22 Garden Suite and Laneway Suite Statistics: Toronto Permits, Costs and Rules (2026)

Toronto had issued 480 garden suite building permits from 812 applications by May 8, 2025, according to the City of Toronto. A garden suite is a detached, self-contained home in the rear yard of a house that does not back onto a public lane; a laneway suite is the same idea on a lot that does. The 22 statistics below cover permits, approval times, build costs, size rules and funding. To price one, start with our home additions services.

Toronto, Oakville, Ontario and federal figures are in CAD or metric. Permit counts from thepermitmap are rebuilt daily from City of Toronto open data and were read on October 21, 2026. All sources were checked on October 21, 2026.

How many garden and laneway suites has Toronto permitted?

Toronto has issued laneway or garden suite permits for 2,413 addresses, adding 2,233 homes, according to thepermitmap's count of City open data. Garden suites alone went from 56 permit applications in 2022 to 361 in 2024. In 2025, 580 Toronto addresses started one, the busiest full year so far.

1. 480 garden suite permits were issued from 812 applications by May 2025

As of May 8, 2025, Toronto Building had received 812 garden suite building permit applications and issued 480 permits, 59 percent of those received (City of Toronto).

2. Applications rose from 56 in 2022 to 361 in 2024

Garden suite permit applications increased each year after Council approved them on February 2, 2022, from 56 in 2022 to 361 in 2024, per Toronto Building data in the City's final monitoring report.

3. 2,413 Toronto addresses have a laneway or garden suite permit

Counting both types from City of Toronto open data, 2,413 addresses have taken out a permit, together adding 2,233 dwelling units (thepermitmap). It counts addresses, not permits, because one build carries several permits.

4. 580 addresses started a suite in 2025, and 634 so far in 2026

Thepermitmap counts 580 addresses in 2025 (373 garden, 189 laneway) and 634 in 2026 to date (469 garden, 140 laneway). Garden suites passed laneway suites in 2023 and have stayed ahead (thepermitmap).

5. Davenport leads with 378 suite addresses

Davenport is the busiest ward with 378 addresses, followed by University-Rosedale at 260 and Toronto-Danforth at 232. Palmerston-Little Italy leads all neighbourhoods with 95 (thepermitmap).

6. Permits cover more than 6,100 units across suites and multiplexes

Toronto City Planning reports that building permits have been received for more than 6,100 new units in laneway suites, garden suites and multiplexes since each program began (Development Activity Bulletin 2025).

How long does garden suite approval take in Toronto?

A Toronto laneway or garden suite takes a median of 84 days from first application to first permit, says thepermitmap, about three times the 27-day median for any permit. About 70% of garden suite applications went straight to a building permit without a minor variance. Of those that did need one, the Committee of Adjustment approved 80%.

7. Median approval is 84 days, against 27 for any permit

Measured from first application to first issue, the median approval for a laneway or garden suite is 84 days, against 27 days for a permit of any kind (thepermitmap).

8. About 70% of applications needed no minor variance

Approximately 70 percent of garden suite applications proceeded to building permit without an associated minor variance as of April 2025 (City of Toronto).

9. The Committee of Adjustment approved 80% of variance requests

Between 2022 and August 2024 there were 233 minor variance applications tied to garden suites, asking for 714 variances in total. The overall approval rate was 80 percent (City of Toronto).

10. 0.3 metres more height would have removed 66% of height variances

The City's consultant found 63 applications sought relief on height, and an extra 0.3 metres would have eliminated 66 percent of them. That finding led to the new 6.3-metre limit (City of Toronto).

11. 15% of sites got approved permits to injure or remove trees

Of 568 garden suite sites reviewed to the end of 2024, 88 (15 percent) received approved construction-related tree permits, authorizing 76 removals and 108 injuries (City of Toronto).

How much does a garden or laneway suite cost to build in the GTA?

A typical two-bedroom Toronto garden suite costs $295,000 to $625,000 all-in for 2026, says RenoHouse, with the mid-range near $450,000. Hard construction runs $400 to $650 per square foot for a garden suite and $450 to $700 for a laneway suite. The median declared permit value in Toronto is $200,000, which usually leaves out design and servicing.

12. A two-bedroom garden suite costs $295,000 to $625,000 all-in

RenoHouse puts a typical 800 to 900 square foot, two-bedroom Toronto garden suite at $295,000 to $625,000 all-in, including soft costs and contingency, with studios starting near $195,000 (RenoHouse).

13. Laneway suites run $450 to $700 per square foot to build

RenoHouse puts hard construction at $400 to $650 per square foot for a garden suite and $450 to $700 for a laneway house, which it pegs at a $525,000 mid-range against $450,000 (RenoHouse).

14. A 600 square foot suite costs $365,000 to $525,000 all-in

Maserat puts garden suite construction at $400 to $550 per square foot and a typical 600 square foot suite at $365,000 to $525,000 all-in, with 6 to 14 months from design to move-in (Maserat).

15. The median declared permit value is $200,000

Across 1,926 Toronto suite builds with a declared value, the median is $200,000 as filed (thepermitmap). Declared values are what owners write on the permit, so treat them as a floor.

16. Oakville charges $12.00 per square metre for an accessory unit permit

Outside Toronto, the Town of Oakville's 2026 fee for an accessory dwelling unit permit is $12.00 per square metre, against $17.80 for a house addition (Town of Oakville).

For smaller ways to add space, compare our home addition cost guide and the basement finishing cost guide, since a basement suite often costs far less than a new building. Our legal basement apartment cost guide prices that route line by line.

How big can a garden suite be in Ontario and Toronto?

A Toronto garden suite can have up to 60 square metres of floor area on one storey or 120 square metres on two, under the 2025 by-law changes, and can reach 6.3 metres tall. Ontario law lets most urban lots hold up to three units without a rezoning, and one of them can sit in an ancillary building.

17. Up to three units are allowed as of right in most urban areas

Ontario's Planning Act overrides local zoning to permit up to 3 residential units in most existing urban residential areas: up to 3 in the main house, or 2 in the house and 1 in an ancillary building such as a garage (Government of Ontario).

18. Toronto caps floor area at 60 square metres per storey, 120 in total

The amendments set a maximum gross floor area of 60 square metres for a one-storey garden suite and 120 square metres for two storeys. Suites reviewed averaged about 82 square metres (City of Toronto).

19. Maximum height rose to 6.3 metres

Toronto raised the maximum garden suite height from 6.0 to 6.3 metres in most of the city, to match laneway suites (City of Toronto report). The City says the amendments are now in force, apart from one property-specific appeal (City of Toronto).

20. Second to fourth units are exempt from Toronto development charges

Toronto's development charges by-law exempts a second, third or fourth unit on a single residential parcel, including units ancillary to the main house, up to four units (City of Toronto).

Rules and permits are where a general contractor earns the fee. See the best general contractors in Toronto, or our new list of Oakville general contractors. For permit fees and timelines across the GTA, see our building permit statistics.

What tax credits and financing help pay for a garden suite?

The federal Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit refunds 14.5% of up to $50,000, or $7,250, when a senior or an adult with a disability lives in the new unit. The promised $80,000 Canada Secondary Suite Loan will not launch. CMHC-insured refinancing up to 90% of the as-improved value is the main federal financing route.

21. The multigenerational credit pays up to $7,250

For 2025, the refundable credit is 14.5% of up to $50,000 in qualifying costs, a maximum of $7,250 per claim. The secondary unit must let a senior or an adult eligible for the disability tax credit live with a qualifying relative (Canada Revenue Agency).

22. The $80,000 suite loan was cancelled; insured refinancing remains

Budget 2025 says the Canada Secondary Suite Loan Program will not be implemented (Budget 2025). CMHC Refinance insures loans for a self-contained suite up to 90% loan-to-value, as-improved value below $2,000,000, over up to 30 years, and bars rentals under 90 days (CMHC).

What this means for homeowners

• Check your lot first. Most Toronto garden suites go straight to a permit, but tree, setback and height issues push about 30% into a minor variance.
• Budget the whole job, not the permit value. All-in estimates of $295,000 to $625,000 include design, servicing and contingency that a $200,000 declared value leaves out.
• Plan financing early. The suite loan is gone, so line up CMHC-insured refinancing, and check the $7,250 credit if a parent will live there.
• Pro House Maintenance connects you with vetted, licensed and insured pros who give free written estimates. Compare home addition contractors in Toronto, read our general contractor cost guide, or see the wider home addition statistics and multigenerational household statistics.

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