated plainly
A bathroom or kitchenette would turn the cabin into a self-contained dwelling — and that means consent, contributions and months of waiting. We chose the version you can have in weeks. Most people are extending a house that already has a bathroom thirty seconds away.
Building consent and your local district plan are two different things. Boundary setbacks, site coverage and height rules still apply, and body corporates, covenants and rental agreements can have their own conditions. Tell us your address and we'll help you check before you commit.
THE ALTERNATIVES
What else were you considering?
Four ways to solve the same problem. Only one of them is reversible.
Build an extension
- Typical cost
- $80,000–$150,000+
- Timeline
- 6–12 months
- Consent needed
- Yes
- Reversible
- No
Build a granny flat
- Typical cost
- $120,000–$250,000
- Timeline
- 9–18 months
- Consent needed
- Yes
- Reversible
- No
Buy a cabin outright
- Typical cost
- $30,000–$60,000
- Timeline
- 8–16 weeks
- Consent needed
- Sometimes
- Reversible
- Resale risk
Rent a RoomDrop®
- Typical cost
- $159 per week
- Timeline
- Days, not months
- Consent needed
- No
- Reversible
- Yes, after the minimum term
Figures are indicative Canterbury ranges for comparison only. Your quotes will vary.
It just turns up, and then there's more room.
No site works, no scaffolding, no six months of someone else's ute in your driveway. A truck arrives in the morning and by lunchtime there's a room in your backyard.
See how it worksUse cases
Built for the way Kiwi families actually live.
More households are stretching to fit more people. RoomDrop® gives everyone a bit of breathing room — without touching the main house.
More NZ families than ever are living multi-generationally — up 27% in the last decade, and 34.5% of families with children now include an adult child at home.
Source: Stats NZ, 2023 Census.
FamilyExtended & multi-generational living
An adult child staying longer, an elderly parent who needs their own space, whānau home for a season. A private room of their own — steps from the main house.
WorkHome office or home-based business
A quiet, separate workspace ten steps from the back door. No commute, no kids on the Zoom call, and a clear line between work and home.
HouseholdTeen or guest space
Give a teenager their own room and get the family lounge back — or keep it ready for visiting family and friends.
Pricing
Simple weekly rent. No surprises.
Choose a term that suits you. Both rates cover the cabin, delivery, setup and ongoing support. Stay flexible for as long as you need it.
Serving Ōtautahi Christchurch now. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland opening soon.
The RoomDrop® cabin
Recommended
6-month term
$159/ week
Our best rate. Six-month minimum, then week-to-week.
3-month term
$189/ week
Shorter commitment, higher weekly rate.
Prices include GST. Power runs off your own supply via a plug lead into a standard outdoor socket — you'll see it on your normal power bill. After the minimum term, week-to-week with four weeks notice either way.
- Delivery, crane placement & levelling
- No building consent required
- Christchurch metro area
- Six or three-month terms
- Servicing & support included
- Insured fleet, wired to NZ standards
What you pay to get started
First week's rent$159
Refundable bond$350
Delivery & setup$0 — free for the founding fleet
To get started$509
The bond comes back to you when the cabin goes home. Collection is included — we don't charge you to end the rental. Delivery & setup is free for the founding fleet (first 8 cabins), then $350 for everyone after.
Delivered & loved
Move-in ready, from the moment it's set down.
Delivered fully set up, ready to use
Insured fleet, serviced and supported
Christchurch now · Auckland soon
Built by
— one of NZ's highest-rated portable home suppliers, with over 110 five-star reviews and warehouses in Christchurch and Auckland.
— one of NZ's highest-rated portable home suppliers, with over 110 five-star reviews and warehouses in Christchurch and Auckland.New brand. Not a new operator.
RoomDrop® is built by Expanders — one of New Zealand's highest-rated portable home suppliers, with over 110 five-star reviews and warehouses in Christchurch and Auckland. Same team, same supply chain, same delivery crews. We're just renting them now instead of selling them.
Customer reviews coming as our first cabins go out.
FAQ
Answers, before you ask.
Still curious about something? Drop us a line and we'll get back to you the same day.
Visit us
Find us in Belfast
Our Christchurch warehouse and display cabin. Come see the cabin in person before you book.
Showroom & warehouse
26 Frank Coxon Road
Belfast, Christchurch 8051
- Open by appointment
Book a viewing through the enquiry form - Easy truck and crane access for deliveries and pickups
- hi@roomdrop.co.nz
Enquire
Check availability in your suburb.
Tell us a little about where you are and what you'd use the cabin for. We'll come back with delivery windows and next steps within one working day.
- · No obligation — we'll just answer your questions.
- · First-in access as Auckland opens up.
- · Same-day reply, real humans.