Accessory Apartments

The Township of Cavan Monaghan wants to help you make a secondary apartment that is safe and healthy for you and your tenant.

What is a secondary apartment?

A Garden Suite is not a secondary apartment and has different requirements.

A secondary apartment is another separate dwelling within the same house.

Here are several guides which can help you understand the requirements for secondary apartments better:

How do I start?

When you want two separate dwelling units within the same building, it is important to:

  1. Contact the Planning department by using the Land Use Inquiry form. This will ensure your project will meet all the requirements of the Zoning By-laws and other applicable laws.
  2. Hire a qualified designer, architect, or engineer to design the new living space.

Why do I need a qualified designer?

It can be a complex task to design a secondary apartment in an existing house.

Many different parts of the Ontario Building Code can come into play.

Some things your designer will need to consider are:

  • Means of egress (exits)
  • Fire separations
  • Early warning fire and carbon monoxide systems
  • Separation of water supply, heating and cooling systems
  • Water and sewer load increase.
  • Possible structural changes

Permits

Secondary apartments always require a permit.

Please go to the building permits page.