Skip to Content
County of Brant Home
Phone icon Contact icon
Follow on Twitter Follow on Facebook Follow on Instagram

Brant County Logo

Contact Us Main menu icon
  • Resident Services

    Resident Services

    • A to Z Services
    • Accessibility
    • Animal Control
    • Applications, Licenses and Permits
    • Brant Cares
    • Brant Transit
    • Building and Construction
    • Bylaw Enforcement
    • Calendar
    • Cemeteries
    • Community Centres and Halls
    • Contact Us
    • COVID-19
    • Cowan Community Health Hub
    • Education
    • Emergency Services
    • Engage Brant
    • Financial Assistance Programs for Residents
    • Fire
    • Garbage and Recycling
    • Health Care
    • In Your Community
    • Library
    • Life Events
    • Maps
    • Moths
    • Municipal Drains
    • News and Public Notices
    • Online Services
    • OPP
    • Paramedic Services
    • Parking
    • Planning and Development
    • Property Taxes and Assessment
    • Recreation
    • Rental Information
    • Report a Problem
    • Roads and Sidewalks
    • Safe and Healthy Communities
    • Safe Streets
    • Seniors Services
    • Social Services
    • Utilities
    • Volunteer
    • Water and Wastewater Services
    • Welcome to Brant!
  • Live and Discover

    Live and Discover

    • Living in Brant
    • Discovering Brant
    • Aquatics
    • Arts, Culture and Heritage
    • Cainsville Community Centre Campaign
    • Calendar of Events
    • Camps
    • Cancellations and Updates
    • Community Centres and Halls
    • Community Contacts
    • Day Trips and Tours
    • Events and Festivals
    • Facility and Park Rentals
    • Healthy Kids Brantford-Brant
    • Library
    • In Your Community
    • Love Local Brant
    • Maps
    • Our Communities
    • Outdoor Adventures and Sports
    • Parks, Trails, and Activities
    • People of Brant
    • Recreation
    • Register for a Program
    • Simply Grand Dog Park
    • Skating Rinks and Arenas
    • Year of the Garden
  • Invest in Brant

    Invest in Brant

    • Advertising and Sponsorships
    • Business Licencing
    • Economic Development
    • Maps
    • Planning and Development
    • Transportation
  • County Government

    County Government

    • Accessibility Services
    • Administration
    • Bids and Tenders
    • Cannabis
    • Careers
    • Committees
    • Community Grants
    • Council
    • Council and Committee Calendar
    • COVID-19
    • Department Directory
    • Donate
    • Elections
    • Engage Brant
    • Face Coverings
    • Finance
    • Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
    • Maps
    • News and Public Notices
    • New Official Plan
    • Our Future Brant
    • Plans, Studies and Reports
    • Postal Strike
    • Report a Problem
    • Social Media
    • Staff Directory
    • Strategic Plan

Aerial View of Burford

Additional Residential Units

 
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Email this page Email

Do you have questions about adding an Additional Residential Unit (or ARU) to your property? The County of Brant Development Services Department is here to help with your ARU project.

Whether it be a tiny home, in-law suite, basement apartment, garage loft, or something similar, we've got you covered!

Check out our helpful 'Planning Your Additional Residential Unit' Guide to help you get started with your renovation or building protect for an ARU. You can also view the guide by visiting www.brant.ca/ARUGuide or by contacting staff at building@brant.ca. The guide will let you know if your property will qualify for an ARU, what requirements there may be to safely pursue your project, and what options are available if your property doesn't quite meet the requirements for the project. 

Ready to apply for your building permit? We have an ARU Worksheet that can be submitted with your permit application.
Click here or visit www.brant.ca/ARUWorksheet to print your copy. Submit your information to building@brant.ca for staff to review and let you know if anything further is needed to get the building permit for your project. We look forward to hearing from you!

Check out our ARU brochure!


Flexible Housing Options in the County of Brant

The Planning Division wants to make sure that our housing policies provide flexible housing options for additional residential units (ARUs) on properties where there is already an existing home. The new Provincial Policy Statement (2020) defines how municipalities are required to provide a variety of types and tenures of housing to create healthy and complete communities. 

Definition of Housing Options from the Provincial Policy Statement 2020 encouraging different housing types and ownership styles.

Whether this be adding a 'basement apartment' for extra income, creating an 'in-law suite' for a family member, or converting an outbuilding to a 'tiny home', these dwelling units fall within the category of Additional Residential Units (or ARUs) and have been reviewed as part of this project.

Find out more information below, including frequently asked questions, County of Brant housing facts, and other ways to provide comments as these policy changes come into effect. We look forward to hearing from you !


Graphic showing examples of a dwelling unit in different housing types

What is a Dwelling Unit?  

A dwelling unit is a living space designed and intended for use by one or more people who maintain a common household. Dwelling units are contained within different housing types, such as single detached, semi-detached, apartments and townhouses, among many others.  

 


 

Graphic image of a large house and a small house

What is an Additional Residential Unit?

An Additional Residential Unit is a type of dwelling unit provided accessory to a principal dwelling unit on the same property. ARUs are always attributed to a principal dwelling unit, but can be either connected or detached. These dwelling units come in many shapes and sizes and are commonly referred to as basement apartments, granny flats, coach homes, in-law suites, tiny homes, garage apartments, modified shipping container dwellings, etc. 

 

 


 

Can I Establish an Additional Residential Unit?  

We've recently updated our policies to allow more people to explore putting an ARU on their property! In order to determine if your property is eligible for an ARU, check out the summary of the requirements below. The requirements are dependent on a few factors, and will differ based on the servicing of your property (if you're on well / septic or have municipal water and sanitary services), and if you're proposed an attached or detached ARU (for example a basement apartment as opposed to converting an outbuilding to a dwelling unit). For a more assistance with your project, please visit www.brant.ca/ARUGuide or contact staff at building@brant.ca to get started. 

Examples of Additional Residential Units
What does an ARU look like?

As shown in the image above, ARUs can come in many different shapes or sizes. There are many requirements beyond the zoning of a property when considering how to establish a legal ARU. The Province of Ontario has put together some basic information for property owners who are considering an ARU project. This information can be accessed by clicking the image above to open the 'Adding a Second Unit in an Existing House' Guide, by checking out their 'Build or Buy a Tiny Home' guide, by visiting the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website, or by searching for more information on the 'More Homes, More Choice Act' Housing Supply Action Plan.  There is also more information provided in the Project Timeline below under 'Background Research'.

 

Project Timelines

We've updated our policies! This project was approved by Council on October 6, 2020. 
If you'd like to see what the process looked like for this project, view our check-list below.

 

We will providing Council with information on how the new ARU policies are being implemented at an upcoming Council meeting schedule for April 2021. If you have questions about this project, please contact staff for assistance. 

 

Checkmark in a box Background Research 
(May/June 2020)

  • More Homes, More Choice: Ontario Housing Supply Action Plan
  • Build or Buy a Tiny Home in Ontario 
  • Adding a Second Unit to an Existing House

Checkmark in a box Information Report to Council 

(on YouTube July 7, 2020)

  • Read the Information Report to Council that will initiate this project and begin consultation
  • Download and share our FAQ sheet about ARUs

Checkmark in a boxPublic Engagement & Participation

(July / August 2020)

  • Take our Survey about ARUs (View the results below)
  • Sign-up to our digital circulation list for emailed updates on the project. 
  • Send staff an email providing comments in writing for consideration
  • 'As We Heard It' report and ARU survey summary 
  • Give us a call to find out more 
    (519.44BRANT ext. 3012 or ask for Zoning)

Checkmark in a boxAs We Heard It Report to Council 

(September 2020)

  • The As We Heard It - Feedback Summary report and Survey Summary will be presented to Council at the September 1, 2020 meeting.
    • It will present a summary of the feedback received about this project, as well as the research and proposed policy direction for Council discussion and further public feedback.
  • Proposed Policy Direction
    • Provided below is an excerpt of RPT-20-114 presented at the September 1st, 2020 Council Meeting. To view more information on the rationale and research supporting this policy direction, please read RPT-20-114 or contact Planning Staff at planning@brant.ca.
An ARU would be permitted in an area of the County of Brant with full municipal servicing provided the following requirements can be met:
  1. A residential use is permitted as a principal use of the lot.
  2. Municipal water/sanitary services and capacity are available to the property, as verified by the County of Brant.
  3. The ARU has unobstructed pedestrian access from the street and/or driveway.
  4. There are no other ARUs or Garden Suites on the property.
  5. 1 additional parking space can be provided on the property.
  6. If the ARU is located within the principal dwelling, or attached thereto, the ARU must meet the requirements for a dwelling in the applicable zone category.
  7. If the ARU is in an accessory structure, and not connected to the principal dwelling, the ARU must meet the requirements for accessory structures on the property in accordance with Section 4 of By-Law 61-16.
  8. The ARU must meet all applicable requirements of the Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Code and requires an approved building permit to establish the additional dwelling unit.
 An ARU would be permitted on a property with well and/or septic servicing provided the following requirements can be met:
 
  1. A residential use is permitted as a principal use of the lot
  2. The lot is a minimum size of 0.4ha in area
  3. A well and septic report is required to accompany a building permit application to verify that any additional capacity and usage will be supported on the property
  4. 1 additional parking space will be provided on the property
  5. The ARU has unobstructed pedestrian access from the street and/or driveway
  6. There are no other ARUs or Garden Suites on the property. 
  7. If the ARU is located within the principal dwelling, or attached to it, it is subject to the requirements for a dwelling in the applicable zone category
  8. If the ARU is located in an accessory structure, and not connected to the principal dwelling, it is subject to the requirements for accessory structures on the property a provided in Section 4 of By-Law 61-16.
  9. The ARU must meet all applicable requirements of the Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Code and requires an approved building permit for the additional unit.
  10. The ARU is located within 40.0m of the closest portion of the principal dwelling unit.

Checkmark in a boxFormal Commenting Period (September 2020)

This commenting period, as required under The Planning Act, also provides another engagement opportunity before Staff make their recommendation to Council for a decision on the changes. 

  • See the Notice of Public Meeting for more information on the requirements for this project under The Planning Act
  • Read a summary of the proposed policy directions (above)
  • View the ’Black-line changes’ to the policy documents showing what will be removed, added, and changed with the new policy directions.
  • Submit written comments to planning@brant.ca to be included in the published information about this project.
  • Sign-up to speak about this project at the upcoming Public Meeting. Please contact our Municipal Clerk to get some more information on this process.

 

Checkmark in a boxPublic Meeting & Council Decision 
(October 6th 2020)

This meeting will be available for viewing on the County's Youtube page at this link. 

  • The agenda to the meeting, including the report and draft amending By-Law, will be posted on the County SIRE website prior to the meeting. 
  • Sign-up to speak about this project at the upcoming Public Meeting. Please contact our Municipal Clerk to get some more information on this process.

 

 Appeal Period

 Once the By-Law for the project has been finalized and passed by the Council, it will come into force and effect. Under The Planning Act, there is no opportunity to appeal to the LPAT for policies about Additional Residential Units. If you have any questions about the new polices, please contact planning@brant.ca for further assistance. 

 

Need more information, or have questions for staff? Feel free to use the contact information below to get in touch with us.
We look forward to hearing from you!

phone icon Contact Us

Subscribe

How to find us

Paris Customer Service Office
66 Grand River Street N, Paris
Open Monday through Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Burford Customer Service Office
26 Park Avenue, Burford
Open Monday through Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

All Customer Service Offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2022 for the Labour Day Holiday. 

T. 519.44BRANT (519.442.7268)
T.F. 1.855.44BRANT
E. info@brant.ca 

A number of services are offered online. Please visit www.brant.ca/OnlineServices. 
Subscribe to updates at www.brant.ca/subscribe





 

Connect with County of Brant

Follow on Twitter Follow on Facebook Follow on Instagram Follow up on LinkedIn Visit our YouTube

Email IconMayor and Council Email Icon By Department Email IconStaff Directory

Brant County Logo

View our Accessibility Services pageAccessibility ServicesView our Privacy Statement and Terms of Service pagePrivacy Statement and Terms of ServiceView our Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy pageFreedom of Information and Protection of PrivacyMap of entire brant.ca websiteSitemap
Scroll to Top

Browser Compatibility Notification

It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.