Adelaide-Metcalfe zoning for small homes
Township of Adelaide-Metcalfe, in the County of Middlesex. Population 3,011 (2021 census).
Backyard suite
A separate home in the yard of a house: garden suite, laneway suite or coach house, including prefab, modular or container units used this way.
Needs approval · Adelaide-Metcalfe’s term: “second dwelling unit (temporary use)”
The zoning by-law permits an accessory dwelling unit only within a single detached dwelling and allows one dwelling per lot, so a detached unit is not permitted as of right. Council has approved detached second dwelling units on specific properties through temporary use by-laws. [1]
- Where allowed
- 'Accessory dwelling unit within a single detached dwelling' is the permitted form (e.g. UR zone s. 11.1); definition limits it to within the structure of a single detached dwelling [1]
- Number allowed
- Not more than one dwelling per lot where single detached dwellings are permitted (s. 5.5) [1]
- Temporary garden suite
- Site-specific temporary use by-laws for second dwelling units with set expiry dates (s. 5.34.2) [1]
- Approvals
- Second dwelling units permitted on specific properties by temporary use by-laws (s. 5.34.2, e.g. T-1, T-9, T-11 to T-17) [1]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario law stops municipalities from banning one residential unit in a building ancillary to a detached house, semi-detached house or rowhouse on a parcel of urban residential land, as long as the lot has no more than three units in total. Municipalities still set most other zoning rules, but provincial law limits parking requirements, minimum unit size, lot coverage and separation distances. These units are also exempt from development charges and parkland dedication. [2][3][4]
Tiny home on a foundation
A small house as the main home on its own lot. The key rule is any minimum dwelling size.
Allowed with limits · Adelaide-Metcalfe’s term: “single detached dwelling”
The Limited Agricultural (LA) zone requires a minimum floor area of 100 m² for a single unit dwelling; the General Agriculture, Rural Residential, Hamlet, Village and Urban Residential zones set no minimum dwelling floor area. [1]
- Minimum dwelling size
- 100 m² minimum floor area, single unit dwelling, Limited Agricultural (LA) zone (s. 7.2) [1]
- Where allowed
- No minimum dwelling floor area in the A, RR, HR, VR or UR zone regulations [1]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario law sets no minimum total size for a house that is the main dwelling. The Building Code sets minimum room areas, so the smallest compliant dwelling is roughly 17.5 m² by the Province's own estimate. Municipalities may still set minimum floor areas for main dwellings in their zoning by-laws. The provincial ban on minimum sizes covers only additional residential units. [2][5][6][7][8][9][10]
Tiny home on wheels or park model
Living full-time in a tiny home on wheels or a park model home.
Not allowed · Adelaide-Metcalfe’s term: “mobile home / major recreational equipment”
The by-law prohibits erecting or using a mobile home in any zone unless specifically permitted, and no zone permits one. Travel trailers and motor homes are 'major recreational equipment' for temporary accommodation, and campgrounds exclude residential dwellings. [1]
- Where allowed
- No zone lists a mobile home as a permitted use [1]
- Temporary garden suite
- Temporary use by-laws have been used for site-specific second dwelling units (s. 5.34.2); none is a general provision [1]
- Approvals
- Prohibited to erect or use a mobile home in any zone for any purpose unless specifically permitted within the zone (s. 5.18) [1]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario has no single rule for living full-time in a tiny home on wheels. A unit on wheels can count as a 'building' that needs a permit and must meet the Building Code once it stays in one place, is hooked up to services or is anchored. Park model trailers are recognized only as seasonal recreational buildings. Municipalities may allow a portable garden suite under a temporary-use by-law for up to 20 years, with extensions of up to 3 years each. [10][5][2][7][6]
Bunkie or sleeping cabin
A small sleeping building with no kitchen, usually beside a cottage or house.
Not allowed · Adelaide-Metcalfe’s term: “accessory building”
Unless otherwise provided, no accessory building may be used for human habitation, and the by-law contains no provision for sleeping cabins or bunkies. The township has no waterfront residential zone. [1]
- Maximum height
- Accessory buildings 5.0 m (s. 5.1.3) [1]
- Approvals
- No accessory building shall be used for human habitation unless otherwise provided (s. 5.1.1) [1]
Ontario-wide rule
Ontario law has no rule written specifically for bunkies or sleeping cabins. Whether one needs a building permit depends on the Building Code Act's definition of 'building' and the Code's shed exemption. That exemption covers only storage-use sheds, so it does not cover a structure used for sleeping. Municipal zoning rules for accessory buildings still apply. [7][5][2][11]
Official links
Last confirmed October 2026.
Notes and caveats
Sources
- Comprehensive Zoning By-law No. 34-2007
- Planning Act (Ontario e-Laws)
- O. Reg. 299/19: Additional residential units (Ontario e-Laws)
- Development Charges Act, 1997 (Ontario e-Laws)
- Government of Ontario PDF
- Build or buy a tiny home: Building Code requirements (Government of Ontario)
- Building Code Act, 1992 (Ontario e-Laws)
- O. Reg. 163/24: Ontario Building Code (Ontario e-Laws)
- 2024 Ontario Building Code (Government of Ontario)
- Build or buy a tiny home: permits and inspections (Government of Ontario)
- Building Code updates (Government of Ontario)
Not legal advice
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Directory pages that cover Adelaide-Metcalfe.