Brock 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 · Brock’s term: “secondary unit (in an accessory building)”

A secondary unit is permitted in a permanent dwelling house, semi-detached house, row townhouse or an accessory building in the RU, RB, RR, HR, SR, R1, R2 and R3 zones. A lot may have one unit in the house and one in an accessory building. [1]

Maximum size: No greater than 50% of the gross floor area of the dwelling house (including floor area below grade); minimum dwelling unit area 32 m² (s. 6 n i, vii) [2]
Maximum height: Accessory buildings in a Residential Zone max 4.0 m (s. 10.1 d) [3]
Setbacks: Accessory buildings in a rear yard at least 1.2 m from interior side and rear lot lines (s. 10.1 h ii); not closer to the street than the main building (s. 10.1 b) [3]
Separation from house: At least 1.8 m from the main building (s. 10.1 c) [3]
Parking: Minimum 1 space for the secondary unit, tandem allowed (s. 6 n iii) [2]
Servicing: Region of Durham Works or Health Department requirements must be met (s. 6 n v) [2]
Where allowed: RU, RB, RR, HR, SR, R1, R2, R3 zones (Plate B, line 9) [4]

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. [5][6][7]

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 · Brock’s term: “permanent family dwelling house”

Plate C sets a minimum gross floor area of 100 m² per dwelling unit for a permanent family dwelling house in the OS, RC, D, HR, SR, R1, R2 and R3 zones. No minimum is set in the Rural (RU), Rural Buffer (RB) or RR zones.

Minimum dwelling size: 100 m² per dwelling unit for a permanent family dwelling house in OS/RC, D, HR, SR and R1/R2/R3 zones; not applicable ('---') in RU/RB and RR zones (Plate C, line 15) [8]
Where allowed: A dwelling house must be permanently affixed and does not include a mobile home or trailer (s. 11.59 a) [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. [5][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Not allowed · Brock’s term: “mobile home / trailer”

A dwelling house is defined to exclude a mobile home or trailer, stored trailers and motor homes may not be used for human habitation, and no zone in Plate B permits a mobile home or trailer park. A garden suite is defined as a temporary use for up to ten years, but no general garden suite permission or procedure was found in the by-law text. [4]

Where allowed: Tourist trailers, motorized mobile homes and truck campers stored on a residential lot may not be used for human habitation (s. 10.27); no truck, bus, coach or structure other than a lawful dwelling unit may be used for human habitation, on wheels or not (s. 10.28) [3]
Temporary garden suite: Defined as a portable one-unit detached structure auxiliary to a single-family dwelling, 'considered a temporary use for a maximum of ten years' (s. 11.87); no zone permission found [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. [14][9][5][11][10]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Brock’s term: “accessory building / cabin”

Accessory buildings may not be used for human habitation except as specifically permitted, and the by-law has no provision for a sleeping cabin accessory to a house. 'Cabin' is defined only for cabin establishments, which are permitted in the Resort Commercial zone. [1][4]

Where allowed: Accessory uses exclude any building used for human habitation except as specifically permitted (s. 10.1 a ii); cabin establishment permitted only in RC zone (Plate B, line 23) [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. [11][9][5][15]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The by-law text is split into section PDFs on the zoning page. The Sections 1-4 cover reads 'As Amended February 18, 2026' (last amendment listed is 3396-2026, passed January 26, 2026); the inventory had 2026-03. The zone maps are dated 2019. No official ARU guide was found. The secondary-unit wording (s. 6 n, By-law 2750-2017-PL) predates the 2022 Planning Act changes; Planning Act s. 35.1 may give broader permissions on serviced urban lots, but this was not confirmed against a municipal source. Plate C was read from the rendered PDF to confirm column alignment.

Sources

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Brock 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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