Kitchener zoning for small homes

City of Kitchener, in the Region of Waterloo. Population 256,885 (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 · Kitchener’s term: “additional dwelling (detached) / backyard home”

An additional dwelling (detached) containing one or two additional dwelling units is permitted on the same lot as a single detached, semi-detached or street townhouse dwelling in the RES-1 to RES-5 zones, up to four dwelling units per lot. It must be connected to full municipal services and cannot be severed. [1][2]

Maximum size: Building footprint not to exceed 80 m², and must comply with the maximum lot coverage in Table 7-2, 7-3 or 7-4 (s.4.12.3 e). The City guide notes coverage is typically 15% for all accessory structures. [3]
Maximum height: 4.5 m for hip, gable, shed or gambrel roof (measured to midpoint between eaves and peak) or mansard roof (to deck line); 3 m for flat roof. Where the principal dwelling is 9.1 m or more in height: 6.0 m (hip/gable/shed/gambrel/mansard) and 4.5 m (flat roof) (s.4.12.3 h, i) [3]
Setbacks: 0.6 m from rear and interior side lot lines if up to 4.5 m high; 0.9 m if over 4.5 m (0.6 m where the lot line abuts a lane). Not permitted in the front yard; may be in an exterior side yard at the principal dwelling's required exterior side yard setback (s.4.12.3 j, k, l, m) [3]
Separation from house: Shall not be located in the area created by extending 4 metres from and parallel to any wall of the rear façade of the principal dwelling (s.4.12.3 l); the City guide describes this as a minimum 4.0 m separation [3]
Number allowed: 1 or 2 additional dwelling units in the detached building; maximum 4 dwelling units on the lot including the principal unit (s.4.12 c, s.4.12.3) [3]
Servicing: Additional dwelling units (detached) shall be connected to full municipal services (s.4.12.3 d) [3]
Minimum lot size: Where the lot is farther than 800 m from an LRT station and outside the Central Neighbourhood Area, minimum lot width 10.5 m or the Table 7-2/7-3/7-4 width, whichever is greater (s.4.12.3 g) [3]
Parking: Table 5-5-1: no minimum within 800 m of an LRT station or in an SGA zone; 0.3 spaces per additional dwelling unit farther than 800 m but within the Central Neighbourhood Area; 0.6 per additional dwelling unit elsewhere. 0.5 Class C bicycle stalls per unit where there are 3 or more units on a lot [4]
Approvals: A building permit is required; the guide says a zoning certificate is usually required and is encouraged before the building permit application [2]

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. [5][6][7]

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 · Kitchener’s term: “single detached dwelling”

Table 7-2 of By-law 2019-051 regulates single detached dwellings by lot area, lot width, setbacks, lot coverage and height but sets no minimum dwelling floor area. Lot minimums still apply.

Minimum dwelling size: None set in Table 7-2 (Single Detached Dwellings) for RES-1 to RES-5 [1]
Minimum lot size: RES-1 929 m²; RES-2 411 m²; RES-3 288 m²; RES-4 and RES-5 235 m² (Table 7-2) [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. [5][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Not allowed · Kitchener’s term: “major recreational equipment / tiny home on wheels”

The City's ADU guide states that recreational vehicles and tiny homes on wheels are not permitted to be used as a detached ADU. By-law 2019-051 has no mobile home or trailer park use or zone and defines RVs as 'major recreational equipment' for temporary living accommodation, regulated as parking and storage. [4]

Where allowed: Guide: 'recreational vehicles and tiny homes on wheels are not permitted to be used as a detached ADU'; 'Backyard homes must be permanent, all-season dwellings and must be connected to municipal services.' [2]
Where allowed: Major Recreational Equipment is defined as a portable structure or unit on its own wheels 'for purposes of providing temporary living accommodation or recreational enjoyment for travel' (Section 3); in RES zones its parking or storage is regulated under s.5.12.2 [14]

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. [13][8][5][10][9]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Kitchener’s term: “accessory building”

By-law 2019-051 s.4.1 a) states that, unless otherwise provided, no accessory building or structure shall be used for human habitation. An additional dwelling (detached) is defined as not an accessory building.

Where allowed: 'no accessory building or structure shall be used for human habitation' (s.4.1 a, amended by By-law 2024-204) [3]
Maximum height: Accessory buildings to dwellings: one storey; 5.5 m for hip/gable/mansard/gambrel/shed roof, 3 m for flat roof (s.4.1 d) [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. [10][8][5][15]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Kitchener has two zoning by-laws. About 20% of properties remain under the older By-law 85-1 (City zoning page); all facts above are from By-law 2019-051 (consolidated section PDFs at app2.kitchener.ca, amendments through By-law 2026-024/2026-029). The 85-1 general provisions were spot-checked only. The guide PDF is dated March 2026 on its cover. One site-specific provision (Section 19, Zoning Grid Schedule 258) allows a 100 m² detached ADU, which is not the citywide rule. The Section 4 PDF table of contents still says 'Two Additional Dwelling Units (Attached)' while the body says 'Two or Three'; the body text was used.

Sources

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