Ontario & Tiny Homes
The world of tiny homes is evolving, almost weekly. It is important to find out what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to legally buying, building or placing a tiny home on your property. There is a lot of misinformation available online that confuses the issue of buying a tiny home. It is important to do your own personal research and ask questions from various sources to ensure you are getting the correct information.
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It is important when reading about tiny homes online, that you understand the jurisdiction and country that is being referred to. In the US, there are many states that have more relaxed laws about tiny home placements and requirements to place a home on a lot. This also goes for building quality and methods of construction. Every country has a unique building code that applies to their specific needs because of climate, different requirements for animal and pest infestations, insulation needs based on heat or cold differences etc. In Canada, we have a national building code and each province has a provincial building code. They typically complement each other but sometimes differ in the application based on climate and weather needs for a home. The short answer is to do your homework and get the right information for your area, and specifically your municipality or city.
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At Redwood Homes 1000 Islands Ltd, we are constantly looking for the changes in legislation, advocating for tiny homes to be a legitimate housing solution, and to insure that people get the most up to date and accurate information available. Please contact us if you have a question that cannot be answered and we will do our best to steer you to the right people who have the answers.
Ontario tiny homes
What Is Allowed
The information below is believed to be accurate however the laws are constantly evolving and may change at any time without notice. Do your own research to find out what is legal in your area.
1. Tiny Homes are allowed to be built and placed in Ontario as a full housing alternative.
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2. Ontario now allows up to two (2) secondary units to be placed on a property with an existing home. One can be attached and one can be detached.
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3. As of January 2022, The Province of Ontario has set the definition for a tiny home to be a maximum of 400 sq ft.
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4. Most municipalities in Ontario have bylaws that now reflect the permission to place a tiny home in their jurisdiction with certain requirements for zoning and placement.
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5. Any tiny home being placed on a property for human habitation must be done in accordance with local bylaws and meet building code standards for the structure. This also means that the home must be connected to water and septic systems or municipal services. Because of our climate, this also means that the home must be installed on a proper foundation, slab on ground, tech posts, etc, with proper frost protection for both water and sewer systems.
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6.. The minimum home size in Ontario is 145.39 square feet and must have a functioning bathroom. Certain locales may still have a bylaw that restricts the size of a home, whether in the entire jurisdiction or in specific areas of their municipality.
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7. As of February 2022, the Ontario Building Code allows for remote video inspections of a Tiny Home that is being built in one jurisdiction and is going to be placed in another. This allows greater flexibility for remote locations and municipalities to receive pre-built homes. Two building permits would need to be issued: One for the home being built and inspected, and the second for the receiving Township to have the home permanently placed on a building site.
Building Code
The Ontario Provincial policy statement from May, 2020 stated that in the Province of Ontario, they have recognized the need for alternative housing solutions. One of those solutions is tiny homes. As a supplemental document to the PPS, the Province also created an action plan called "More homes, more choice", to give supply to housing shortage in Ontario.
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In December of 2019, The Province published a guide for people to buy and build a tiny home in Ontario. Redwood Homes was honoured to have pictures from our recent prototype build be used in many of the photographs in this guide.
