Clearview zoning for small homes
Township of Clearview, in the County of Simcoe. Population 14,814 (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.
Allowed with limits · Clearview’s term: “accessory dwelling unit in an accessory building (detached accessory dwelling unit)”
Zoning By-law 06-54 permits a detached accessory dwelling unit only in the Agricultural (AG) and Rural (RU) zones; in residential zones an accessory dwelling unit is permitted only within the main dwelling, except on a few site-specific exception properties. The Township's zoning by-law review page states the current by-law allows only one attached additional unit in residential zones. Ontario's Planning Act (s. 35.1) overrides zoning provisions that would prohibit one unit in a building ancillary to a house on serviced urban land. [1][2]
- Where allowed
- Detached accessory dwelling unit permitted in an accessory building in the Agricultural (AG) and Rural (RU) zones where there is no separate farm help accommodation building (s. 3.1.2 q, s. 3.5.2 n) [3]
- Maximum size
- Habitable living space no more than 111 m² (s. 2.5.1 a); in an accessory building also no more than 50% of the gross floor area of the principal residence (s. 3.1.2 q, s. 3.5.2 n) [3]
- Separation from house
- No further than 50 m from the primary dwelling (s. 2.5.2 a) [3]
- Number allowed
- Detached unit only where there is no separate farm help accommodation or attached accessory dwelling unit on the lot (s. 2.5.2 b) [3]
- Parking
- 1 parking space (s. 2.5.1 f) [3]
- Servicing
- Township must be satisfied that adequate services exist, or an agreement to provide them has been entered into (s. 2.5.1 h) [3]
- Kitchen
- Separate sanitary and kitchen facilities from the principal dwelling unit (s. 2.5.1 c) [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. [2][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 · Clearview’s term: “single detached dwelling”
Section 2.10.2 sets a minimum dwelling unit area of 100 m² for single detached dwellings township-wide, and the Residential Estate (RE) zone requires a minimum gross floor area of 120 m².
- Minimum dwelling size
- Single detached dwellings: 100 m² minimum dwelling unit area (s. 2.10.2 a); semi-detached, linked and duplex: 90 m²; townhouse/triplex-sixplex units: 80 m²; all other dwelling units: 37 m² plus 9 m² per bedroom [3]
- Minimum dwelling size
- Residential Estate (RE) zone: minimum gross floor area for a single detached dwelling 120 m² (s. 3.7.2 i) [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. [2][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.
Not allowed · Clearview’s term: “recreational vehicle / trailer / mobile home”
Section 2.35 prohibits recreational vehicles as a permanent residence and allows habitation of a recreational vehicle only in a permitted camping establishment, trailer park or mobile home park where habitation is temporary or seasonal; no zone in the by-law lists a mobile home park or mobile home dwelling as a permitted use. Garden suites appear only as site-specific permissions, in some cases subject to a temporary use by-law.
- Where allowed
- Recreational vehicle habitation only in a permitted camping establishment, trailer park or mobile home park, and only where habitation is temporary or seasonal (s. 2.35 d) [3]
- Temporary garden suite
- No general garden suite provision; 'Garden Suite' and 'Garden Suite subject to a Temporary Use By-law' appear only in site-specific Agricultural zone exceptions (e.g. AG-1) [3]
- Approvals
- Prohibited in all zones: recreational vehicles used as a permanent residence (s. 2.35 b); use of any structure, vehicle, shipping container or rail car for human habitation (s. 2.35 e) [3]
- Approvals
- A travel trailer/motorhome may be occupied while a new dwelling is being built, under an agreement with the Municipality (s. 2.31) [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. [11][6][2][8][7]
Bunkie or sleeping cabin
A small sleeping building with no kitchen, usually beside a cottage or house.
Not allowed · Clearview’s term: “accessory building”
The by-law prohibits use of any accessory building for human habitation except where specifically permitted (s. 2.35 f and the definition of accessory building), and it contains no provision permitting sleeping cabins or bunkies.
- Approvals
- 'The use of any accessory building for human habitation, except where specifically permitted' is listed as a use prohibited in all zones (s. 2.35 f) [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. [8][6][2][12]
Official links
Last confirmed October 2026.
Notes and caveats
Sources
- Township of Clearview web page (clearview.ca)
- Planning Act (Ontario e-Laws)
- Zoning By-law 06-54
- 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 Clearview.