House types in the GTA주택 종류: 디태치드, 세미, 타운하우스, 링크, 콘도

What is it?

Every listing (the ad for a home) names a house type: "Detached", "Semi-Detached", "Townhouse", "Condo Apt" and so on. These words tell you the shape of the home (is it joined to the neighbour, how many households live in the building) and how the land is owned (freehold or condo).

The same word can mean slightly different things in different places. The City of Toronto zoning by-law (the city rules on how land may be used) gives each type a legal definition, while TRREB (the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board) statistics and MLS listings use their own categories. This page explains both.

At a glance

"Shape" mostly puts the City of Toronto definitions (the zoning by-law and city guides) into plain words; "link" is an industry word. "Who owns the land" and "Upkeep" describe the usual case. The real ownership form differs from listing to listing, so always check.

Detached and semi-detached

A detached house is, in the Toronto by-law, "a building that has one dwelling unit occupying the entire building". It shares no wall with a neighbour. If it has a secondary suite in the basement (a separate second unit built inside the house), the by-law still calls it a detached house.

A semi-detached house is "a building that has two dwelling units, and no dwelling unit is entirely or partially above another". In plain words, one building is split down the middle and the two homes share the party wall. Usually each owner holds their own half of the land and building as freehold.

A shared wall means some decisions are shared with the neighbour: roof work, fences, drainage. Before you buy, have your lawyer check the survey and the title for easements (a right to use part of someone else’s land) between the two homes.

Townhouse: freehold, condo or POTL

A townhouse (row house) is, in the by-law, "a building that has three or more dwelling units, and no dwelling unit is entirely or partially above another". The homes sit side by side in a row. They can look identical but be owned in three different ways, which makes this the most confusing type in listings.

• Freehold townhouse: you own your home and the land under it outright. There is no condo corporation and no monthly fee, and you repair your own roof and outside walls.
• Condo townhouse: a unit in a condo corporation. The common elements (roads, lawns, often the roofs) are owned by all owners together as shares, you pay monthly condo fees, and you follow the condo rules. Which parts are common elements differs from condo to condo, so check the condo declaration and the description (the registered plans). When you buy, you review the status certificate (the document on the corporation’s finances and rules).
• POTL (parcel of tied land): you own your home and lot as freehold, but the shared parts of the complex, such as a private road or visitor parking, belong to a "common elements condominium corporation". Your lot is legally tied to that corporation, so you pay a fee for the common elements. The amount differs from complex to complex.

TRREB statistics count "Att/Row/Twnhouse" and "Condo Townhouse" separately. "Stacked townhouses", where units sit one above another, are mostly condos. Only your lawyer’s title search settles which form you are buying.

Link house

A link house looks detached from the street, but its basement foundation or garage wall is joined to the neighbour’s. You see them often in GTA suburbs.

Neither the Toronto by-law nor any statute defines "link". It is an industry word, and TRREB statistics count "Link" as its own type, separate from detached and semi-detached. A listing can say "detached" when the home is really a link, so look at the survey and the basement yourself and ask your agent.

The land is usually freehold and the upkeep is the same as a detached house. People often say prices sit between detached and semi-detached, but that depends on the home and the neighbourhood.

Duplex, triplex and multiplex

A duplex is, in the by-law, "a building that has two dwelling units, with one dwelling unit entirely or partially above the other". A triplex has three units and a fourplex four, with at least one unit entirely or partly above another. The City of Toronto calls a house with 2 to 6 homes in one building a multiplex, and allows up to four units city-wide. Six-unit permissions depend on the location.

A detached house with a basement secondary suite is not a duplex under the by-law. A listing may say "duplex" when the home really has a secondary suite, or even an unpermitted unit. Permit records are available from the city. See "Legal basement apartment" for the details.

Ontario’s Planning Act stops cities from banning up to three units in a detached, semi-detached or row house when the conditions are met. That makes it easier to divide a home and rent part of it, but building permits and Building Code standards still apply.

Condo apartment, loft and co-op

A condo apartment is one unit in a building registered as a condo corporation. You own your unit (usually from the inside of the walls in), and all owners share the common elements, such as hallways, elevators and the gym. You pay monthly condo fees and follow the declaration and rules. This is the "standard condominium corporation", the most common kind in Ontario.

A loft is not a legal type; it is a listing word for the shape of the unit: high ceilings and few walls. People usually split them into "hard lofts" (converted factories or warehouses) and "soft lofts" (new buildings in that style). Nearly all are owned as condos.

Co-op apartments and co-ownership apartments are counted separately from condos in TRREB statistics. You do not own a unit on title. Instead you buy shares in the company that owns the building (co-op) or an undivided share of the whole building (co-ownership), together with the right to live in a specific unit. Bank financing is often harder than for a condo, so check with a mortgage professional and a lawyer before you make an offer.

Bungalow, 2-storey, split-level: words for the shape

The "Style" field in a listing describes the floor layout, not the ownership. It is combined with the types above, for example "Detached, Bungalow".

• Bungalow: one storey. No stairs, so popular with seniors. A "raised bungalow" has a basement lifted half a level, with bigger windows, which people say makes a better basement unit.
• 1.5-storey (listed as "1 1/2 Storey"): an attic-style upper floor under the roof.
• 2-storey and 3-storey: the most common shape, with bedrooms upstairs.
• Split-level (backsplit, sidesplit): floors offset by half a storey. Offset front to back is a backsplit; offset side to side is a sidesplit.

These are industry words, not legal definitions.

How much do prices differ by type?

TRREB publishes the average sale price by major home type every month. These are the numbers from the October 2026 report (Market Watch, mw2610).

An average is only the average of what sold that month, and it changes every month. Within one type, prices vary a lot by neighbourhood, size and condition. Use these numbers as a rough guide and check the latest report on the TRREB website.

What changes when you buy?

• Upkeep and repairs: in freehold homes (detached, semi-detached, link, freehold townhouse) you fix the roof, furnace and yard yourself. In condos and POTLs the corporation looks after the common elements and you pay a fee.
• Rules: a condo has a declaration and rules (pets, renting, renovations). A freehold home only has to follow city by-laws.
• Documents: for a condo or POTL, a status certificate condition in the offer is the norm. For freehold, the survey and title search matter more.
• Insurance: in a freehold home you insure the whole building. In a condo the corporation insures the building, and you insure the inside of your unit and your liability.
• Tenants: a duplex or a home with a secondary suite may come with tenants. A sale does not end a lease. For a new owner to move in, the tenancy must end by agreement with the tenant or by the legal N12 notice (an own-use notice). With an N12, the tenant is owed one month’s rent as compensation in some cases. If the tenant does not leave, the owner needs an LTB (Landlord and Tenant Board) order to get the unit back. Check with your lawyer before you sign.
• Financing: lenders may treat types differently. Co-ops, co-ownerships and rent from an unpermitted unit are often not counted, so ask before you offer.

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