Zoning용도 지역, 조닝

What is it?

Zoning is how a city divides land into zones and sets, for each zone, what you may do there and what you may build. The city by-law that holds these rules is called a zoning by-law.

Section 34 of Ontario’s Planning Act gives city councils this power. A zoning by-law can restrict the use of land and regulate the height, bulk, location, size and floor area of buildings, the minimum width and depth of a lot, and how much of the lot a building may cover.

In 2013 Toronto passed one city-wide by-law, Zoning By-law 569-2013. It merged the separate by-laws of the former cities (North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and others) from before the 1998 amalgamation. Some properties are still under a former by-law; they show in grey on the city’s map.

What does it control?

• Permitted uses: residential, commercial, industrial, mixed use and so on. Even within residential zones, some allow only detached houses and others allow several units.
• Conditions on uses: some uses are allowed only if set conditions are met.
• Maximum building height and size.
• Setbacks (the minimum distance a building must sit from the lot line) and spacing between buildings.
• Maximum lot coverage (the share of the lot a building may cover) and density.
• General rules that apply across the city, such as parking, ancillary structures (sheds, garages) and landscaping.
• Use-specific rules for things like home occupations, schools and eating establishments.

The City of Toronto explains that zoning implements the Official Plan and sets the standards you must meet to get a building permit.

How do I check a property’s zoning?

1. Search the address on Toronto’s Zoning By-law Interactive Map. Each property has a zone category (for example Residential Detached or Commercial Residential).
2. In the by-law text, read what that zone permits, any conditions, and the performance standards such as height, setbacks and lot coverage.
3. Check for a site-specific exception. These are in Chapter 900 of the by-law and prevail over the standard rules.
4. Read the city-wide general rules, the use-specific rules and the definitions in Chapter 800.
5. If unsure, ask Toronto Building (416-397-5330, bldinquiries@toronto.ca) or apply for a formal Preliminary Zoning Review.

The online map and consolidation are for convenience. The city says the certified originals on file with the City Clerk govern. Outside Toronto (Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Mississauga and so on), look up that city’s own zoning by-law on its website.

What if the home does not fit today’s rules? (legal non-conforming use)

Older neighbourhoods have homes used in ways the current zoning would not allow: an old two-unit house in a detached-house zone, or a house with a shop on the ground floor.

Section 34 (9) of the Planning Act says a new by-law cannot stop a use that was lawful on the day the by-law was passed, as long as that use continues. This is called a legal non-conforming use.

The key condition is "as long as it continues". If the use stops for a long time, the protection can be lost. To enlarge a non-conforming building or switch it to a similar use, you need permission from the Committee of Adjustment (section 45 (2)). When buying such a home, ask your lawyer to confirm there is proof the use has continued lawfully.

Building outside the rules: minor variances and rezoning

A minor variance is an application to be excused from a zoning rule by a small amount, for example an addition that is slightly short on setback or slightly over the height limit. Under section 45 of the Planning Act each city’s Committee of Adjustment decides. It may approve only if the general intent and purpose of the by-law and the Official Plan are maintained.

Toronto’s Committee of Adjustment handles minor variances, consents (dividing land) and extensions of legal non-conforming uses. There is a public hearing, and since November 28, 2022 only the applicant, the Minister, specified persons and public bodies can appeal a decision.

Changing the use itself or making a building much bigger is not "minor". That needs a rezoning (a zoning by-law amendment). In Toronto, staff review it, the public is consulted and City Council makes the final decision. It takes a long time and the outcome is not guaranteed.

Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing can also set land use anywhere with a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), and zoning disputes go to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).

Why does it matter when you buy?

• Additions, garages, decks: a building permit is issued only if the work complies with zoning. If it does not, you need a minor variance first.
• Basement units (secondary suites): the City of Toronto states that secondary suites are permitted in all Residential zones. In May 2023 City Council also adopted zoning changes that permit multiplexes of up to four units city-wide. Zoning permission is separate from the building permit and Building Code rules, which still apply.
• Home business: the zoning by-law has use-specific rules for home occupations. Check the by-law text for what kind of business is allowed and where.
• Your agent’s role: RECO’s Information Guide lists making inquiries about zoning and permitted property use as one of an agent’s services. In return, tell your agent up front if you need a specific use such as a home office.
• Your lawyer’s check: before closing, your lawyer can order a Property Information Report from the city (in Toronto also called a "property compliance letter"). It shows the zoning designation, building permits, violations and work orders. From January 1, 2026 the fee is $214.79 and it takes about five business days. The report does not explain what uses are permitted.

Example

What to watch out for

• Listing words like "in-law suite" or "potential income" do not mean the unit is legal. Check zoning and building permits yourself.
• Zoning changes. The city can change it on its own, and a neighbour can apply for a rezoning. Even Toronto’s map and consolidation do not always show every amendment yet.
• For a property still under a former city’s by-law (grey on the map), reading By-law 569-2013 gives the wrong answer.
• If a use is essential to you (a basement unit, a business), make it a condition in your offer or confirm with the city before you waive your conditions.
• Even when zoning allows something, a building permit, the Building Code, an easement (a neighbour’s or utility’s right to use part of your land) or condo rules can still block it.