Thames Centre 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 · Thames Centre’s term: “additional residential unit (ARU) / coach house”

The municipal ARU guideline says ARUs, including in a detached structure, need no planning approval on lots with full municipal water and sanitary sewers, but require a zoning by-law amendment on unserviced lots. The April 2025 zoning consolidation itself contains no general ARU provisions. [1]

Servicing: Lots on municipal water and sanitary sewers: no planning approval needed if zoning and Building Code are met; otherwise a Zoning By-law Amendment is required [2]
Number allowed: Up to three units on a residential lot including the primary unit [2]
Parking: No more than one off-street parking space per ARU [2]
Maximum height: 5.0 m to the roof peak for accessory buildings outside Industrial and Agricultural zones (s.4.1.3) [3]
Maximum size: In Residential zones, total floor area of all accessory buildings is the lesser of 90 m² or 75% of the dwelling floor area (s.4.1.2) [3]
Approvals: Building permit (plus ESA permit) [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. [4][5][6]

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 · Thames Centre’s term: “single dwelling”

The general provisions set a minimum floor area of 70 m² for a dwelling unit constituting a single dwelling, in all zones (s.4.3.3).

Minimum dwelling size: 70 m² for a single dwelling; 55 m² for a mobile home (s.4.3.3) [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. [4][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Allowed with limits · Thames Centre’s term: “mobile home / recreational vehicle”

Mobile homes are a permitted use in the Mobile Home Park (MHP) zone; in agricultural zones an accessory dwelling or mobile home is only permitted through a temporary use by-law under Section 39 of the Planning Act. An occupied vehicle for human habitation is prohibited except where specifically permitted.

Where allowed: Mobile Home Park (MHP) zone (Section 13) [3]
Temporary garden suite: Agricultural zones: accessory dwelling, seasonal farm dwelling or mobile home only by Temporary Use By-law under s.39 of the Planning Act (s.5.4.4, s.6.4.3) [3]
Minimum dwelling size: Mobile home minimum floor area 55 m² (s.4.3.3) [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. [12][7][4][9][8]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not addressed

The by-law has no bunkie or sleeping-cabin provision. Accessory building limits apply (in Residential zones, 5.0 m height and the lesser of 90 m² or 75% of dwelling floor area in total); note the by-law defines a 'dwelling' as a building occupied as a home, residence or sleeping place. [3]

Maximum height: 5.0 m to the roof peak for accessory buildings outside Industrial and Agricultural zones (s.4.1.3) [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. [9][7][4][13]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The posted consolidation (April 30, 2025) is still the current one on the municipal site; it contains no general ARU section, and s.4.3.4 limits lots to one dwelling unit unless a zone permits more, so ARU permissions on serviced lots come from the Planning Act as described in the municipal ARU guideline. A housekeeping amendment on shipping containers was pulled for refinement in January 2026. Official Plan review (OPA 27) is under appeal. Whether a bunkie would be treated as a second dwelling under the 'sleeping place' definition was not confirmed.

Sources

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Thames Centre 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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