Woodstock 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 · Woodstock’s term: “additional residential unit (ARU) in an accessory structure”

One additional residential unit is permitted in a detached accessory structure on lots with a single-detached, semi-detached or street row dwelling, where the lot has at least 540 m² of area. The unit must meet the general accessory building rules and the ARU size cap. [1]

Number allowed: Maximum of 2 ARUs per lot in addition to the principal dwelling; both may be in the house, or 1 in the house and 1 in an accessory structure (Table 3A, s. 5.2.8) [2]
Maximum size: ARUs cumulatively no greater than 60% of the gross floor area of the principal dwelling, to a maximum of 100 m² (basement/cellar ARUs not counted); accessory buildings in residential zones limited to 10% of lot area to a maximum of 75 m² of building area (Table 1) [2]
Maximum height: 6.0 m (Table 1, accessory buildings, residential uses) [2]
Setbacks: 1.2 m side yard and 1.2 m rear yard; any yard other than a front yard (Table 1) [2]
Minimum lot size: 540 m² for an ARU in a building or structure accessory to a residential use [2]
Parking: Minimum 1 additional space per ARU on the same lot; may be tandem [2]
Where allowed: City guide: properties zoned R1, R2, R3, C3 or HD; not on lots without frontage on an improved street, within the Conservation Authority Regulation Limit (unless approved), or on lots with a garden suite, converted dwelling, duplex, mobile home, group home, boarding/lodging house or bed and breakfast [3]
Approvals: Building permit required [3]

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 · Woodstock’s term: “single-detached dwelling house”

The R1 zone provisions and the Agricultural zone provisions set lot, yard, coverage and height standards but no minimum dwelling floor area for a single-detached dwelling house. [7]

Minimum dwelling size: None set in Table 6.2 (R1) or Table 29.2 (AG) [1]
Minimum lot size: R1: 370 m² (12–13.5 m frontage), 415 m² (13.5–15 m), 465 m² (15 m+); corner lots 540 m² [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. [4][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 allowed · Woodstock’s term: “travel trailer / motor home / mobile home”

A dwelling house is defined to exclude travel trailers, motor homes and mobile homes, recreational vehicles may not be occupied while stored on a lot, and no zone in the by-law sections reviewed lists a mobile home park or trailer camp as a permitted use. A garden suite (portable, temporary unit) can only be established through a Temporary Use By-law. [14]

Where allowed: s. 5.2.6.2.4: "No travel trailer, boat, motor home or similar recreational vehicle shall be used for occupancy while stored on any lot." [2]
Temporary garden suite: s. 5.2.4: a garden suite may be located in a Residential or Agricultural Zone through a Temporary Use By-law; one per lot, rear yard only, owner must live on the property, must meet Table 1 accessory building rules and adequate municipal services, and an agreement registered on title is required [2]

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][4][10][9]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Woodstock’s term: “accessory building”

Accessory uses may not be used for human habitation except as a garden suite (s. 5.2.4) or an additional residential unit (s. 5.2.8); the by-law has no separate provision for sleeping cabins.

Kitchen: Not applicable; a sleeping-only accessory building is not a permitted habitable use (s. 5.1.1.1 iii) [2]

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][4][15]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

By-law is published by Oxford County as separate section PDFs; the cdn.umb-sites.dev links on the county page had an expired TLS certificate, so the identical files were read from www.oxfordcounty.ca/media/... . County page states the consolidation is current to September 30, 2025; the list of council-approved by-laws awaiting consolidation (dated Nov. 30/25: 9773-25, 9784-25, 9786-25) contains only site-specific rezonings, none affecting ARUs. Woodstock is urban; the only rural zone is Agricultural (AG), which permits a dwelling only accessory to a farm or existing dwellings.

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Woodstock 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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