North Perth zoning for small homes
Municipality of North Perth, in the County of Perth. Population 15,538 (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 · North Perth’s term: “additional residential unit in an accessory building”
An additional residential unit is permitted in a building accessory to a detached, semi-detached or row/townhouse dwelling, subject to the general accessory building limits and distance-from-house rules in Sections 5.1.3 and 5.1.4 of the by-law. [1]
- Maximum height
- 4.5 m (15 ft) for accessory buildings (s.5.1.3(d)); applies to a new accessory building containing an ARU (s.5.1.4(a)) [2]
- Maximum size
- All accessory buildings may not occupy more than 10% of the lot area (s.5.1.3(e)) [2]
- Separation from house
- At least 4 m and no further than 45 m (148 ft) from the building containing the primary residential unit (s.5.1.4(c); s.5.1.3(g)) [2]
- Setbacks
- Accessory building containing an ARU must meet the yard setbacks of the underlying zone (s.5.1.4(b)) [2]
- Parking
- 1 parking space per additional residential unit (s.5.1.4, units within the primary building) [2]
- Where allowed
- Not permitted on hazardous lands (flood/erosion hazards); in agricultural areas must meet MDS 1 or be no closer to a livestock facility than the main dwelling (s.5.1.4(d)-(e)) [2]
- Approvals
- Building permit; ARUs must also be registered under By-law 37-2023 [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 with limits · North Perth’s term: “single-detached dwelling”
No minimum dwelling size was found for single-detached dwellings in the R1, RR or HVR zones, but the Agricultural (A) zone sets a minimum ground floor area of 80 m² for a one-storey dwelling.
- Minimum dwelling size
- Agricultural (A) zone: ground floor area minimum 80 m² (860 ft²) for a 1-storey dwelling, 69 m² (740 ft²) for a dwelling of more than one storey, 45 m² (490 ft²) for a mobile home (s.6.3.5 supplementary regulations) [2]
- Where allowed
- R1, RR and HVR zone regulations (s.7.2, 15.2, 14.2) contain no minimum dwelling floor area; the former R3 minimum (s.9.5.10) was removed by By-law 1-2017 [2]
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 · North Perth’s term: “mobile home / travel trailer / motor home”
Mobile homes are prohibited in every zone unless specifically permitted (s.5.10); the Mobile Home/Modular Home (MH) zone permits them. Travel trailers and motor homes may not be used as living accommodation except one used for temporary sleeping for up to three months a year on a lot with a dwelling (s.5.32).
- Where allowed
- Mobile Home/Modular Home (MH) zone (Section 16) [2]
- Temporary garden suite
- Several site-specific temporary-use zones (e.g. A-16-T) have permitted a garden suite in the form of a mobile home for a set period; there is no general as-of-right provision [2]
- Approvals
- Outside the MH zone, a site-specific (temporary use) zoning amendment [2]
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 · North Perth’s term: “accessory building used for human habitation”
Accessory uses do not include any building or structure used for human habitation, other than second/additional dwelling units or where specifically permitted (s.5.1.1(b)); the by-law has no bunkie or sleeping-cabin provision. One travel trailer or similar may be used for temporary sleeping up to three months a year on a lot with a dwelling (s.5.32(b)). [2]
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
- Municipality of North Perth website
- Zoning By-law No. 6-ZB-1999, as amended (office consolidation)
- North Perth’s guide to additional units
Last confirmed October 2026.
Notes and caveats
Sources
- North Perth’s guide to additional units
- Zoning By-law No. 6-ZB-1999, as amended (office consolidation)
- Planning Act (Ontario e-Laws)
- 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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