Dysart et al zoning for small homes

Municipality of Dysart et al, in the County of Haliburton. Population 7,182 (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 · Dysart et al’s term: “additional dwelling unit”

An additional dwelling unit, including one in an accessory structure, is permitted in the RR, RS, R1, R2, R3, RU1 and RU2 zones but not in the Waterfront Residential (WR) zones. It needs frontage on a fully maintained street, only one is allowed on lots without full municipal services, and it cannot be used as a short-term rental.

Where allowed: RR, RS, R1, R2, R3 (s. 5.1) and RU1, RU2 (s. 9.1); not WR1-WR6/WR3L-WR6L, RU1L or RU3 [1]
Number allowed: 1 additional dwelling unit per lot in these zones; maximum one where not on full municipal water and sewage (s. 3.1 c iii, 5.2, 9.2) [1]
Maximum size: Gross floor area not greater than 75% of the main dwelling unit; no minimum floor area (s. 3.1 c x, xi) [1]
Setbacks: Must meet the main dwelling's lot line setbacks; no part in the front yard (s. 3.1 c vii, viii) [1]
Minimum lot size: In RS, R1, R2, R3: if not on sanitary sewer and the front lot line is a shoreline, 4,000 m² lot and 30 m frontage (s. 5.1 note b) [1]
Servicing: Well and septic report required with the building permit on lots without full municipal services; not within 300 m of an at-capacity lake trout lake (s. 3.1 c iv, ix) [1]
Parking: Minimum one additional parking space (s. 3.1 c vi) [1]

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][3][4]

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 · Dysart et al’s term: “single-family dwelling”

Waterfront Residential, Suburban and Urban Residential zones require a minimum dwelling unit area of 55 m²; the Rural Residential (RR) and Rural (RU) zones set no minimum.

Minimum dwelling size: 55 m² in WR1-WR6 (incl. L zones), RS, R1, R2 and R3 (s. 5.2 tables) [1]
Minimum dwelling size: No minimum in RR and RU1, RU1L, RU2, RU3 (s. 5.2, 9.2) [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. [2][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Not allowed · Dysart et al’s term: “mobile home / park model trailer / tourist trailer”

A dwelling is defined to exclude a vehicle, a mobile home and a park model trailer, and no zone permits mobile homes or trailers as dwellings except a few site-specific exceptions. A trailer may be occupied by the owner for up to 12 months while a new dwelling is built under a permit.

Where allowed: No mobile home or trailer park zone; a mobile home is listed only in site-specific exceptions (e.g. CT-2, one per lot) (s. 2.26, 7.3.3.2) [1]
Temporary garden suite: Garden suites under Planning Act s. 39.1 appear only in site-specific exception zones (e.g. RR-15, R1-5); no general permission [1]
Approvals: Trailer occupancy during construction of a new dwelling: up to 12 months after building permit issuance (s. 3.4 b) [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. [10][5][2][7][6]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Allowed · Dysart et al’s term: “private cabin”

A private cabin (detached sleeping accommodation with no kitchen, may include a washroom; includes a yurt) is permitted in the Waterfront Residential, RR, RS and Rural zones, one per lot, but not in R1-R3.

Where allowed: WR1-WR6 (incl. L zones), RR, RS (s. 5.1); RU1, RU1L, RU2 (s. 9.1) [1]
Number allowed: 1 private cabin per lot (s. 5.2, 9.2) [1]
Maximum size: 45 m² gross floor area (verandas included); decks/patios within 2 m limited to 15 m² (s. 3.1 e) [1]
Maximum height: One storey, or one storey of a two-storey accessory building; one-storey accessory buildings max 5.5 m in WR zones (s. 3.1 e ii, 5.2) [1]
Kitchen: No kitchen or cooking facilities; sanitary facilities may be provided; not used for monetary gain (s. 2.138) [1]
Setbacks: Must meet the main building's lot line setbacks; not in a front yard abutting a shoreline (s. 3.1 e) [1]

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. [7][5][2][11]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Office consolidation dated September 22, 2026 (latest amendments cited include 2026-59). Permitted-use table columns were verified against the rendered PDF page. No official ARU guide page was identified. In RU1 and RU1L a private cabin may be a principal residential use (note a, 30 m setback from an improved street).

Sources

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