Marathon zoning for small homes
Town of Marathon, a single-tier municipality. Population 3,138 (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 · Marathon’s term: “secondary dwelling unit”
The 2016 by-law allows a secondary dwelling unit only inside the main single detached or semi-detached dwelling (one per lot, on full municipal water and sewer), and accessory buildings may not be used for human habitation except where an accessory residential use is permitted. Ontario's Planning Act (s. 35.1) overrides zoning provisions that would prohibit one unit in a building ancillary to a house on serviced urban land. [1][2]
- Number allowed
- Only one secondary dwelling unit per lot, located within the main dwelling unit; only in a single detached or semi-detached dwelling (s. 4.36) [3]
- Servicing
- Primary dwelling must be serviced by full municipal water and sewer (s. 4.36) [3]
- Parking
- One additional on-site parking space for the secondary dwelling unit (s. 4.36) [3]
- Approvals
- Accessory buildings shall not be used for human habitation, except where an accessory residential use is a permitted use; no more than one main building per lot (ss. 4.2(a), 4.19) [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. [2][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 with limits · Marathon’s term: “single detached dwelling”
The by-law sets a minimum dwelling unit area of 85 m2 in the Residential 1 (R1) zone and 90 m2 for dwellings other than mobile homes in the Rural (RU) and Rural Residential (RR) zones. The Seasonal Residential (SR) zone minimum for a cottage or cabin is 37 m2.
- Minimum dwelling size
- R1: 85 square metres (s. 7.2); RU and RR: 90 square metres for dwelling units other than mobile homes, 45 square metres for a mobile home (ss. 5.2, 6.2); R2 Mobile Home Residential: 45 square metres (s. 8.2); SR (cottage or cabin): 37 square metres (s. 11.2) [3]
- Minimum lot size
- R1: 500 m2 and 15.0 m frontage; RR: 1.2 ha and 30.0 m; RU: 4.0 ha and 100.0 m (ss. 5.2, 6.2, 7.2) [3]
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][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 · Marathon’s term: “mobile home / trailer”
Mobile homes (dwellings designed to be made mobile, excluding travel trailers) are permitted only where listed, namely the Rural, Rural Residential and Mobile Home Residential (R2) zones, with a 45 m2 minimum dwelling unit area. Trailers and vehicle bodies may not be used for human habitation, except tents or trailers for occasional guest accommodation in a Residential zone; the by-law has no garden suite provision.
- Where allowed
- Mobile home listed as a permitted use in RU (s. 5.1), RR (s. 6.1) and R2 Mobile Home Residential (s. 8.1) zones; mobile homes only where specifically listed (s. 4.20) [3]
- Minimum dwelling size
- Mobile home: 45 square metres (ss. 5.2, 6.2, 8.2) [3]
- Approvals
- No truck, bus, railroad car, caboose, coach or streetcar body used for human habitation, on wheels or not; tents and trailers prohibited for human habitation except children's play, picnics or occasional accommodation of guests in a Residential Zone (s. 4.48) [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. [11][6][2][8][7]
Bunkie or sleeping cabin
A small sleeping building with no kitchen, usually beside a cottage or house.
Not allowed · Marathon’s term: “accessory building”
Accessory buildings may not be used for human habitation except where an accessory residential use is a permitted use, and the by-law has no sleeping cabin or bunkie provision; a 'cabin' is defined as a cottage, the main use in the Seasonal Residential zone.
- Maximum height
- Accessory buildings in a residential zone: 4.5 metres and one storey (s. 4.2(i)) [3]
- Approvals
- Accessory buildings or structures shall not be used for human habitation, except where an accessory residential use is a permitted use; accessory residential units above boathouses are not permitted (s. 4.2(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. [8][6][2][12]
Official links
Last confirmed October 2026.
Notes and caveats
Sources
- Town of Marathon web page (marathon.ca)
- Planning Act (Ontario e-Laws)
- Comprehensive Zoning By-law No. 1873
- O. Reg. 299/19: Additional residential units (Ontario e-Laws)
- Development Charges Act, 1997 (Ontario e-Laws)
- Government of Ontario PDF
- Build or buy a tiny home: Building Code requirements (Government of Ontario)
- Building Code Act, 1992 (Ontario e-Laws)
- O. Reg. 163/24: Ontario Building Code (Ontario e-Laws)
- 2024 Ontario Building Code (Government of Ontario)
- Build or buy a tiny home: permits and inspections (Government of Ontario)
- Building Code updates (Government of Ontario)
Not legal advice
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