Move Over Laneway Houses, Hello Garden Suites
A New Form Of Housing in the City
Toronto’s growing housing crisis has been the talk of the town, on headlines, and the focus of many news articles this year. Whether you are renting or buying in the city of Toronto, everyone is feeling the pressure. Inventory is low which has led to both rental and property prices to soar. As the population continues to grow in the city, new policies and measures desperately need to be put into place to make housing more affordable and increase inventory. At the same time, Torontoians and the government will also have to find new innovative housing solutions to address the growing demand.
(Photo credits: R-Hauz Solutions Inc.)
One such solution that has recently gained popularity is the growing trend of garden suites. These compact, standalone units, typically situated in a property's backyard, offer efficient use of available space and provide a new way to introduce more housing into neighbourhoods around the city. As traditional housing options become scarcer, garden suites will benefit Toronto's real estate market and change how residents live and interact.
What are Garden Suites?
A garden suite is a self-contained, detached housing unit typically located in the backyard of a larger principal residence or property. It's typically smaller in size than the main residence and can be single or multi-storied. Garden suites are designed to be independent units, with their own living, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom room. They provide additional housing options, making efficient use of existing land and infrastructure. Homeowners might use them to house aging relatives, generate rental income, or even provide private living space for adult children.
In case you are wondering, what is the difference between a laneway house and a garden suite? Both are self-contained units separate from the primary residence on a lot and typically found in the backyard of a residence. The difference between them is that laneway houses are situated on lots that border publicly designated laneways while garden suites do not have access to publicly designated laneways.
Move Over Laneway Houses
Since the start of the year, the city of Toronto has granted just over 230 building permits for garden suites so far with under 20 completed already. To put into perspective how much of a growing trend garden suites are here in the city, according to Laneway Housing Advisors, the number of garden suites in Toronto will surpass almost six years of laneway houses, in volume by summer 2024.
Not to mention, almost every single day, the city of Toronto receives at least one garden suite building permit application. This month so far, the city has received 17 of them, while in September, the city received just under 50 applications.
(Photo Credits: Fabrication Studio)
The rising interest and popularity of garden suites may have been largely thanks to the bylaws introduced by the city earlier this year allowing up to 5 living units on every lot, 4 apartment units plus a laneway or garden suite at the back of the property. It will be exciting to see how this new form of housing impacts Toronto’s real estate markets in the coming years.
