Brampton additional residential unit rules: what is allowed

Brampton’s additional residential unit (ARU) rules let many homeowners add rental units without a rezoning. The framework is more specific than people expect, so here is what the City’s own guidance says.

How many units are allowed

Brampton’s zoning allows a maximum of three units on a property, including the main house. The City lists two permitted combinations:

• The main house, plus one attached second unit and one separate garden suite.
• The main house, plus one attached second unit and one attached third unit.

Which properties qualify

• ARUs are permitted with single detached houses, semi-detached houses and townhouses. Garden suites are for street townhouses.
• A garden suite is a building detached from the main house, located in the rear or interior side yard. It may be freestanding or attached to a detached private garage.
• ARUs are not permitted in lodging houses, supportive housing residences, floodplain areas or open space zones.

Parking and registration

• If a lot has two ARUs, one additional parking space is required, and tandem parking is permitted.
• If only a second unit or only a garden suite is proposed, no additional parking space is required.
• Every ARU must be registered with the City through a one-time process that confirms the unit meets the Ontario Building Code and the zoning by-law.

What about a fourplex in Brampton?

A four-unit building is not part of the standard ARU permissions above, which stop at three units. Brampton’s planning documents and its comprehensive zoning by-law review discuss broader permissions for more units on some lots, but whether a specific lot qualifies depends on its zone, designation and the final adopted rules. Check the current status for your address before you plan around four units.