Clarington 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 · Clarington’s term: “additional dwelling unit (in an accessory building)”

Additional dwelling units are permitted in any legally permitted single detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling and in an accessory building on the same lot, up to three units in total per lot. They are not permitted in the Environmental Protection zone, and in the Greenbelt Protected Countryside only in buildings that existed (or had permits) by July 1, 2017. [1]

Number allowed: Maximum total of three dwelling units on a lot (s. 3.2 a) [2]
Maximum size: Floor area of the unit must be less than the floor area of the principal residential building; lot coverage of 10% for the unit or the zone maximum, whichever is less (s. 3.2 f) [2]
Maximum height: 5.25 m in Urban Residential zones; 6.5 m in Agricultural and Rural Residential zones (s. 3.2 f ii d) [2]
Setbacks: Zone front and exterior side yard setbacks for residential uses; minimum 1.8 m rear and interior side yard (s. 3.2 f ii) [2]
Parking: 1 parking space for each additional dwelling unit or garden suite (s. 3.16 parking table) [2]
Where allowed: Not in the EP zone; on Greenbelt Protected Countryside lands only within buildings existing or permitted before July 1, 2017 (s. 3.2 b, c) [2]
Approvals: Additional dwelling units must be registered with the Municipality (s. 3.2 g) [2]

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. [3][4][5]

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 · Clarington’s term: “single detached dwelling”

By-law 84-63 sets minimum dwelling sizes for single detached dwellings in its residential and rural zones, all above 37 m².

Minimum dwelling size: R1 and R2: 85 m² (1 storey or split level), 100 m² (1½ or 2 storey) (s. 12.2 e, 13.2 d) [2]
Minimum dwelling size: Rural Cluster (RC) and Residential Hamlet (RH): 110 m²; Residential Estate (RE): 165 m²; Residential Shoreline (RS): 110 m² (75 m² for a seasonal dwelling) (s. 7.2, 8.2, 9.2, 11.2) [2]
Minimum dwelling size: Agricultural (A): residential buildings follow the RH zone (110 m²); an additional farm-employee dwelling and converted dwellings 60 m² (s. 6.2) [2]

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. [3][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Allowed with limits · Clarington’s term: “mobile home / mobile recreational trailer”

The definition of dwelling excludes tents, trailers and mobile homes; mobile homes are provided for only in mobile home parks in the Residential Mobile Home Park (RM) zone. The by-law defines a temporary, portable garden suite and sets parking for it but grants no general as-of-right permission. [12]

Where allowed: RM zone: mobile home park up to 7 mobile homes per hectare; each mobile home minimum 60 m² floor area, 325 m² minimum site (s. 10) [2]
Temporary garden suite: 'Garden Suite' defined as a self-contained temporary dwelling unit designed to be portable; 1 parking space required; permitted only by site-specific provisions (e.g. A-49 exception) [2]

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. [11][6][3][8][7]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

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

Accessory buildings and uses do not include any building used for human habitation except as specifically permitted, and the by-law contains no sleeping-cabin permission; an accessory building may be used for habitation only as an additional dwelling unit.

Kitchen: Not applicable: s. 3.1 a ii excludes 'any building used for human habitation except as is specifically permitted' [2]
Maximum size: General accessory buildings (rural/agricultural zones): 120 m² on lots of 2 ha or more, 90 m² on smaller lots; height 3 m (≤10 m² floor area) or 4.5 m (s. 3.1 c table) [2]

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. [8][6][3][13]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The posted 84-63 text has no stated consolidation date (latest amendment noted is By-law 2023-058); the inventory notes the Municipality says posted texts are out of date and not official (eMap consolidated to 2024-01-01). 84-63 applies south of the Oak Ridges Moraine; ORM lands are under By-law 2005-109 (title page 'last revised December 2010', page footers 'Last Update May 2016'), which predates the 2021 ADU amendments, permits only in-house apartments, prohibits mobile homes/RVs/recreational trailers as dwellings in all zones (s. 5.13), allows them as temporary living quarters up to six months during construction (s. 5.12) and bars habitation in accessory buildings (s. 4.1.2). Provincial ADU permissions (Planning Act) may apply regardless; not assessed.

Sources

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Clarington 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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