Brant zoning for small homes

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.

Allowed with limits · Brant’s term: “additional residential unit (ARU) in a detached accessory structure”

Detached additional residential units are permitted where full municipal water and sanitary services with capacity are available, or on privately serviced lots of at least 0.4 ha with a well and septic report. A detached ARU must meet the accessory building rules, and rural ARUs outside settlement areas have additional location limits. [1][2]

Servicing: Full municipal water and sanitary services with capacity verified by the County (s.4.5 a)); or private well and septic with a well and septic report at building permit (s.4.5 b)) [3]
Minimum lot size: 0.4 ha where on private well and septic services (s.4.5 b) ii)) [3]
Number allowed: Fully serviced: up to four units per lot, with up to two ARUs in a detached accessory structure (s.4.5 a) iv)). Partial/private services: up to two ARUs per lot (rural ARU guide) [3]
Maximum size: Accessory lot coverage: Urban Residential zones 15% of lot area; other Residential zones the lesser of 15% of lot area or 140 m²; all other zones 5% of lot area (Table 4.4.1) [3]
Maximum height: Urban Residential zones: 6.5 m for habitable structures; other Residential zones 5.0 m; all other zones 7.0 m (Table 4.4.1) [3]
Setbacks: Urban Residential zones: 1.2 m side/rear for structures up to 4.5 m high, 3 m over 4.5 m; other Residential zones 1.5 m; all other zones 3.0 m (Table 4.4.1) [3]
Separation from house: Outside settlement areas: within 40.0 m of the primary dwelling or within the existing building cluster; development area not exceeding 450 m² (s.4.5 b) x)) [3]
Parking: One additional parking space (s.4.5 a) v), b) iv)) [3]

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. [4][5][6]

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 · Brant’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The zone requirement tables for the agricultural, urban residential and non-urban residential zones set no minimum dwelling floor area. A single detached dwelling as defined does not include a mobile home.

Minimum dwelling size: None in the general zone requirement tables (Tables 7.2.1, 8.2.1, 9.2.1); some site-specific exceptions set one (e.g. SR-27) [3]

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. [4][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

Living full-time in a tiny home on wheels or a park model home.

Needs approval · Brant’s term: “trailer / recreational vehicle / garden suite”

Using trailers or recreational vehicles for living is prohibited in all zones, and a recreational vehicle (including a park model trailer) may not be used as a principal residence; recreational trailer parks are for recreational, not main-residence, use. A portable garden suite requires a site-specific temporary zoning by-law amendment.

Where allowed: s.4.41 y): use of temporary structures including trailers or recreational vehicles for the purposes of living is prohibited (limited exceptions for tents) [3]
Where allowed: Recreational vehicle definition: shall not be used as a principal residence; includes park model trailers [3]
Temporary garden suite: Only where a site-specific temporary zoning by-law amendment is approved; one per lot, accessory to an existing single detached dwelling; one extra parking space; within 40.0 m of the dwelling in the Agricultural zone (s.4.11) [3]

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. [12][7][4][9][8]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

A small sleeping building with no kitchen, usually beside a cottage or house.

Not addressed

The by-law does not define or regulate sleeping cabins or bunkies. Detached accessory buildings follow the accessory building rules in Section 4.4, and any self-contained unit would fall under the additional residential unit rules.

Maximum height: Accessory buildings: Urban Residential zones 4.5 m non-habitable / 6.5 m habitable; other Residential zones 5.0 m; all other zones 7.0 m (Table 4.4.1) [3]

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. [9][7][4][13]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Single-tier County of Brant (not 'City'). Office consolidation August 2025 includes amending by-laws passed up to August 29, 2025 (including By-law 47-25, four units as-of-right). The by-law sets no fixed maximum floor area for detached ARUs; size is governed by accessory lot coverage (Table 4.4.1). Separate urban and rural ARU guides (Aug 2025) exist.

Sources

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Brant zoning for small homes

Backyard suite

Ontario-wide rule

Tiny home on a foundation

Ontario-wide rule

Tiny home on wheels or park model

Ontario-wide rule

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

Ontario-wide rule

Official links

Sources

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