INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO BUILDING A MULTIPLEX

In May 2023, the Toronto City council adopted Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendments allowing multiplexes citywide.

Multiplexes have been part of the Toronto housing landscape for over a century, offering flexible housing options that adapt to changing demographic, however only 30% of Toronto’s residential zoning permitted Multiplexes with the majority limited to single-detached homes.

Read this before you start your next multiplex project!

  • Any building that has more than 1 dwelling and up to 4 dwellings. They are also referred to as a duplex, triplex and fourplex. Side by Side dwellings would be considered as a townhouse or semi-detached and therefore would not apply to this by-law.

  • Multiplexes can be built anywhere in the ‘Yellow Belt’. This refers to all residentially zoned areas that are indicated in Yellow on the Toronto Zoning Map. This includes R, RD, RS, RT, RM Zones.

    Check the link below to see your zone:

    Toronto Zoning

  • Yes, however you should consult with a Real Estate lawyer as there are fees associated with this and you need to ensure that it is economically viable.

  • There is technically no minimum, however a comfortable starting point is a 25ft wide x 110ft deep lot. This will be subject to setbacks however, so it will depend on the specific site.

  • For properties zoned with less than 10m in maximum height, the new bylaw overrides this restriction for multiplexes allowing a maximum of 10m regardless of the zoning.

    Multiplexes can exceed 10m on properties that are zoned with a height of more than 10m.

  • Whilst a height of 10m is the maximum, this doesn’t always apply for all the walls. There is a concept in the bylaw relating to the maximum height of main walls, which is usually 2.5m less than the maximum height. For example, if the maximum height is 10m, most of the walls will be 7.5m.

    This would make the top floor have a low roof and be quite awkward. Therefore, an amendment to the zoning allows the side walls to be 10m as long as the front and back of the third floor steps in by 1.4m and there is a slope of 1:10 for at least 50% of the roof.

  • A setback is a minimum distance from the edge of the property where you cannot build. The setbacks are governed by the zoning that the property is in.

  • According to the Ontario Building Code (OBC), as long as each unit has a dedicated entrance directly from the street, in addition to a balcony, it may be possible to only have single access for each unit.

    This will be subject to the design and would require a wide enough lot to accommodate entrances to all units.

  • Up to 4 units, as long as you can fit them on your site. This does not include a Garden suite, which in many cases can also be included on the same site.

  • There is no restriction on the number of storeys.

  • Yes, you may have a Garden suite or laneway house on the same property as a Multiplex, however you will need to comply with all the Garden Suite or Laneway Suite setbacks and requirements in order to make sure that it fits.

    Be mindful that if you add a Garden Suite to the property, you will need a 1m setback on one side of the multiplex for access to a Garden Suite. This may impede on the zoning setback, which could be less.

  • In most cases, multiplexes are exempt from development charges and cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication, provided there are no more than four units on the residential lot. Building a Garden Suite or Laneway House in addition to a fourplex will trigger development charges on all 5 units. Educational charges (roughly $3,900k per unit) are still required. It is still unclear whether a phased approach will mitigate this. Contact your local municipality for more information.

ADDITIONAL ZONING INFORMATION

  • Parking is not required on all multiplexes.

  • If your property is subject to lot coverage as indicated by the Lot Coverage Overlay, the base residential standards in Chapter 10, or a Chapter 900 exception, this regulation still applies to multiplexes.

  • Maximum floor space index regulations, as indicated by a “d” with a number value in the zone label (for example: d 1.0), do not apply to multiplexes.

    If there is a Chapter 900 exception which applies to the property, indicated by a (x) followed by a number in the zone label, any maximum floor space index specified in this exception may still apply.

  • Always consult with your accountant about HST, rebates and othe financial considerations.

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