Stirling-Rawdon 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 with limits · Stirling-Rawdon’s term: “additional residential unit (ARU) in an accessory building; garden suite”

One additional residential unit may be located in an accessory building in the MA, PA, RR, R1, R2 and MR zones on a lot with frontage on a street; on lots without municipal water and/or sewer the minimum lot size is 1 acre and the unit must share the driveway and sit within 60 m of the main dwelling. Section 5.54 sets no specific maximum floor area for a detached ARU. Ontario's Planning Act (s. 35.1) overrides zoning provisions that would prohibit one unit in a building ancillary to a house on serviced urban land. [1][2][3]

Where allowed: MA, PA, RR, R1, R2 and MR zones, with a single detached, semi-detached or row/townhouse dwelling; lot must have frontage on a 'Street' (s.5.54 a, b, d) [4]
Number allowed: Maximum one ARU in an accessory building, where the primary dwelling contains no more than two residential units and no other accessory building contains an ARU (s.5.54 c) [4]
Parking: Minimum 1 parking space per additional unit (s.5.54 e) [4]
Minimum lot size: 1 acre on lands not serviced by municipal water and/or sewer (s.5.54) [4]
Servicing: Unserviced lots: same driveway, not more than 60 m from the primary dwelling, and demonstration of adequate potable water and septic capacity to the approval authority's satisfaction (s.5.54) [4]
Separation from house: Accessory buildings at least 3.0 m (9.8 ft) from the principal building (s.5.24.8) [5]
Temporary garden suite: Garden suite (manufactured modular/panelized unit, not a mobile home or trailer) requires a temporary use by-law for up to 10 years, site plan control and an agreement that the occupant is related by blood or marriage; 49–65 m² (527.4–699.7 ft²) living space; max height 4.5 m (14.8 ft); min rear yard 4.5 m; max 4.5 m from principal dwelling (s.5.33) [6]

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][7][8]

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 with limits · Stirling-Rawdon’s term: “single detached dwelling”

Every main residential and rural zone sets a minimum gross floor area for a single detached dwelling: 92.9 m² in the R1 and R2 zones and 55.7 m² in the RR, WR, LSR, PA and MA zones. Modular homes are permitted in residential zones on a permanent foundation. [9][10]

Minimum dwelling size: R1 zone: 92.9 m² (1,000 sq ft) gross floor area minimum (s.12.3); R2 zone single detached also 92.9 m² (1,000 sq ft) [11]
Minimum dwelling size: RR zone: 55.7 m² (600 sq ft) (s.8.3); same 55.7 m² minimum in WR (s.10.3), LSR (s.9.3), PA (s.6.3) and MA (s.7.3) zones [12]
Approvals: Modular homes permitted in any residential zone with a building permit, on a permanent foundation (s.5.45.1) [13]

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][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Allowed with limits · Stirling-Rawdon’s term: “mobile home / travel trailer”

Mobile homes are permitted only in the Mobile Home Residential (MHR) zone, which requires communal water and sanitary sewer service, and in the PA and MA zones as a dwelling accessory to a permitted agricultural use. Travel trailers, camper trailers, truck campers and motorized mobile homes may not be used for human habitation except in a Resort/Recreational Commercial zone. [5]

Where allowed: Mobile homes only in the MHR zone and in the PA and MA zones as an accessory dwelling to a permitted agricultural use (s.5.46) [13]
Servicing: MHR zone lots must be served by a communal water system and sanitary sewer systems; mobile home site min 700 m², max height 5 m (s.11) [20]
Temporary garden suite: The garden suite definition excludes single- or double-wide mobile homes, motorized mobile homes, travel trailers and tent trailers (s.3.126) [2]
Approvals: Travel trailers, truck campers, camper trailers and similar vehicles shall not be used for human habitation except in a Resort/Recreational Commercial zone; max one may be parked or stored on a residential lot (s.5.44) [21]

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. [19][14][3][16][15]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Allowed with limits · Stirling-Rawdon’s term: “sleeping cabin”

A sleeping cabin is defined as an accessory building for sleeping only, with no plumbing, accessory to a principal seasonal residential dwelling. The Limited-Service Residential (LSR) zone expressly permits one sleeping cabin; the Waterfront Residential and Rural Residential zones do not name sleeping cabins, and the general provisions bar human habitation in accessory buildings except where a dwelling is permitted as an accessory building. [9]

Where allowed: LSR (Limited-Service Residential, private road) zone: an accessory building or use, including one sleeping cabin (s.9.2) [22]
Maximum size: LSR zone: sleeping cabin gross floor area max 23 m² (247.6 sq ft) (s.9.3 b); the definition allows max 29.7 m² (320 sq ft), or 55.7 m² (600 sq ft) on a lot at least twice the minimum frontage and area (s.3.39) [22]
Kitchen: No plumbing or sanitary waste disposal systems; sleeping accommodation only; not for paying guests (s.3.39) [23]
Maximum height: 6.5 m (21.33 ft) for accessory buildings in the LSR zone [22]
Approvals: No person shall use an accessory building for human habitation except where a dwelling is permitted as an accessory building (s.5.24.5) [5]

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. [16][14][3][24]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Read the Office Consolidation dated September 2026 ('contains amendments up to September 2026'); the document states it is not a legal document and that the original amending by-laws prevail. The sleeping cabin definition (max 29.7 m²/55.7 m²) and the LSR zone limit (23 m²) differ; the zone figure is the stricter. The WR zone's permitted uses list 'an accessory building or use' without naming sleeping cabins, so their status in WR/RR is not clear from the text. Schedules A-E were not reviewed. No ARU guide found on the township site.

Sources

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Stirling-Rawdon 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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