Garden Suites: A Detached Rental Home in the Backyard
A garden suite is a detached, self-contained home built in the backyard of an existing property — no laneway required. Since 2022 they’ve been permitted on most residential lots across Toronto, unlocking rental construction on hundreds of thousands of properties. We design, permit and build them under one contract.
Garden Suite vs. Laneway Suite
The difference is simple: a laneway suite fronts a public laneway; a garden suite sits in the backyard and doesn’t need one. That makes garden suites the option for the vast majority of lots — interior lots, corner lots, and properties nowhere near a laneway.
- Legal on most Toronto residential lots since 2022. As-of-right where the bylaw requirements are met.
- Typically 400–1,200 sq ft. One- and two-bedroom layouts are the most common.
- Separate servicing and metering. A true second dwelling, not a finished basement.
- Rental or family use. Industry reporting puts permitted accessory suites at roughly $1,800–$3,200/month in rent — or house family without buying a second property.
How We Build Them
- Feasibility. Lot coverage, setbacks, servicing routes, protected trees, heritage and ravine overlays. We find the constraints before you commit.
- Design. A suite designed to the lot — maximizing rentable space inside the zoning envelope, at a construction cost your pro forma supports.
- Permits. We prepare drawings and submissions and manage the municipal process (industry reporting: roughly 8–20 weeks in Toronto).
- Construction. Fixed-price contract. Then a lease-ready detached home in the backyard.
Typical project range: $280,000–$450,000. The industry-reported range for a complete garden suite project. Servicing distance, soil, and finish level move the number — our quote is fixed-price, in writing, after design. See the full cost guide.
Garden Suite FAQs
Garden suites have been permitted on most residential lots across Toronto since 2022, subject to lot coverage, setbacks, servicing and other bylaw requirements. Other municipalities have their own rules. We verify your address during the free feasibility check.
A garden suite is a fully detached, separate building — its own structure, servicing and entrance. A basement or in-law suite is created inside the existing house. Garden suites cost more to build but rent as standalone homes.
Yes. Many of our garden suite projects are investor builds: the main house and the garden suite are rented separately, producing two income streams from one lot. Bring your numbers and we’ll review the deal.
Related Services
Your Backyard Could Be a Rental Property.
Free feasibility check: send us your address and we’ll tell you whether a garden suite works on your lot — and what it would take. Call (647) 482-5247.