Temagami zoning for small homes

Municipality of Temagami, a single-tier municipality. Population 862 (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 · Temagami’s term: “standard secondary dwelling unit in an accessory building / cabin secondary dwelling unit”

Amending By-law 21-1557 (April 2021) permits one secondary dwelling unit in an accessory building in the RL, R2 and R3 zones on non-shoreline lots of at least 0.8 ha, and on shoreline lots of at least 1.6 ha in the R1, R2 and R3 zones a cabin secondary dwelling unit in lieu of a sleep cabin with its own water and sewage systems. A separate temporary garden suite in the RL zone requires a temporary use by-law. 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]

Where allowed: Accessory building in Low Density Residential (RL), Remote Residential (R2) and Rural Residential (R3) zones, non-shoreline lots; interior side or rear yard [3]
Minimum lot size: 0.8 ha (non-shoreline lots); 1.6 ha for a cabin secondary dwelling unit on a shoreline lot (R1, R2, R3) [3]
Maximum size: 72.0 m² floor area [3]
Number allowed: One per lot, only if the existing dwelling contains no secondary unit [3]
Parking: One additional dedicated parking space [3]
Servicing: Private sewage system must be approved for the total sewage flow on the lot; cabin secondary dwelling units on shoreline lots need independent on-site water and sewage systems located so the unit could be severed [3]
Temporary garden suite: Permitted on a single detached lot in the RL zone subject to a temporary use by-law; maximum the lesser of 30% of the main residence's living area or 71 m² gross floor area [1]

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. [2][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 · Temagami’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The consolidated by-law sets no minimum dwelling floor area for single detached dwellings in the RL, R1, R2 or R3 zones; lot size, yard and coverage standards apply (R1 has a 464 m² maximum gross floor area).

Minimum dwelling size: None stated for single detached dwellings in the residential zones [1]
Minimum lot size: RL: 460 m² (505 m² corner lot); R1, R2, R3: 0.8 ha (1.0 ha with drilled well) [1]

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. [2][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 · Temagami’s term: “mobile home / travel trailer”

Mobile homes are permitted only in Mobile Home Parks (RMH zone); the by-law prohibits using a tourist trailer or mobile home for human habitation except as specifically provided, and travel trailers may not be used for permanent living in the Low or Medium Density Residential zones.

Where allowed: Mobile homes only in Mobile Home Parks (Mobile Home Park (RMH) Zone) [1]
Temporary garden suite: Garden suite on a single detached lot in the RL zone subject to a temporary use by-law; defined as portable [1]
Approvals: In RL/RM zones a tourist or travel trailer may not provide permanent living accommodation; sleeping in one is allowed for up to 14 days [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. [11][6][2][8][7]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Allowed · Temagami’s term: “sleep cabin”

Sleep cabins are permitted on lots in the Remote Residential (R1, R2) and Rural Residential (R3) zones and on existing residential lots in the SMA and IMA zones, limited to one storey with floor area and number caps tied to lot size; they are not permitted in the RM and RH zones. [3]

Where allowed: R1, R2, R3 zones and existing residential lots in SMA and IMA zones [1]
Number allowed: One on existing lots under 0.4 ha; up to two on existing lots over 0.4 ha and on new lots in R1, R2, R3 (a boathouse with sleeping accommodation counts as a sleep cabin) [1]
Maximum size: 72.0 m² for the first sleep cabin; 36.0 m² for a second [1]
Maximum height: One storey; 5.0 m (R1 zone table) [1]
Setbacks: R1: at least as far from shore as the main dwelling or 15 m, whichever is greater; 5.0 m side yard [1]
Separation from house: 3.0 m from the main dwelling or another sleep cabin (R1 zone table) [1]
Kitchen: Not allowed on lots under 0.4 ha; on larger lots one sleep cabin may have bathroom or kitchen facilities connected to the main dwelling's services (rules amended by By-law 21-1557) [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. [8][6][2][12]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Office consolidation is dated January 5, 2021 and does not include By-law 21-1557 (passed April 15, 2021), which adds secondary dwelling unit rules and rewrites Section 6.41 (sleep cabins). 21-1557's Appendix 1 is a tracked-changes markup of a 2019 consolidation; in extracted text, deleted and inserted wording run together, so exact clause wording (e.g. kitchen/bathroom rules for sleep cabins) should be checked against the PDF. Section numbers in the amendment (6.42-6.44) are garbled in the markup. Schedules A1-A11 are posted separately on https://www.temagami.ca/services-and-emergency-services/planning-development. No minimum dwelling floor area found in the consolidation.

Sources

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