Reference Glossary
A narrow strip of land owned by a municipality along a road frontage, used to control access until conditions are satisfied. Until the reserve is lifted, a lot has no legal access to the road, which can make an otherwise developable parcel unusable. Common at the edge of registered plans of subdivision.
A use or building that is secondary and subordinate to the main use of a property, such as a garage, shed, or home office. Zoning by-laws set separate standards for size, height, and location of accessory structures.
The statutory term for a second or third self-contained dwelling unit on a lot that already contains a house. The More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 required Ontario municipalities to permit up to three units on most urban residential lots without a rezoning, and Ontario Regulation 462/24 harmonised the standards province-wide. An ARU can be inside the house, such as a basement apartment, or detached in the rear yard. See our guide to garden suites and laneway suites.
Indoor and outdoor areas in a development for the shared use of residents, such as lobbies, lounges, rooftop terraces, and play areas. Zoning by-laws often require a minimum amount per unit.
An imaginary sloped line, set at a defined angle from a lot line or street, that a building must fit under. Used in urban design and zoning to control how a building transitions in height toward neighbours and the street.
The window in which a planning decision can be appealed to a tribunal. It is set by the Planning Act, it is short, and the notice of decision states the last day. Once it expires the decision is final and the only route left is a new application. It is the single most time-critical thing in the planning process and the most commonly missed.
An assessment by a certified arborist identifying trees on and near a site, their species, size, health and protection requirements. In Toronto, minor variance and consent applications must include tree-related material. Commissioning it before the architectural drawings rather than after is the cheapest way to avoid a redesign. See tree permits.
A staged investigation of a site's archaeological potential, carried out by a licensed consultant archaeologist under provincial standards. Stage 1 is background research; later stages involve field testing and, if resources are found, excavation or avoidance. It is a common cause of delay because the later stages are seasonal.
A use or building permitted under the existing zoning by-law without any further planning application. If a project is as-of-right, you can apply directly for a building permit; if it is not, you need to change the zoning first.
The unfinished space between the roof and the ceiling of the storey below. Finishing an attic can convert it into a habitable storey for zoning purposes, which is a common and often unexpected trigger for a minor variance during a renovation.
A horizontal platform projecting from the main wall of a building and accessed only from inside. Balconies are typically permitted to project beyond the main wall by a defined amount, and are often excluded from gross floor area and from tower separation measurements.
The portion of a building below the first storey. What counts as a basement rather than a storey depends on how far the ceiling sits above established grade, and that threshold varies between by-laws. It matters because basements are usually excluded from gross floor area and from the storey count.
On a plan of subdivision, a lot is a parcel intended for a single building or use, while a block is a larger parcel for future division, multiple units, roads, parks, or servicing. The distinction affects how land can be developed and conveyed.
A consent that conveys a parcel of land into an abutting lot rather than creating a new lot. Common where a driveway encroaches, a fence sits on the wrong side of a line, or one owner is buying a strip from a neighbour. It is often what a client actually needs when they ask about a severance, and it is usually simpler to obtain.
A required minimum and maximum setback range within which at least the first storey of a building fronting a street must be located. Unlike a conventional setback, which sets only a minimum, a build-to zone requires the building to come forward, so a building set too far back can be as non-compliant as one set too close.
Municipal approval, issued under the Building Code Act, confirming that a proposed building meets the Ontario Building Code. It is a separate step from planning approval: zoning establishes what you may build, the building permit confirms how it is built.
A payment a municipality may accept instead of an on-site parkland dedication, used to fund parks elsewhere. Whether land or cash is required, and how much, is set by the Planning Act and municipal by-law.
A municipal committee, appointed by council, that hears and decides minor variance and consent applications. It operates at arm's length from council and its decisions can be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
The shared parts of a condominium owned collectively by all unit owners, such as hallways, elevators, amenity space, private roads, and landscaping. They are managed by the condominium corporation and funded through unit owner fees.
A charge some municipalities levy under the Planning Act on higher-density development to fund community facilities and services not covered by development charges. It is capped as a percentage of land value and replaced the old Section 37 system.
A streamlined approval system, set up by a municipal by-law under the Planning Act, that combines zoning, site plan, and minor variance into a single permit for a defined area. Decisions are faster and appeal rights are limited compared to standard applications.
An assessment of whether schools, childcare, libraries, recreation and human services can accommodate the population a development will generate. Usually required for larger residential applications, and it is one route by which community benefit requirements are identified.
An application that includes all the studies, plans, and fees the municipality identified at pre-consultation. The clock for processing and appeal timelines only starts once an application is deemed complete, so a thorough pre-consultation matters.
Permission to divide a parcel of land into two or more lots, granted under Section 53 of the Planning Act. Used to create a new lot, correct a boundary, or register an easement, and decided by the Committee of Adjustment or the municipality.
A regional body that regulates development near rivers, wetlands, shorelines, and hazard lands. A permit from the local conservation authority may be required alongside the municipal planning process where a site falls within a regulated area.
A measure of development intensity on a site, expressed as units per hectare, floor space index, or gross floor area. Official Plan and zoning policies set the maximum density a site may be developed to.
Fees municipalities collect on new development, under the Development Charges Act, to help fund the infrastructure that growth requires, such as roads, water, and transit. They are typically payable at building permit and can be a major project cost.
The stage at which an approval authority approves a plan of subdivision or condominium in principle, subject to conditions. It is not final approval and it does not permit registration. The plan becomes final only once every condition is satisfied and the plan is registered. See Draft Plan of Subdivision.
The list of requirements attached to a draft approved plan, covering servicing, roads, parkland, easements, agreements and financial securities. Clearing them is the substantive work between draft approval and registration, and it routinely takes longer than obtaining the draft approval itself.
Approval under the Condominium Act that allows a building or land to be divided into separately owned units with shared common elements. Common for residential, commercial, and standard or vacant-land condominium projects.
Approval under Section 51 of the Planning Act to divide land into multiple lots and blocks, typically with new roads and services. The standard route for creating a new community or multi-lot development.
A self-contained set of rooms used as a single housekeeping unit, with its own kitchen and bathroom facilities and its own entrance. It is the foundational definition in every zoning by-law, because the number of dwelling units permitted determines what can lawfully be built. Disputes about whether a space is a dwelling unit are common in basement apartment and rooming house files.
A registered right to use part of another person's land for a defined purpose, such as utilities, drainage, or access. Easements run with the land and constrain where and how a property can be developed.
A study of the effect of a proposal on natural heritage features and their functions, including wetlands, woodlands, watercourses and habitat. Normally required where a site is on or adjacent to a designated natural feature, and it commonly establishes the development limit and any required buffers.
The reference elevation from which building height is measured. Every zoning by-law defines it slightly differently, using an average of points around the building, the elevation at the front lot line, or the finished grade. It is the most consequential definition in the by-law, because a change in how grade is calculated changes the permitted height, and it produces more variances than any other single provision.
The ratio of a building's total floor area to the area of its lot. An FSI of 2.0 means the floor area is twice the lot size. Zoning by-laws use FSI, sometimes called FAR, to cap the size of buildings.
Two forms of ownership. Freehold means owning the land and building outright; condominium means owning a unit plus a share of common elements governed by a condominium corporation. The choice affects the planning process, financing, and how units are sold.
On an interior lot the front lot line is the one abutting the road. On a corner or through lot it is determined by rule: usually the shorter of the two street lines, or where they are equal, the one abutting the wider or higher-order road. It matters because every yard, setback and frontage requirement follows from it, and a different front lot line can change what is buildable.
The width of a lot measured along the street line. Zoning by-laws set a minimum lot frontage, and insufficient frontage is a common reason a new lot needs a minor variance alongside a consent.
An engineering report demonstrating that water, sanitary and storm servicing can accommodate the proposal, and setting out how services will connect. Where capacity is constrained it is the report that decides whether a project proceeds now, later, or at a reduced scale.
A self-contained detached dwelling unit in the rear yard of a lot that does not abut a public laneway, reached from the street through a side yard. Toronto permitted garden suites in 2022 and most Ontario municipalities followed. One detached suite is permitted per lot, so a property is either a garden suite site or a laneway suite site, not both. See our garden and laneway suites guide.
An investigation of subsurface soil and groundwater conditions to establish what can be built and how it must be founded. It informs foundation design, excavation support and servicing depths, and on constrained sites it can change what is physically achievable.
The reference ground level from which building height and storeys are measured. Because by-laws define established grade in specific ways, how grade is determined can change whether a building complies with height limits.
An informal term for the right to continue a use or building that was legal when established but no longer complies with current rules. In Ontario this is formally a legal non-conforming use, and it has limits: it can usually continue but not freely expand or change.
The total floor area of a building, measured to the outside walls, used to calculate density and development charges. Definitions vary between by-laws in different municipalities on what is included or excluded, such as parking or mechanical space.
The floor-to-ceiling height of the ground floor where it faces a street. Minimum ground floor heights are used to keep the ground floor usable for retail or commercial space in future, even where the initial use is residential. It is a common source of variance requests in mid-rise applications.
Property that may be unsafe for development because of naturally occurring processes, most commonly flooding, erosion or slope instability. Development is generally directed away from hazardous lands, and conservation authorities regulate them independently of the zoning by-law.
The vertical measurement of a building, regulated by the zoning by-law. How height is measured matters: by-laws define it from an established grade to the roof or a specified point, and rooftop mechanical or stair access may be excluded.
An assessment of how a proposal affects a heritage property or a heritage conservation district, and what mitigation is appropriate. Required where a property is designated or listed, or adjacent to one. It runs on a separate statutory track from the planning application and on its own timeline.
A symbol attached to a zoning category, the (H), that permits a use only once specified conditions are met, such as servicing or studies. Removing it is a council decision under Section 36 of the Planning Act.
A report addressing the effect of a proposal on the existing housing stock, typically required where rental units would be lost. It supports applications involving demolition or conversion and informs tenant relocation and replacement requirements. See rental housing demolition.
An assessment of groundwater conditions, typically required where a proposal relies on private wells or septic systems, or where dewatering is proposed. Central to rural and cottage-country severances, where the study often determines whether a lot can be created at all.
A planning tool that requires a share of new units in certain areas to be affordable. In Ontario it applies in protected major transit station areas and development permit system areas.
Development on vacant or underused land within an already built-up area, as opposed to development on the edge of a community. Infill projects often need rezoning or variances to fit a denser use into an existing context.
A by-law under section 38 of the Planning Act that freezes development in a defined area while the municipality studies land use policy there. It lasts up to one year and can be extended to two. It cannot be appealed when first passed, only when extended, and it stops applications that were otherwise ready to proceed.
A self-contained detached dwelling unit in the rear yard of a lot that abuts a public laneway, taking its access from the lane. Toronto permitted laneway suites in 2018, ahead of garden suites. Whether your property qualifies is determined by the laneway, not by preference. See our garden and laneway suites guide.
Draft approval of a plan of subdivision or condominium expires if the plan is not registered within the period set by the approval authority. An extension must be requested before the lapsing date. Owners lose entitlement this way more often than they expect, usually because the file changed hands or sat through a market downturn.
A use that was lawful when established but no longer complies with the current zoning by-law. It may generally continue, but expanding or changing it usually requires relief, often a minor variance or recognition from the Committee of Adjustment.
An off-street area required for delivery and service vehicles to load and unload. Zoning by-laws set the number and dimensions of loading spaces based on the size and type of development.
The percentage of a lot covered by buildings. Zoning by-laws set a maximum lot coverage to control building bulk and preserve open space and drainage.
An exterior wall of a building, including the structural and architectural elements essential to supporting an enclosed space or roof. Setbacks are measured to the main wall, so what counts as a main wall and what counts as a projection determines whether a building complies.
The area within roughly 500 to 800 metres of an existing or planned transit station, where the province directs higher-density, transit-supportive development. MTSAs are delineated in municipal Official Plans with minimum density targets.
An enclosed area on the roof containing equipment for the normal operation of the building, including heating, cooling, ventilation, elevators, stair towers and telecommunications. Usually excluded from the storey count and often permitted to project above the height limit, subject to conditions.
Where two abutting parcels come into identical ownership, they merge into a single lot by operation of law and can no longer be dealt with separately. The merger is automatic and nothing is registered to record it. Separating them again requires a new consent, and owners typically discover the problem when a sale falls through. See Consent (Severance).
An intermediate floor level between the floor and ceiling of a storey, typically permitted only up to a defined proportion of the floor area below it. Exceed that proportion and it is counted as a full storey, which can change compliance with both height and density.
An order made by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing under section 47 of the Planning Act that zones land directly, overriding the municipal zoning by-law. There is no municipal process and generally no appeal. MZOs have been used to accelerate housing, long-term care and employment projects, and land subject to one carries a distinct set of questions about what the order permits and what it does not.
A small departure from a zoning by-law standard, such as a reduced setback or extra height, granted by the Committee of Adjustment under Section 45 of the Planning Act. The application must meet four tests to be approved.
A dwelling constructed as a sales model within a draft approved plan of subdivision or condominium, before the plan is registered, and not occupied. Municipalities permit them under a model home agreement setting the number permitted and the conditions attached.
An acoustical assessment of noise and vibration affecting a proposed development from roads, rail or industry, and of noise the development itself will generate. It typically results in warning clauses, building envelope requirements, or physical mitigation such as berms and glazing specifications.
The document issued after a planning decision setting out what was decided, the reasons, and the last date on which the decision can be appealed. Reading it properly matters: a refusal on the record, where a report was missing or a comment went unanswered, is a very different problem from a refusal on the merits. See our guide on what to do if your application is refused.
A municipality's long-range policy document guiding land use, growth, and infrastructure. All zoning and development must conform to it. Projects that do not fit its designations require an Official Plan Amendment.
A change to the Official Plan, applied for under Section 22 of the Planning Act, needed when a project does not conform to the plan's land use designation or policies. Often filed together with a Zoning By-law Amendment.
The provincial tribunal that hears appeals of planning decisions, including refusals, non-decisions, and third-party appeals. It decides matters on planning evidence given by qualified witnesses.
The number of parking spaces a development must provide, typically expressed per unit or per square metre. Many Ontario municipalities have reduced or removed parking minimums, particularly near transit.
A requirement under the Planning Act for development to convey land for parks, or pay cash in lieu, to support the new population. Rates are set by municipal by-law.
A Planning Act restriction on dividing land within a registered plan of subdivision. A Part Lot Control Exemption by-law lifts it so individual units, such as freehold townhouses, can be conveyed on separate title.
At the Ontario Land Tribunal and the Toronto Local Appeal Body, a party takes full part in a proceeding, calls evidence, cross-examines and can appeal the result. A participant may make a statement but does no more. Which status a person holds is determined early and it decides how much influence they have over the outcome.
A use of land or building expressly allowed in a zone by the zoning by-law. If a use is not listed as permitted, it generally requires a Zoning By-law Amendment to be allowed.
A records and site review identifying potential contamination from current and historical uses. It involves no sampling. Where it identifies potential concerns, a Phase II assessment follows. Standard diligence on any acquisition and frequently required before a change to a more sensitive land use.
Intrusive investigation involving soil and groundwater sampling to confirm whether contamination identified in a Phase I assessment is present, and at what concentrations. It determines whether remediation and a Record of Site Condition are required.
The provincial statute that governs land use planning in Ontario. It sets out the framework for Official Plans, zoning, subdivisions, consents, variances, and appeals.
A report prepared by a planner setting out the planning rationale for an application, assessing it against provincial, regional, and municipal policy. It is the central document supporting most rezoning and amendment applications.
The base of a taller building, including the ground floor, that projects horizontally beyond the tower above it. The podium is what a person experiences at street level, and its height, depth and relationship to the sidewalk are usually negotiated harder than the tower itself. Definitions vary between by-laws.
A structure abutting the main wall of a building with a roof and open to the air on at least one side. The presence of a roof is what distinguishes a porch from an uncovered platform, and it usually changes the encroachment permitted into a front yard.
A required meeting with municipal staff before submitting most major applications. The municipality identifies the studies and materials a complete submission must include.
An MTSA designated through a specific Official Plan process that unlocks additional tools, including inclusionary zoning. Within a PMTSA, municipalities can require a share of affordable units in new development.
Province-wide policy that all planning decisions must be consistent with, covering matters such as housing, infrastructure, employment, and natural heritage. It sets the policy floor beneath municipal Official Plans.
A document filed on the provincial Environmental Site Registry certifying that a property meets the applicable site condition standards for its intended use. Required by regulation when land changes to a more sensitive use, such as industrial to residential, and it is a precondition to development rather than a formality.
A survey, prepared by an Ontario Land Surveyor and deposited at the land registry office, that precisely defines parts of a property. Reference plans are used to describe lands for consents, easements, and part lot control conveyances.
Municipal approval, in cities with a by-law under Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act or Section 99.1 of the Municipal Act, required to demolish or convert rental units. Replacement of the rental units is usually a condition.
The common term for a Zoning By-law Amendment: changing the zoning that applies to a property to permit a use or building the current zoning does not allow.
Land set aside for passage or services, such as a road allowance, laneway, or utility corridor. A right-of-way may be public or private and limits building on the affected strip of land.
The minimum required distance between a building and a lot line. Front, rear, and side yard setbacks are set by the zoning by-law; relief from them is a common reason for a minor variance.
A dwelling unit, or part of one, used for temporary accommodation for a limited rental period, commonly defined as fewer than 28 or 29 consecutive days. Increasingly regulated through the zoning by-law as well as licensing, and the definition and permissions vary significantly between municipalities, particularly in cottage country.
A triangular area at a corner lot, formed by the two street lines and a diagonal connecting them, kept clear so drivers can see approaching traffic. Nothing above a low height may be located within it, and the lot line forming it is normally excluded when determining which lot line is the front.
A municipal review of a development's detailed design, under Section 41 of the Planning Act, covering matters such as access, landscaping, grading, and servicing. Approval is typically required before a building permit is issued.
A public meeting required by the Planning Act before council decides certain applications, such as an Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, or plan of subdivision. The public can speak, and anyone who wants appeal rights generally must participate or make written submissions.
A recess in the upper portion of a building, set back from the lower facade or podium. Distinct from a setback, which applies at ground level, a stepback shapes the tower or upper storeys to reduce visual impact and shadow.
A level of a building between the surface of a floor and the ceiling or roof above it. By-laws generally exclude a basement, attic, mezzanine and mechanical penthouse from the count, and a partially below-grade level is often deemed a storey where its ceiling sits far enough above established grade. Definitions vary, and the same building can be a three-storey or a four-storey building depending on the by-law.
A report setting out how runoff from a site will be controlled in quantity and quality, typically requiring that post-development flows not exceed pre-development conditions. Often paired with the functional servicing report and increasingly decisive on infill sites and in conservation authority regulated areas.
The height of the portion of a building that sits within the required build-to zone, forming the continuous edge of the street. Street wall height is the primary control on how a building reads from the sidewalk, and it is set independently of the overall building height.
A set of drawings modelling the shadow a proposed building casts across the day and the year, typically at the equinoxes and solstices. Official Plans often set shadow protection standards for parks, sidewalks and open spaces, and the study determines whether a proposed height complies.
A consent that re-creates a lot which previously existed but merged on title. The Planning Act permits it in defined circumstances, and it is the remedy where an owner discovers two parcels have become one. It is not a new lot in policy terms, which usually makes it easier to justify than a conventional severance.
A by-law under section 39 of the Planning Act permitting a use for a defined period, normally up to three years, after which the use must cease unless the by-law is extended. Used for sales offices, construction trailers, temporary parking and interim commercial uses. Garden suites were originally authorised this way in some municipalities before permanent permissions arrived.
The tribunal that hears appeals of City of Toronto Committee of Adjustment decisions on minor variances and consents. Elsewhere in Ontario those appeals go to the Ontario Land Tribunal. TLAB hears the matter fresh rather than reviewing the decision below for error, and its rules provide that an expert witness cannot also act as the representative in the same proceeding. See tribunal representation.
The portion of a building above the podium, where each storey covers a smaller floor area than the storeys of the podium below. Zoning by-laws control towers through floor plate, separation and step-back rather than height alone.
The gross floor area of a single storey within a tower. By-laws cap it, commonly in the range of 750 to 850 square metres for residential towers, to limit bulk and protect light and sky views. It is one of the most consequential numbers in a tall building application because it drives both the built form and the unit count.
The minimum required distance between the exterior faces of two or more towers on the same lot, and often between a proposed tower and a neighbouring one. It exists to protect privacy, light and sky view. Balcony projections are usually excluded from the measurement, which is worth confirming in the applicable by-law.
The horizontal distance by which the main wall of a tower is recessed from the main wall of the podium below. It softens the transition from street level to tower and reduces the perceived mass of the building from the sidewalk.
An engineering study assessing the trips a development will generate and their effect on the surrounding road network, intersections, access points and parking. Usually required for anything beyond a small residential file, and frequently the study that determines whether an access can be located where the applicant wants it.
A drawing showing which trees are retained, which are removed, and the protection measures during construction, including hoarding and tree protection zones. It accompanies the arborist report and forms part of both the planning application and later permit conditions.
An attached or detached structure at or below the level of the first storey, open on at least one side and without a roof. Decks and landings normally fall in this category. By-laws typically permit them to encroach into required yards where a roofed structure could not.
A document explaining the design rationale for a proposal: massing, materials, street relationship, transition to neighbours, and public realm. Increasingly requested for mid-rise and higher density applications, and it is where the qualitative planning argument is made rather than the numerical one.
The surface and subsurface area around a municipal water well through which contaminants could reasonably travel to reach the well. Land use within one is restricted under source water protection policy, and those restrictions apply regardless of what the zoning by-law otherwise permits.
An assessment of pedestrian-level wind conditions around a proposed building, usually required for taller buildings. It can result in podium adjustments, canopies or landscaping to mitigate wind, and on tower proposals it sometimes drives built-form changes that the applicant did not anticipate.
A rounded, multi-sided or boxed-out window projecting from a main wall, with or without footings. Whether a bay window counts as part of the main wall or as a permitted projection determines whether the setback is measured to the window or behind it.
The open space between a building and a lot line, regulated by minimum setbacks. By-laws distinguish front yard, rear yard, and side yard, each with its own required dimension.
The municipal by-law that regulates how each property may be used and what may be built on it, including use, height, density, setbacks, parking, and coverage. It implements the Official Plan at the property level.
An application under Section 34 of the Planning Act to change the zoning on a property, needed when a proposed use or building is not permitted as-of-right. Often paired with an Official Plan Amendment.
Written confirmation from a planner or municipality of a property's zoning, permitted uses, and applicable standards. Often required by lenders, lawyers, and purchasers during a transaction.
No terms for that letter.