Permitted rental unit
Toronto now allows up to four homes on almost every residential lot, and up to six in some wards, without rezoning. Route Homes designs, permits and builds duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, whether that means converting your existing house or building new.
A multiplex turns one house into two, three or four self-contained homes, for rental income, for family, or to make a Toronto lot pay for itself. The rules now favour owners; the building side is still demanding.
Every unit needs fire separation, sound control, its own way out and its own services. We look at your lot, your house and your goals first, then tell you whether converting or building new makes sense.
The building still has to fit the zoning envelope: height, setbacks, depth and lot coverage. Beyond it, you need a minor variance from the Committee of Adjustment.
A laneway or garden suite can be added on top. The rules keep changing, so we confirm them for your lot first.
Most multiplex projects fall into one of these.
Converting an existing house into two or three units, usually with a legal basement suite and a separate upper unit.
Four units in an existing house where the structure, height and exits allow it.
Demolishing the old house and building four new units designed around the lot and the zoning envelope.
Six-unit buildings in the wards that permit them, with the added fire and access requirements of a larger building.
A separate home in the backyard, added to a multiplex or on its own.
Units finished and inspected to be rented: separate entrances, fire separations, smoke and CO alarms, laundry and good sound control.
Converting keeps the existing structure and is often faster to approve. It works best when the foundation is sound, the basement is tall enough or can be lowered, and there is room for the stairs, separations and entrances each unit needs.
Building new costs more up front but gives full control of layouts, ceiling heights, soundproofing and energy performance. It is usually the better choice when the house would need a new foundation, structure and systems anyway. We price both routes for your lot.
Many multiplex projects start with a purchase. Before the offer is firm, check the lot width and depth, the zoning envelope, protected trees, the basement height and whether it can be lowered, and room for each unit’s stairs and exits.
Then price the building before you buy, not after. Upgrading the water and electrical services for several units can move the budget more than any finish, and it varies from house to house.
The listing and survey, if there is one, and photos of the basement, the electrical panel and the water meter.
What you want the building to be: how many units, whether you will live in one, and whether you are keeping the house or open to building new.
Your purchase timeline, so the zoning and building review can be done before your conditions expire.
Every unit needs:
Depending on the design and the number of units, the Building Code can require more, such as sprinklers, so the fire strategy is set at the design stage.
Sound control matters as much for tenants as for families: insulated floors and walls between units, resilient channels and solid doors keep the building liveable.
Since July 2025, Toronto’s By-law 845-2025 sets development charges and the parkland levy at $0 for the second to sixth unit on a lot. Our multiplex cost guide breaks down the permit fees and design costs that remain.
A multiplex combines work we do every day:
Legal basement suites, often the first step to a duplex, are on our basement renovation page.
Send the address, the number of units you have in mind and whether you will live in one. We will tell you what the zoning allows and what the house is likely to need.
An older Toronto house often has a small water line and a 100 amp electrical service. Several units need much more of both, which on older lots often means a new water service from the street and a larger electrical service.
Each unit gets its own heating and ventilation plan, so smoke and noise do not travel between units. Separate meters are optional in many cases; either way, the services are planned for the whole building from the start.
If you will live in one unit, the rent from the others carries part of the mortgage, and the layout can give you the larger unit with the yard. Many owners also house parents or grown children in the other units.
If you are investing, construction cost is weighed against rents or resale for the whole building, so durable finishes, good sound control and units that rent easily matter more than custom details.
We check the zoning, the lot, the trees and the existing house and tell you what can be built.
We price both routes where both are possible, so you choose with real numbers.
Unit layouts, fire and sound separations, structure, and the mechanical and energy design.
Minor variance if needed, then the building permit, plus demolition, tree and ESA permits where they apply.
Structure, separations, services and finishes, with every City inspection booked and passed.
Final inspections closed, a walkthrough of every unit, and your warranty in writing.
Up to four as of right on most residential lots, and up to six in nine wards, as long as the building fits the zoning envelope. A laneway or garden suite can be added on top. We confirm the current rules for your address.
Usually not. A fourplex that fits the height, setback, depth and coverage rules goes straight to a building permit. If it does not fit, a minor variance from the Committee of Adjustment is the usual path, not a rezoning.
Toronto no longer requires parking spaces for duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.
Convert when the structure, basement height and layout can take the units; rebuild when the house needs a new foundation, structure and systems anyway. We price both for your lot.
Not for units two to six. Since July 2025, Toronto’s By-law 845-2025 sets development charges and the parkland levy at $0 for the second to sixth unit on a lot. Building permit fees still apply.
Each unit needs its own safe way out and its own fire-separated space. Separate entrances are common; separate meters are optional in many cases.
Not always. A multiplex within Part 9 of the Building Code (generally up to three storeys and 600 m² of building area) can be designed by a qualified designer with a BCIN; larger buildings need an architect. We coordinate the whole design team.
Yes. Many owners do, or house family in the other units. Each unit still has to meet the Building Code and Fire Code as a separate home.
Design and approvals come first and can take months, especially with a minor variance. Construction of a new-build fourplex is measured in many months. We give you a schedule for both before you commit.
Recognized credentials and professional affiliations supporting Route Homes projects across Toronto and the GTA.
We check the zoning envelope, the trees, the existing house and the services, then price converting against building new so you can compare the two with real numbers.
