Orangeville zoning for small homes

Town of Orangeville, in the County of Dufferin. Population 30,167 (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 · Orangeville’s term: “detached additional residential unit”

Section 5.29 (By-law 2025-011) permits one detached additional residential unit in an accessory building on a lot with a detached, semi-detached, linked or townhouse dwelling, alongside up to one attached unit. Units must connect to municipal water and sanitary services through the main dwelling. [1][2]

Number allowed: One detached ARU plus one attached ARU, or two attached ARUs [1]
Maximum height: 4.3 m; 6.1 m if above a private garage; not above the main dwelling [1]
Setbacks: 1.2 m side/rear for buildings under 4.3 m; 1.5 m above 4.3 m; 3.0 m for a 2-storey unit with a second-storey window facing a residential lot [1]
Separation from house: Minimum 4 m from the main dwelling [1]
Maximum size: No floor-area cap stated; lot coverage maximum 45% for all buildings on the lot; maximum 2 bedrooms [1]
Parking: 1 additional space per ARU, minimum 2.6 m wide [1]
Servicing: Must be connected to municipal water and sanitary services through the main dwelling [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 · Orangeville’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The ER and R1 zone regulations set lot, yard, height and coverage limits but no minimum floor area; minimum ground floor areas appear only in some site-specific special provisions. [6]

Minimum dwelling size: None in the ER (s.6.2) or R1 (s.7.2) regulations; some special provisions in Section 24 set minimum ground floor areas (e.g. 90 m² one storey) [6]
Minimum lot size: R1: 720 m²; ER: 2,200–3,000 m² depending on servicing [6]

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][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Not allowed · Orangeville’s term: “recreational vehicle / trailer”

Since By-law 2025-011, 'in all zones, human habitation is prohibited in any vehicle, including a recreational vehicle, trailer, boat or boat trailer.' No mobile home park zone or garden suite provision was found. [1][6]

Approvals: Human habitation prohibited in any vehicle, including a recreational vehicle or trailer, in all zones (s.5.17, By-law 2025-011) [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. [12][7][3][9][8]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

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

An accessory building is defined as one 'not used for human habitation'; the town has no rural or waterfront residential zones and no sleeping cabin use. [6][1]

Maximum height: Accessory buildings: 4.3 m, 10% of lot, 1.2 m from lot lines (s.5.2) [1]
Approvals: 'Accessory building' defined as a detached structure 'which is not used for human habitation' (s.2.2) [6]

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. [9][7][3][13]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The PDF consolidation is dated Dec 31, 2021 and predates By-law 2025-011 (ARUs and vehicle-habitation rule); current general provisions were read from the town's HTML zoning page (data.orangeville.ca), which reflects 2025-011. Definitions and zone regulations were read from the 2021 PDF and may have been amended since.

Sources

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