What are the current as-of-right rules for adding an extra dwelling unit to my property in Ontario?

Ontario's provincial planning policy has pushed toward allowing additional residential units as-of-right in many residential areas, meaning that where the applicable conditions are met, a property owner can generally add an extra dwelling unit, such as a basement apartment or a unit within the main house, without needing a rezoning or a minor variance for the use itself. Provincial direction has generally aimed at making this broadly available across residential zones, but the specific numeric standards, such as size limits, parking requirements, and servicing conditions, are still set out in each municipality's own implementing zoning bylaw.

This means the concept of as-of-right permission is fairly consistent provincially, but the actual details you need to meet, and whether a garden suite or additional unit beyond the main structure is included, depend on your specific municipality's current bylaw. Because this is an actively evolving area of provincial and municipal policy, with municipalities updating their bylaws to reflect provincial direction on different timelines, anyone planning to add a unit should check the current version of their municipality's zoning bylaw and any related requirements directly, rather than relying on general expectations about what's allowed.