Horton zoning for small homes

Township of Horton, in the County of Renfrew. Population 3,182 (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 · Horton’s term: “coach house (secondary dwelling unit)”

One secondary dwelling unit, including a detached coach house, is permitted in zones that allow single detached dwellings, but lots on private services must be at least 0.8 ha and units are not permitted on waterfront lots or within 30 m of a waterbody. [1]

Minimum lot size: 0.8 ha on lots with private services; lots of 2 ha or less must share the primary dwelling's water and/or septic; 0.4–0.8 ha only by minor variance (s.3.35 b)) [1]
Maximum size: Gross floor area less than the primary dwelling; coach house footprint not greater than the primary unit's footprint (s.3.35 c)) [1]
Maximum height: Permitted height of an accessory building (s.3.35 d) d.): 5.0 m in any Residential Zone (s.3.3.5) [1]
Setbacks: Primary dwelling side and rear yards apply; not in the minimum front yard in RU/A zones or in any front yard in other zones (s.3.35 d)) [1]
Parking: Minimum one parking space, may be tandem (s.3.35 f)) [1]
Number allowed: One secondary dwelling unit per primary dwelling unit (s.3.35 g)) [1]
Where allowed: Not in floodway, EP zone, within 30 m of the high water mark, on waterfront lots, or within 300 m of an 'at capacity' lake; waterfront only by minor variance (s.3.35 h), l)) [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 · Horton’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The zones set a minimum dwelling unit area of 75 m² in R1 and 65 m² in R2, LSR and Rural. [1]

Minimum dwelling size: Dwelling Unit Area (minimum): 75 m² in R1 (s.5); 65 m² in R2 (s.6), LSR (s.7) and RU (s.16) [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.

Allowed with limits · Horton’s term: “mobile home / recreational vehicle”

Mobile homes are prohibited on individual lots except in the Mobile Home Park (MHP) zone, and no recreational vehicle or trailer may be used as a primary residence. An RV or trailer may be placed on a vacant waterfront lot for up to 3 years with an approved sewage system. [1]

Where allowed: Mobile homes prohibited on individual lots except in a Mobile Home Park (MHP) zone (s.3.16) [1]
Number allowed: RV or trailer permitted on a vacant waterfront lot for a period of 3 years, with a sewage system approved by the Municipality's Sewage System Authority (s.3.20) [1]
Minimum dwelling size: MHP zone: mobile home minimum dwelling unit area 55 m² (s.8) [1]
Approvals: No truck, bus, coach, vehicle, recreational vehicle or trailer shall be used as a primary residence for permanent human habitation (s.3.20) [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.

Not allowed · Horton’s term: “sleep cabin”

'Sleep cabin' is defined (no more than two sleeping rooms, no cooking facilities), but no zone permits it generally and accessory buildings may not be used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use. Sleep cabins appear only in site-specific exception zones (e.g. LSR-E11, max 34 m²). [1]

Where allowed: No accessory building or structure shall be used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use (s.3.3.2); sleep cabin permitted only by site-specific exception (LSR-E11) [1]
Kitchen: Sleep cabin definition: shall not include cooking facilities (s.2.39) [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

Consolidation dated March 1, 2023; it includes the secondary dwelling unit amendment By-law 2022-53 (s.2.74–2.75, s.3.35) and amendments to 2023-11. Amendments passed after March 2023 could not be checked: the township site renders by-law listings by JavaScript. The PDF of ZBA 2022-53 is a scan without text. The by-law has no garden suite or temporary use provision.

Sources

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