Richmond Hill zoning for small homes

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 · Richmond Hill’s term: “accessory residential building (additional residential unit)”

Up to three additional residential units may be permitted per lot, with no more than four dwelling units in total and no more than two in one accessory residential building in the rear yard. The lot must be separately serviced by municipal services and have street frontage with vehicle access, or be tied land or common element condominium land. [1][2]

Maximum size: Building coverage of the accessory residential building not to exceed 80 m², inclusive of any integral garage; an attached garage not greater than 40 m² (s.3.18) [3]
Maximum height: Maximum 2 storeys; main walls not above 6 m above established grade; overall height not above 7.5 m to the highest point of the roof (s.3.18) [3]
Setbacks: Rear yard only; minimum side yard 1.2 m, rear yard 1.2 m, flankage yard equal to the principal dwelling's setback (s.3.18) [3]
Separation from house: A main wall of the accessory residential building no less than 4 m from a main wall of the principal dwelling (s.3.18) [3]
Number allowed: 1 accessory residential building per lot with up to 2 additional residential units; up to 3 ARUs per lot and 4 dwelling units total. In ORMCO/ORMH zones only 1 ARU, located in the detached dwelling; none in ORMNC/ORMNL or Greenway Natural Core (s.3.18) [3]
Servicing: Lot or parcel must be separately serviced by municipal services (s.3.18 (1)) [3]
Parking: Total spaces for a lot with 1 or 2 ARUs: PSA1 0, PSA2 1, PSA3 1, PSA4 2; with 3 ARUs: 0 / 1 / 2 / 3, including the primary unit's spaces, subject to exceptions (Table 3.18A) [3]
Approvals: Building permit required; a Development Engineering site alteration permit if the new accessory structure is greater than 400 sq ft; a City pre-approved detached ARU model (approx. 6.64 m x 5.47 m) is available [4]

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. [5][6][7]

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 · Richmond Hill’s term: “detached dwelling”

No minimum dwelling floor area for residential dwellings was found in By-law 93-25; the only minimum floor areas found are commercial or non-residential. Zone lot and yard standards still apply.

Minimum dwelling size: None found in By-law 93-25 (office consolidation August 31, 2026) [3]

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. [5][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Not addressed · Richmond Hill’s term: “trailer / mobile home”

By-law 93-25 has no mobile home, trailer park or RV-dwelling provisions; it mentions trailers only for sales offices and parking. A 'dwelling unit' must be in a building or structure, and 'structure' means something attached or fixed permanently to the ground.

Where allowed: Dwelling Unit 'consists of one self-contained set of rooms located in a building or a structure'; Structure 'Means anything that is erected, built or constructed of parts joined together and attached or fixed permanently to the ground' (Section 11 definitions) [3]

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. [13][8][5][10][9]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Richmond Hill’s term: “accessory building / detached accessory structure”

Unless specifically permitted by the by-law, no accessory building or accessory structure shall be used for human habitation, in all zones. An accessory residential building with full additional residential units is the only habitable detached option.

Where allowed: s.3.11.1: 'Unless specifically permitted by this By-law, no accessory building or accessory structure shall be used for an occupation for gain or profit or for human habitation.' [3]

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. [10][8][5][14]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

By-law 93-25 was adopted September 24, 2025. The OLT partially approved it on July 2, 2026 (OLT-25-000843). The appeals listed in the Appeal Index are area- or site-specific, mostly Yonge Street sites, plus an area around Lake Wilcox. Earlier ARU rules in By-law 143-24 (passed December 11, 2024, amending the former parent by-laws) are carried into s.3.18 with the same 80 m² / 6 m / 7.5 m / 1.2 m / 4 m standards. Lands under active appeal may still be governed by the former by-laws as amended by 143-24. Within s.3.18, internal cross-references in the consolidation are inconsistent (e.g. '3.18 (6)' versus numbered subsections). A City page mentions OPA 58 (up to four units); its status was not confirmed. The tiny_home_wheels 'silent' answer is my reading of the definitions; no City statement was found.

Sources

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Richmond Hill zoning for small homes

Backyard suite

Ontario-wide rule

Tiny home on a foundation

Ontario-wide rule

Tiny home on wheels or park model

Ontario-wide rule

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

Ontario-wide rule

Official links

Sources

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