WHY CHOOSE LANEWAY HOUSES?

There are many reasons for wanting to add a laneway house to your property:

• provide housing for a variety of users, such as aging family members, adult children, caregivers, and homeowners wishing to downsize.
• Laneway housing provides more choice of housing type in single-family residential neighbourhoods.
• contribute to the rental housing stock and offer an affordable solution to the growing population and housing market.
• Laneway houses enhance to the overall sustainability of the city providing opportunities that may have otherwise not existed.
• to make the city’s urban lanes more green, livable, and safe.

IS YOUR LOT ELIGIBLE FOR A LANEWAY HOUSE?

Some of the key regulations for laneway houses are as follows:

• Located on a lot at least 33 feet wide
• Property must have open lane on a double fronting street or on a corner with lane dedication
• Fire access must be provided from the street along one of the side yards to the entrance of the laneway housing.
• Minimum of one on-site parking space must be provided
• A minimum of 16 feet separation is required between the main house and laneway house

WHAT ARE THE LANEWAY HOUSE PRINCIPLES?

The following principles underlie laneway housing regulations and guidelines:

• Laneway houses provide new housing choices for family members or renters in single family residential areas.

• Homeowners are able to add laneway houses while keeping their existing home, or build a laneway housing along with a new main house.

• Regulations and design guidelines ensure that laneway housing:
  • maintain backyard open space.
  • encourage one story laneway houses to limit impact on neighbors.
  • provide for a variety of unit types.

• Laneway homes make lanes greener, more livable, and safer by providing living space, parking, and planting in the lane.

• Laneway houses comply with the Green Home Laneway housing Program, as adapted for its small size.

WHAT SIZE OF LANEWAY HOUSE CAN I BUILD?

We determine the most effective size and shape for your new laneway homes during the first step of our process:

• Maximum allowable unit size is based on lot size, to a maximum of 900 sq. ft. For example, a maximum unit size of approximately 650 square foot of laneway homes are allowed on a 33 ft. x 122 ft. lot.
• 1 and 1½ story configuration is possible, with guidelines to address upper storey massing, privacy and shadowing

If you are interested in finding out if your property is applicable for laneway homes or coach houses, contact us for a complementary consultation today!  We’d be happy to give you all the information you need to fully understand the process and financing needed to build laneway homes for you.