Prince Edward County zoning for small homes

Prince Edward County, a single-tier municipality. Population 25,704 (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 · Prince Edward County’s term: “additional dwelling unit (in an ancillary building)”

One additional dwelling unit may be in an ancillary building on lots with a single detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling. On private services, or outside a settlement area, only one additional unit is permitted, and it is subject to a hydrogeological study, plus a servicing report on lots under 1.25 ha. Two units are allowed on municipally serviced lots in settlement areas. [1]

Number allowed: Two additional units in settlement areas on municipal water and sewer (or municipal water and private sewage with hydrogeological study), only one in an ancillary building; one additional unit in settlement areas on private services or outside settlement areas if supported by a hydrogeological study (s.3.2.1 a) [2]
Where allowed: R1, R2 (Table 7-2); HR, LSR, MHR, RR (Table 8-2); AG, RU (Table 6-2); not in a regulated floodplain (s.3.2.1 b) [2]
Maximum height: Not to exceed the maximum height for a principal dwelling in the zone (s.3.2.5 b), e.g. 10 m in HR, LSR, RR, AG, RU; 12 m in R1 [2]
Setbacks: Must meet the minimum yard provisions of the zone (s.3.2.5 c); in AG and RU zones located a maximum of 60 m from any existing building or structure (s.3.2.5 d) [2]
Servicing: Private/partial services: Hydrogeology Report as required; Servicing Report required on lots smaller than 1.25 ha (s.3.2.3 c) [2]
Parking: Minimum one space per additional dwelling unit; may be tandem with the principal dwelling's space (s.3.2.4) [2]
Approvals: Must be suitable for year-round habitation and not established before a building permit is obtained (s.3.2.1 e) [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 · Prince Edward County’s term: “single-detached dwelling”

The zone standards for the Agricultural, Rural, Urban Residential and Rural Residential zones set no minimum dwelling floor area; minimums appear only in some site-specific exception zones. Minimum lot areas still apply.

Minimum dwelling size: None in Tables 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 or 8-5 zone standards; only site-specific exceptions (e.g. RU-48: 65.0 m²) [2]
Minimum lot size: Rural Residential (RR) 8,000 m²; Limited Service Residential (LSR) 4,000 m²; Hamlet Residential 2,000–4,000 m² on partial services (Table 8-3) [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 · Prince Edward County’s term: “mobile home dwelling / park model trailer / trailer”

Using trailers and mobile homes, including trailer parks and mobile home parks, is prohibited except where such parks are expressly permitted. A mobile home park is permitted only in the Mobile Home Residential (MHR) zone. A park model trailer may not be used as a single detached dwelling or a mobile home dwelling. A garden suite is permitted as a temporary use for up to 20 years as approved by the County.

Where allowed: s.3.34: trailers and mobile homes prohibited "save and except where such parks are expressly permitted"; Mobile Home Park permitted in MHR zone (Table 8-2); max one mobile home per site, max mobile home height 5 m (Table 8-6) [2]
Temporary garden suite: "A garden suite is permitted as a temporary use for up to a 20-year period as approved by the County" (s.3.33 e); listed in R1, R2, HR, LSR, MHR, RR, AG, RU zones [2]
Approvals: Park model trailer (CSA Z241, max 50 m²) "shall not be used as a single detached dwelling or as a mobile home dwelling" (s.2.241); a dwelling unit does not include a trailer [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 · Prince Edward County’s term: “accessory building”

An accessory building may not be used for human habitation unless the by-law specifically permits it. No sleeping cabin or bunkie permission was found for residential, rural or shoreline lots. The route for detached living space is an additional dwelling unit in an ancillary building, which must be a full year-round unit.

Maximum height: Accessory buildings generally 7 m (s.3.1.4 a) [2]
Approvals: s.3.1.1 b: "An accessory building or structure shall not be used for human habitation, except where specifically permitted by this By-law." [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

By-law 140-2025 was adopted November 10, 2025 and repealed By-law 1816-2006. The County's zoning page presents it as current and says the previous by-law was in effect 2006–2025 (https://www.thecounty.ca/residents/services/planning/zoning/). However, the Z18-25 housekeeping amendment page says 140-2025 "is currently subject to an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal" (https://www.thecounty.ca/z18-25-housekeeping-amendment-to-comprehensive-zoning-by-law-140-2025/). The scope of that appeal was not found. Amending By-law 58-2026 (April 7, 2026) changed the additional dwelling unit rules: the as-adopted text capped an ADU at 50% of the principal dwelling's GFA, and the July 2026 consolidation removes that cap. Values above are from the July 2026 consolidation. O. Reg. 125/25 (a provincial zoning order) defines ancillary garden/laneway dwellings but applies only to the Picton Base 31 lands. "Bunk house dwelling" in the by-law is employee housing for agricultural/tourist uses, not a bunkie.

Sources

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