Restrictions on who can live in granny flats will be removed so secondary dwellings can be rented on the open market, according to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
"I know the rental market is tough and, right now, homeowners can't rent secondary dwellings to anyone other than immediate family," she said in a Facebook post on Friday.
"Changing this will mean many cheaper properties will enter the rental market, helping thousands of people across our state."
Legislation isn't required to make the change and regulations could be amended immediately.
Planning Minister Steven Miles said the easiest way to get housing stock on the market was to focus on dwellings that already existed amid a shortage of builders and building supplies.
"We've all been saddened to hear the stories about people sleeping in their cars, mums sleeping in their cars, sometimes granny sleeping in their cars," he said.
"This is our chance to get those grannies out of cars and into granny flats."
The changes will be reviewed after three years to ensure there are no unintended consequences.
"Each homeowner will of course need to ensure their secondary dwelling complies with fire and building provisions so accommodation for renters is safe," Mr Miles said.
The change follows a roundtable held last week ahead of a housing summit on October 20.
Other potential changes include minimum requirements for affordable housing in new developments.
Stakeholders say significant increases in social housing levels are needed.
The Queensland Council of Social Service has said at least 5000 new social housing dwellings need to be built every year for the next decade to solve the crisis.
"Right now, we have about 50,000 people waiting on the social housing register and a growing number of Queenslanders presenting to community services desperately needing help with housing," chief executive Aimee McVeigh said last week.
Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch said the latest data showed a stabilisation of the state's social housing register.
"We're seeing almost 500 fewer households and over 4000 fewer people on the register compared to this time last year," she said on Friday.
Single people, including those aged over 55, make up the majority of those on the register, Ms Enoch said.
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