Burlington 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 · Burlington’s term: “additional residential unit – detached”

Up to three additional residential units are permitted on a parcel of urban residential land, and up to two of them may be detached units in one accessory building. Additional residential units are only permitted on lots with municipal water and sewer, so lots on wells or septic, including rural properties, do not qualify. [1][2]

Maximum size: 80 m² gross floor area; in the LN5 and LN6 zones, 15% of the lot area (By-law 09-2026, s.5.14 Table 2) [3]
Maximum height: 7 m for a peaked roof; 6 m for a flat roof [3]
Setbacks: 1.2 m from interior side and rear lot lines, except 3 m for the portion of the building above 4.6 m (peaked roof) or 3.5 m (flat roof); exterior side yard same as for the principal building; not permitted in a front yard or required exterior side yard [3]
Separation from house: Minimum 4 m from the principal building [3]
Number allowed: Up to 3 additional residential units per parcel, of which up to 2 may be detached; maximum one accessory building containing additional residential units [3]
Parking: 0 spaces for the first additional residential unit; 1 space each for the second and third; tandem spaces permitted [4]
Servicing: Only on a 'parcel of urban residential land' served by municipal sewage works and a municipal drinking water system; the City states ARUs are not permitted on properties with private water or sewer (well, cistern, septic) [5]
Approvals: Building permit; 1.2 m wide unobstructed pedestrian access from the street to the unit's entrance is required [6]

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. [7][8][9]

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 · Burlington’s term: “detached dwelling”

The residential by-law sets no minimum dwelling unit floor area for detached dwellings in the LN1–LN6 zones, and none was found in the rural (RA/RG) zone rules of By-law 2020. Instead, the zone's minimum lot area and frontage, yards, lot coverage and height limits apply. [10]

Minimum dwelling size: None specified; Table 8 (LN1–LN6 detached dwellings) regulates lot area (225–925 m²), frontage, yards, coverage and height only [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. [7][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Not allowed · Burlington’s term: “mobile home / trailer / recreational vehicle”

Both by-laws prohibit using trailers or recreational vehicles for human habitation, apart from short special-occasion and emergency exceptions. Mobile homes are defined but are not a permitted use in any zone reviewed, and the 09-2026 by-law excludes mobile homes, trailers and vehicles from the definition of 'building'. [17]

Where allowed: No zone reviewed lists mobile homes or trailer parks as a permitted use [4]
Approvals: s.5.31: 'The use of temporary structures, tents, trailers or recreational vehicles for human habitation ... is prohibited' except listed short-term uses [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. [16][11][7][13][12]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Burlington’s term: “accessory building”

Accessory buildings may not be used for habitation unless they are an approved additional residential unit. That excludes a sleeping-only bunkie in the residential zones, and By-law 2020 (rural zones) defines accessory buildings as not used for human habitation.

Where allowed: By-law 2020 definition: accessory building is 'not used for human habitation, unless it has been approved as an additional residential unit' [18]
Approvals: By-law 09-2026 s.5.2(a): 'An accessory building or structure shall not be used for habitation except as an additional residential unit - detached' [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. [13][11][7][19]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Two zoning by-laws are in force. Residential Zoning By-law 09-2026 came into force on March 2, 2026 (consolidation dated May 2026) and covers the LN/HN residential zones. Zoning By-law 2020 still covers the rural, North Aldershot, commercial, mixed-use, downtown and uptown zones; its own ARU provisions (s.2.21(u)) allow an 80 m² accessory-building ARU. The City's ARU FAQ (rev. Feb 2025) still refers to By-law 2020. The ARU page lists 'permanent tiny homes' as an example of an ARU. Lands in the Niagara Escarpment Commission area are subject to NEC development control. Part 6 (parking) was read in the full consolidation, not the separate part PDF.

Sources

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Burlington 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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