O'Connor zoning for small homes

Township of O'Connor, a single-tier municipality. Population 689 (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 · O'Connor’s term: “accessory / secondary dwelling unit”

In the Rural (RU) zone, which covers the township's residential land, one accessory dwelling unit is permitted per lot, either in a single-detached dwelling or in an accessory building. It may not be on a lot that has a garden suite, bed and breakfast, group home or boarding house. [1]

Number allowed: Maximum of one accessory dwelling unit per lot (s.4.3.1 c) [1]
Where allowed: In a single-detached dwelling or an accessory building in the RU zone (s.4.3.1) [1]
Maximum height: Accessory buildings: 4.5 m or the height of the main building, whichever is less (s.4.2.2 d) [1]
Setbacks: Accessory buildings 3 m tall or less: 6 m from property lines; others: 10 m (s.4.2.2 e) [1]
Minimum lot size: RU zone: 2.0 ha minimum lot area, 90 m frontage (s.5.2) [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 · O'Connor’s term: “single-detached dwelling”

The RU zone's minimum floor area refers to Section 4.8, which requires only that dwelling units comply with the Ontario Building Code. No numeric minimum is set. [1]

Minimum dwelling size: 'In accordance with Section 4.8' (s.5.2); s.4.8.3: floor area of all dwelling units shall comply with the Ontario Building Code [1]
Minimum lot size: 2.0 ha (RU zone, s.5.2) [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. [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 · O'Connor’s term: “mobile dwelling / trailer”

A mobile dwelling (factory-built to CSA Z240/Z241) is a permitted use in the RU zone with a building permit. A trailer, defined as intended for recreational or seasonal use and not permanent residence, may be used for living or sleeping for a maximum of eight consecutive months. [1]

Where allowed: Mobile dwelling is a permitted use in the RU zone (s.5.1); must conform to CSA Z240 or Z241 and the Ontario Building Code, with a building permit (s.4.17.1); new mobile dwelling parks are not permitted (s.4.17.2) [1]
Approvals: Use of any trailer for living, sleeping or eating accommodation permitted for a maximum of eight consecutive months (s.4.35.1) [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.

We haven’t researched O'Connor’s by-law for this yet.

What applies everywhere in Ontario

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][11][2]

Permit threshold (Building Code Act): A 'building' includes any structure occupying more than 10 m², and any structure of 10 m² or less that contains plumbing. No one may build a building without a permit. (Building Code Act s. 1(1), definition of 'building'; s. 8(1)) [7]
15 m² shed exemption: A shed is exempt from a permit and from the Code if it is 15 m² or less in gross area, one storey, detached from any other structure, used only for storage ancillary to a principal building on the lot, and has no plumbing. Because of the storage-only condition, the exemption does not cover a bunkie used for sleeping. In effect April 29, 2022 (O. Reg. 451/22) and carried into the 2024 Code. (2024 Building Code, Div. C, Sentence 1.3.1.1.(6)) [5]
Plumbing: A structure of any size that contains plumbing is a 'building' and needs a permit. (Building Code Act s. 1(1), definition of 'building', clause (b)) [7]
Provincial accessory sleeping-structure rule: No provincial statute or regulation specifically regulates bunkies or accessory sleeping cabins. Whether they are allowed is up to the municipal zoning by-law. (Planning Act s. 34(1)) [2]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The by-law number is not shown on the document. Its title is 'Zoning By-law - April 2022' (prepared by Fotenn). The township has only one residential-type zone (RU). A 'garden suite' is defined, but no zone lists it and there is no temporary-use garden suite provision. A 'guest cabin' (sleeping only, no cooking, accessory to a seasonal dwelling) is defined but not listed as a permitted use. Accessory buildings may 'not be used for human habitation, except where a residential use is a permitted accessory use' (s.4.2.2 a), so bunkie status is unclear and was left out.

Sources

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