Edwardsburgh/Cardinal zoning for small homes

Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. Population 7,505 (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 · Edwardsburgh/Cardinal’s term: “additional residential unit”

Where a single, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling is permitted, up to two additional residential units are permitted, one of which may be in an accessory building. They are not permitted in the Limited Services Residential (RLS) zone. [1][2]

Number allowed: Maximum 2 ARUs per lot. On private or partial services: 1 in or attached to the dwelling and 1 in an accessory building. On full services: 2 in the dwelling, or 1 in the dwelling and 1 in an accessory building (s. 4.1) [1]
Where allowed: Wherever a single, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling is permitted; not permitted in the Limited Services Residential (RLS) zone (s. 6.5); driveway access must be from an improved street (s. 4.1.3) [1]
Servicing: Must connect to the same water supply and sewage system as the principal dwelling; on private services, potable water and sewage capacity must be demonstrated before a building permit (s. 4.1) [1]
Maximum height: Accessory buildings in a Residential zone: 5.5 m and 1 storey (s. 3.1.6) [1]
Maximum size: Accessory buildings in a Residential zone: total lot coverage of all accessory buildings 10% (s. 3.1.6) [1]
Setbacks: Interior side or rear yard: 1 m on lots in the Settlement Policy Area, 3 m on all other lots (Residential, Rural and Agriculture zones, s. 3.1.6) [1]
Separation from house: 2 m minimum between a detached accessory building and any other building (s. 3.1.4) [1]
Parking: 1 space per ARU in addition to the principal dwelling's parking; tandem parking allowed (s. 4.1.7) [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. [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 · Edwardsburgh/Cardinal’s term: “tiny house / single dwelling”

A tiny house is permitted as a single dwelling in all zones where a residential use is a permitted principal use, if it meets the zone standards and the Building Code and has a sewage system approval. No minimum dwelling floor area was found in the residential or rural zone provisions. [1]

Minimum dwelling size: No minimum dwelling floor area in the zone provisions; tiny houses permitted as a single dwelling where residential is a permitted principal use (s. 4.11; 'Single Dwelling' definition includes a Tiny House) [1]
Approvals: Sewage system approval required; must meet the zone standards and the Ontario Building Code (s. 4.11) [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. [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 · Edwardsburgh/Cardinal’s term: “mobile home / recreational vehicle”

Mobile homes are prohibited in all zones except as an alternative to a dwelling on an operating farm of at least 40 ha in the Agriculture zone, or by site-specific exception. Recreational vehicles may not be used for human habitation except in a tourist campground or temporarily during construction of a dwelling. [1]

Where allowed: Mobile homes only in the Agriculture (A) zone, 1 mobile home as an alternative to a dwelling on an operating farm of at least 40 ha, or by site-specific exception zone (s. 4.7, s. 13.1) [1]
Temporary garden suite: 'Garden suite' is defined as a portable detached dwelling for which a temporary use by-law has been adopted under the Planning Act; it excludes mobile homes, travel trailers and other recreational vehicles (s. 2) [1]
Approvals: Recreational vehicles may not be used for human habitation except in a tourist campground or as a temporary use (s. 3.12.3); an RV may be occupied during construction or major renovation of a dwelling while a building permit is in force, for at most 2 years (s. 3.22) [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. [11][6][3][8][7]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Edwardsburgh/Cardinal’s term: “accessory building”

The by-law has no sleeping cabin or bunkie provision, and buildings accessory to a residential use may not be used as a dwelling or for human habitation. An additional residential unit in an accessory building is the permitted form. [1]

Kitchen: Accessory buildings shall not be used for human habitation except as specifically permitted (s. 3.1.1); no building or structure accessory to a residential use shall be used as a dwelling or for human habitation (s. 3.12.2) [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. [8][6][3][12]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Read the November 2024 office consolidation. Amendment 2025-22 (domestic fowl / hobby farms), linked from the zoning page, is not in the consolidation but does not affect these topics. Other amendments passed after November 2024 were not checked. No ARU guide found.

Sources

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