South-West Oxford zoning for small homes

Township of South-West Oxford, in the County of Oxford. Population 7,583 (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 · South-West Oxford’s term: “detached additional residential unit”

One detached additional residential unit is permitted per lot in the R1, R2, R3, V, RE and RR zones, in the rear or interior side yard, subject to lot area, servicing and size limits; ARUs are not permitted in Dereham Centre or the water-served part of Beachville. In the A1 and A2 zones a detached unit is subject to approval of a planning application, except on existing agricultural lots inside settlements. [1][2][3]

Number allowed: Detached additional residential units: maximum 1 per lot (fully serviced column: 1, in the Village of Mount Elgin); total additional residential units: 1 in serviced Mount Elgin, 1 where unsewered or in RE/RR zones in a settlement, 2 in A1, A2, RR and RE zones outside a settlement [4]
Maximum size: Cumulative dwelling unit area of all additional residential units: 50% of the principal dwelling or 100 m² (1,076 ft²), whichever is less; outside settlements 50% or 140 m² (1,507 ft²), whichever is less; also limited by accessory lot coverage (10% of lot area or 100 m² in settlements, 225 m² outside settlements and in agricultural zones) [4]
Maximum height: Accessory building table: 5.0 m (16.4 ft) for residential zones in a settlement and not above the principal dwelling; 6.1 m (20.0 ft) residential zones outside a settlement; 6.6 m (21.6 ft) agricultural zones [4]
Minimum lot size: Fully serviced R1, R2, R3, V lots: per the zone provisions for the principal dwelling; all other columns: 0.6 ha (1.48 ac) [4]
Setbacks: Rear yard or interior side yard only; 1.2 m (3.9 ft) side and rear yard setbacks in residential zones; maximum 40 m (131 ft) from a public street in settlements [4]
Separation from house: Minimum 1.0 m (3.3 ft) in residential zones; in A1/A2 zones minimum 1.0 m and maximum 30 m (98.4 ft) [4]
Parking: 1 space per additional residential unit [4]
Servicing: Inside a settlement the principal dwelling must be connected to municipal water and/or sewer and the County must confirm capacity in writing; not permitted on lots served by private communal systems [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 · South-West Oxford’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The current R1, RR, RE, V, A1 and A2 zone provisions contain no minimum floor area for a single detached dwelling; lot area, frontage, yard, coverage and height standards apply. [8][9]

Minimum dwelling size: No minimum floor area row in the R1 (Table 12.2) or RR (Table 10.2) zone provisions [10]

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][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Allowed with limits · South-West Oxford’s term: “mobile home / recreational vehicle”

A dwelling is defined to exclude a trailer, mobile home, motor home or recreational vehicle; mobile homes are permitted in the Mobile Home Park (RMH) zone and as an accessory dwelling to a farm in the A1 or A2 zones. No recreational vehicle may be used for human habitation without a permit issued by the Township, and a temporary garden suite requires a Section 39 temporary use by-law. [17]

Where allowed: Mobile Home Park Zone (RMH): uses include a mobile home park; minimum mobile home lot area 450 m² (4,843.9 ft²) where private communal water and sewage systems are provided [18]
Where allowed: "Dwelling" excludes a trailer, mobile home, motor home or recreational vehicle; "A dwelling may include a mobile home for the purposes of an accessory dwelling to a farm in the A1 or A2 Zones"; a mobile home has a minimum 65 m² (700 ft²) gross floor area and meets CAN/CSA Z-240 [17]
Temporary garden suite: Requires a zoning amendment under Section 39 of the Planning Act for up to 20 years; occupied by retired parents/grandparents of the owner or the retiring owner; one storey, maximum 70 m² (753.5 ft²) dwelling unit area; not permitted on a lot with a detached additional residential unit [4]
Approvals: "No recreational vehicle shall be used for human habitation at any time, without a permit issued by the Township" (s.6.29.1.12) [4]

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. [16][11][5][13][12]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · South-West Oxford’s term: “accessory building”

Accessory buildings may not be used for human habitation except as permitted in the by-law, and the by-law contains no provision for a sleeping cabin or bunkie. Habitable space in a detached building is regulated as a detached additional residential unit.

Where allowed: Accessory use, building or structure "is not to be used for human habitation except as permitted in this Zoning By-Law" (s.6.1.1.2) [4]

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. [13][11][5][19]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Read the County's March 31, 2026 consolidation, which includes ARU By-laws 43-2023 and 12-2026. The County page links these files on cdn.umb-sites.dev, which failed TLS (expired certificate); the identical paths were read from www.oxfordcounty.ca/media/. An older copy on webresources.oxfordcounty.ca (pre-2023 text, with a 93 m² R1/RR minimum floor area since removed) is stale and was not used. The township website was not in the inventory; www.swox.org was verified as the Township's site. What the Township's RV habitation permit involves was not checked.

Sources

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