Fort Erie 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 · Fort Erie’s term: “detached accessory dwelling unit”

One detached accessory dwelling unit is permitted on a lot in a residential zone, or a Neighbourhood Development zone, within the Urban Boundary that has full municipal water and sanitary sewer service. Where there is a detached unit, only one more unit is permitted in the main dwelling. [1][2]

Where allowed: Residential zones and Neighbourhood Development (ND) zones in the Urban Boundary with access to full municipal water and sanitary sewer service (s.6.43 b, d). [3]
Number allowed: One detached accessory dwelling unit per lot; if present, only one accessory dwelling unit is permitted in the main dwelling (s.6.43 b). [3]
Maximum size: 40% of the total floor area of the main dwelling or 100 m², whichever is less (s.6.43 g). Maximum lot coverage 15% for a unit in a new accessory building (s.6.43 f). [3]
Maximum height: New accessory building: 2 storeys or the main dwelling's number of storeys, and the main dwelling's height or 8.00 m, whichever is less (s.6.43 f). A unit in an accessory building that existed before By-law 12-2024 (Jan 29, 2024) follows s.6.1(d): 4.5 m and one storey (3.7 m with a flat roof). [3]
Setbacks: Interior side yard only or rear yard. Interior side yard: 1.00 m (1 storey), 1.50 m (1.5 storey), 2.00 m (2 storey). Exterior side yard: 3.00 m (s.6.43 f). [3]
Parking: One on-site parking space per accessory dwelling unit; tandem parking up to two spaces deep is permitted (s.6.43 h). [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. [4][5][6]

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 · Fort Erie’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The base regulations for single detached dwellings in the R1, WR, WRR and RU zones set lot, yard, coverage and height standards but no minimum floor area. Minimum floor areas appear only in some site-specific exceptions. [2][7][8]

Minimum dwelling size: None in the base R1 (s.10.3), WR (s.16.3), WRR (s.16A.3) or RU (s.8.4) regulations. Some site-specific exceptions set minimums, for example WR-68: 185 m², and several RU exceptions: 140 m² for one storey. [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. [4][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Allowed with limits · Fort Erie’s term: “travel trailer / mobile home”

No travel trailer, tent trailer, camper or motor vehicle may be used for living, sleeping or eating accommodation in any zone, except at a public park camping area (up to 8 months), for a caretaker in an industrial zone, or where specifically permitted. A mobile home park exists only by site-specific exception (A-107), and a mobile home or trailer may be lived in temporarily while a dwelling is built in the A, RU or RR zones. [15]

Where allowed: A mobile home park is permitted by site-specific exception A-107 (2233 Eagle Street), with a maximum of 30 sites. [16]
Temporary garden suite: Not provided. Temporary habitation in a mobile home, motor home or tourist trailer is allowed for up to 12 months while a dwelling is built under a valid building permit in the A, RU or RR zones, and for up to 18 months after a dwelling is destroyed (s.6.36). [3]
Approvals: s.6.38(a) prohibits using a travel trailer, pick-up camper, tent trailer, permanently mounted camper, motor vehicle or tent for living, sleeping or eating accommodation, with exceptions in s.6.38(b). [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. [14][9][4][11][10]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Fort Erie’s term: “accessory building”

Accessory buildings may not be used for sleeping or eating accommodations or human habitation unless specifically permitted, and the only such permission is for a detached accessory dwelling unit on serviced urban residential lots. The WRR and rural zones do not permit sleeping cabins. [7]

Approvals: Accessory uses 'shall not include any building used for sleeping or eating accommodations, human habitation except as otherwise specifically permitted' (s.6.1 a). [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. [11][9][4][17]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The by-law is posted as separate section PDFs. The sections read (05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 13, 16, 16A) are headed 'Office Consolidation' with no stated date, and their PDF metadata shows they were modified Feb 18, 2025. Section 6 includes By-law 12-2024 (Jan 29, 2024) on accessory dwelling units. Amendments after Feb 2025 may not be reflected. The Town is reviewing its zoning by-law and developing a Community Planning Permit System (letstalk.forterie.ca); that review was not examined. No official zoning guide for ARUs was found; the inventory ARU link is a building-code handout. The definition of 'mobile home' (s.5.217) excludes vehicles used for permanent year-round occupancy. The section category list was not read to rule out a tourist camp or trailer park zone.

Sources

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Fort Erie 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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