In August 2018, as part of the Changing Lanes initiative, City Council approved Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments to allow the construction of laneway suites in the Toronto and East York District. The City is now considering expanding these permissions to additional areas across the City.

Information on Laneway Suites, including previous City reports and the laneway suites Zoning By-law, are available here.

What is a Laneway Suite?

A Laneway Suite is a self-contained residential unit located on the same lot as a detached house, semi-detached house, or townhouse, but in a separate building, next to a public laneway, and generally in the backyard. Currently, Laneway Suites are permitted on residential lots adjacent to a public laneway, subject to certain criteria, within the 2018 Toronto and East York Community Council area.

To date, nearly 100 preliminary applications for laneway suites have been received by the City. Several building permits for new laneway suites have also been issued.

Is the City considering expanding the Laneway Suites By-law to other areas of the City?

Yes. On February 12, 2019, the City’s Planning and Housing Committee requested the City Planning Division undertake review and consultation on expanding the current policy and zoning permissions for laneway suites to residential lots adjacent to public laneways across the City.

How can I be involved?

In May of this year, the Toronto City Planning Division is hosting a series of drop-in consultation meetings to discuss the proposed expansion of laneway suite permissions. At these meetings, City staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about the expansion being considered.  Please feel free to stop by any of these meetings at your convenience.

Community meeting details, as noted on the attached notice, are as follows:

Toronto and East York: May 1, 2019 – 55 John Street – Metro Hall (Room 308/309) – 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Etobicoke: May 6, 2019 – 399 the West Mall – Etobicoke Civic Centre (Council Chamber) – 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Scarborough: May 16, 2019 –  150 Borough Drive – Scarborough Civic Centre (Council Chamber) – 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

North York: May 27, 2019 – 5100 Yonge Street – North York Civic Centre (Council Chamber) – 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

How can I receive notice of any future meetings and decisions of City Council regarding Laneway Suites?

To be added to the mailing list, please send a request to Lisa McDonald at Lisa.L.McDonald@toronto.ca noting your address, to which Canada Post delivers, and quoting the file number “17 270684”.

Contact Information

If you have any comments or questions about this initiative, please contact George Pantazis George.Pantazis@toronto.ca or Graig Uens Graig.Uens@toronto.ca with the Toronto City Planning Division.