Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands zoning for small homes

Municipality of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands, a single-tier municipality. Population 2,641 (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 · Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands’s term: “secondary unit / garden suite”

The Residential (R1), Multiple Residential (R2), Rural (RU) and Shoreline Residential (SR) zones list both a secondary unit (which may be in the main building or in an accessory building) and a garden suite (a temporary, portable, self-contained detached unit) as permitted uses. In the SR zone neither is permitted on a lake-at-capacity. [1]

Where allowed: Listed as permitted uses in the R1, R2, RU and SR zones; not permitted on a lake-at-capacity in the SR zone [2]
Setbacks: Garden suites must comply with the setbacks for accessory buildings (General Provisions, Secondary Units and Garden Suites) [2]
Servicing: On private individual systems, it must be shown that the private sewage disposal system can accommodate the change in use [2]
Parking: 1 parking space per dwelling unit for a secondary unit and garden suite; tandem parking in the existing driveway permitted [2]
Maximum height: Accessory buildings: 5.0 m in the RU and SR zones [2]
Maximum size: Accessory buildings: maximum building floor area 89 m2 in the RU and SR zones; no separate size cap for secondary units or garden suites found [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. [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 · Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The R1 and Rural (RU) zones set a minimum dwelling area of 56 m2; the Shoreline Residential (SR) zone sets 36 m2. The by-law defines a 'tiny house' (maximum 3.0 m wide and 40 m2, on a chassis or a foundation) but does not list it as a permitted use in any zone.

Minimum dwelling size: R1: 56 m2 minimum dwelling area; RU: 56 m2 minimum dwelling size; SR: 36 m2 minimum dwelling size [2]
Minimum lot size: R1: 460 m2 with piped water and sewage, 700 m2 with piped water or sewage; RU: 0.4 ha; SR: 4,045 m2 [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.

Not allowed · Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands’s term: “mobile home / recreational vehicle / trailer”

Mobile homes are not permitted anywhere in the municipality except on lots where they legally existed when the by-law was adopted, and no recreational vehicle may be used as habitable space. RVs may only be used as temporary vacation accommodation in the Tourist Commercial (C3) zone, and travel trailers may be used for sleeping in residential zones for no more than 14 days.

Where allowed: Mobile homes not permitted in the municipality except on lots where they legally existed on the date of adoption (General Provisions, Mobile Homes) [2]
Temporary garden suite: Garden suites (temporary, portable detached units) are listed permitted uses in the R1, R2, RU and SR zones; the definition excludes trailers [2]
Approvals: No recreational vehicle shall be used for habitable space; RVs may be located only in a Tourist Commercial (C3) zone as temporary/vacation accommodation and may not be occupied in Little Current, Sheguiandah, or the RU or SR zones [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.

Allowed with limits · Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands’s term: “sleep camp / guest cabin”

A sleep camp (guest cabin) is defined as a non-commercial building for sleeping accommodation accessory to a dwelling in the Shoreline Residential zone, with no cooking or washroom facilities, and is included in the definition of accessory building. Outside the SR zone, accessory buildings are not for permanent human habitation.

Where allowed: Accessory to a dwelling in the Shoreline Residential (SR) zone (definition of Sleep Camp) [2]
Kitchen: No provisions for cooking or washroom facilities (definition of Sleep Camp) [2]
Maximum size: SR zone accessory buildings: maximum building floor area 89 m2 [2]
Maximum height: SR zone accessory buildings: 5.0 m [2]
Setbacks: SR zone: minimum 3.0 m from a lot line for an accessory building [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

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The official site is townofnemi.on.ca (nemi.ca returned HTTP 503 again on a plain fetch and is not needed). The posted by-law is the J.L. Richards consolidation of Zoning By-law 2018-41 (adopted November 6, 2018), 'updated with amendments January 2021, March 2022'. Site-specific amendments after March 2022 (e.g. a June 2026 public meeting notice) may not be reflected. Section numbers did not survive text extraction, so provisions are cited by heading and zone. Provincial Planning Act changes on additional residential units (2022-2023) may also apply and were not assessed.

Sources

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