Secondary Dwellings in Ottawa

Since approximately 2017, the City of Ottawa has allowed property owners to add secondary dwellings to their homes for many property and zoning types. These accessory units can provide additional income or house extended family. They can come in two forms – secondary dwellings contained within the primary dwelling or coach houses that share the lot but are separate buildings.

A secondary dwelling unit can be a self-contained apartment within an existing home with its own bathroom, kitchen, living and sleeping areas. Common names for this type of unit are basement apartment, granny flat, nanny or in-law suite.

The City of Ottawa also allows coach house secondary dwellings. A coach house is a separate unit located on the same lot but in its own building.

Renting out a secondary dwelling unit on your property is an excellent way to help pay down your mortgage and/or build wealth.

In October 2022, the province of Ontario announced that it would allow all lots to hold as many as three dwellings on a single property. This change has not yet come into effect, but when it does, this could mean even more opportunities for property owners to build wealth or minimize cash flow requirements for being a homeowner. Read more about this new law on the Province of Ontario’s website or reach out to me to get my analysis of the most recent news.