A Garden Suite is a detached housing unit, usually located in the rear yard, and is separate, or detached from the main house. Garden Suites, like Laneway Suites, are generally smaller than the main house on the lot and are intended to function as a rental housing unit.
The Garden + Suites project will review important matters, which include privacy and shadowing, protecting trees and green space, and parking, among many others. This study seeks public input from current and future residents of low-rise neighborhoods, and other stakeholders, to understand these important matters.
The results from this review and public input will inform regulations and recommendations to City Council to permit Garden Suites as-of-right across the city.
For more information about the Garden + Suites project, please see the Garden Suites Review report (PDF) submitted to the Planning and Housing Committee. Information about other studies currently under review as part of the City’s Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods initiative is also available.
Virtual Public Consultations
The City is hosting a series of virtual community meetings on May 11, 12, and 13, where you can learn more, ask questions, and share your comments about Garden Suites. These meetings will be held online / phone-in only. Register here: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/planning-studies-initiatives/garden-suites/
Share Your Opinion
Take a survey and share your thoughts about Garden Suites. The Garden + Suites survey is open until April 30, 2021.
Like a Laneway Suite, a Garden Suite in Toronto functions as a separate rental housing unit, that is generally smaller in scale and located in the rear yard, detached from the main house. Unlike a Laneway Suite, a Garden Suite is not next to a public lane and could instead be next to other yards, a flanking street, a private lane, a park or open space or other uses.
Garden Suites are intended to be “non-severable”, which means they cannot be turned into a separate property from the main house. They remain under the same ownership as the main house and are serviced with water, sewer and other utilities through a connection to the main house or the street. They are intended for use as rental housing or to provide additional housing opportunities for owners and family members, including aging-in-place.
Garden Suites are also sometimes called “granny flats,” “coach houses,” “carriage houses” or “Detached Accessory Dwelling Units.”