Etobicoke: what can a house lot hold in the former City of Etobicoke?

Key takeaways

• No part of Etobicoke is in the sixplex area of By-law 654-2025. One building on an Etobicoke house lot can hold up to four homes, and a garden or laneway suite can be added where its rules are met.
• The label RD (f13.5; a510; d0.45) covers 58.1% of Etobicoke's RD land with no exception, and 73.32% with or without one. Its 0.45 floor space limit does not apply to a detached houseplex.
• Long Branch, Mimico and New Toronto were separate towns until January 1, 1967. The City still keeps a separate zoning sheet for each, under the old Etobicoke Zoning Code.
• Ward 3, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has 87.3% of Etobicoke's public laneways, 115 of its 175 issued suite permits and 47 of its 63 issued permits for new buildings with three or more units.
• 14 station areas reach into Etobicoke, on Line 2, Line 6 and four more stations named in the City's file. None of them is on the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
• All Etobicoke applications for a minor variance or a lot split go to the Etobicoke York panel at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall.

What this Etobicoke guide answers

Etobicoke is the west end of Toronto, made up of Wards 1, 2 and 3. Most of its house land is zoned for detached houses, and the most common label on that land asks for a lot at least 13.5 metres wide.

A builder who looks at an Etobicoke lot asks how many homes it can hold. An owner who may sell to that builder needs the same answer, because the builder's offer is based on it. This guide gives the rules and numbers that are particular to Etobicoke. The city-wide rules for height, depth and bedrooms are in my multiplex zoning guide.

I read the City sources on November 1, 2026, and the TTC station pages on November 2, 2026. Where my team measured a number ourselves from City map files, permit files or census tables, the text or the note under the table says how.

Four towns that became one city

The City of Toronto Archives give Etobicoke these dates:

• January 1, 1850: Etobicoke was incorporated as a township.
• April 15, 1953: Metropolitan Toronto was set up with 13 members. Four of them were Etobicoke, Long Branch, Mimico and New Toronto.
• January 1, 1967: the four amalgamated as the Borough of Etobicoke.
• June 29, 1983: Etobicoke was incorporated as a city.
• January 1, 1998: Metro ended, and the six remaining members became the new City of Toronto.

The 1967 merger still matters for zoning. Long Branch, Mimico and New Toronto each had zoning rules of their own, and the City still publishes a separate zoning sheet for each one. A section below covers the three lakeshore towns.

How big Etobicoke is, and its wards and neighbourhoods

My team measured the Etobicoke polygon in the City's file of former municipality boundaries at 125.591 square kilometres. That is 19.58% of the 641.566 square kilometres the six former cities cover together. The file may count some water inside the boundary and does not separate it.

Three wards make up Etobicoke, and each has 99.8% or more of its land inside it.

The City groups its 25 wards into four community councils. Etobicoke falls in the Etobicoke York Community Council, which also holds Wards 5 and 7 to the east. My team found 99.99% of Etobicoke inside that council's boundary.

The 22 official neighbourhoods

The City divides Toronto into 158 official neighbourhoods for its statistics. My team laid that file over the Etobicoke boundary and found 22 neighbourhoods with half or more of their land inside. The ward column comes from a second overlay and lists each ward that holds 1% or more of the neighbourhood.

The label column uses the City's Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy of 2020. Four Etobicoke neighbourhoods carry the label Neighbourhood Improvement Area, and all four are in Ward 1 or partly in it. A blank cell means the City's file gives neither label. Humber Bay Shores has 95.74% of its land in Etobicoke. Every other neighbourhood in the list has 99.57% or more inside.

Four homes in one building on an Etobicoke lot

By-law 654-2025, enacted on June 26, 2025, lets a detached building hold five or six homes in two parts of Toronto: the Toronto and East York Community Council area as it stood that day, and an area of Scarborough around Ward 23. Etobicoke is in neither. My team measured 0% of Etobicoke inside the current Toronto and East York boundary.

For an Etobicoke lot, then, the count starts at four homes in the main building. A duplex, triplex or fourplex can replace a detached house when the building meets the zone's rules. The City's page on building multiplexes says a garden suite or a laneway suite can share the lot with a multiplex when certain rules are met. A fifth or sixth home inside one building would need a City approval for that lot alone. My multiplex zoning guide gives the four-unit rules in full.

The 13.5 metre RD lot

Toronto's Zoning By-law 569-2013 has five residential zones: R, RD, RS, RT and RM. Each lot on the City's zoning map carries a label, a line of letters and numbers such as RD (f13.5; a510; d0.45). Clause 10.5.1.10 of the by-law explains the parts. The letters before the brackets name the zone. Inside the brackets, f is the minimum lot frontage in metres, a is the minimum lot area in square metres, and d is the maximum floor space index. Floor space index is the floor area of the building divided by the area of the lot.

My team grouped Etobicoke's RD land by its full label. One label covers most of it.

Counting every RD label with f13.5 and a510, with or without an exception, gives 30.28 square kilometres, 73.32% of the RD land. 70.66% of Etobicoke's RD land has no exception number at all.

The main label means:

• f13.5: the lot must be at least 13.5 metres wide along the street.
• a510: the lot must be at least 510 square metres.
• d0.45: the floor area can be up to 45% of the lot area. On a 510 square metre lot, that is 229.5 square metres.

What the 0.45 limit covers

Article 10.20 sets the RD rules. Clause 10.20.40.40(1) takes the floor space index from the d value. Part (C) of that clause, added by By-law 848-2025, says the limit does not apply to a detached houseplex, which is a house holding several homes, or to a building with a secondary suite. Part (D) lifts it for a townhouse or an apartment building of 60 homes or fewer on a lot that abuts a Major Street. My Major Streets guide lists those streets.

So on most RD land in Etobicoke, a new detached house for one family is held to 0.45, and a fourplex on the same lot is limited by height, depth, coverage and yards instead. The other rules still apply to both:

• The side yard on an f13.5 lot is 1.2 metres, under regulation 10.20.40.70(3), because the required frontage is 12.0 metres to less than 15.0. Regulation 10.20.40.70(4) lets one side drop by up to 0.3 metres if the other side grows by the same amount.
• With 1.2 metres on each side, a 13.5 metre lot leaves a building up to 11.1 metres wide.
• The rear yard is the greater of 7.5 metres or 25% of the lot depth.

Five exceptions with their own floor area formula

An exception number, such as x21, points to a set of extra rules in Chapter 900 of the by-law. I read the RD exceptions that cover the most Etobicoke land after the plain label. Each sets a maximum gross floor area on the lot as a base amount plus 25% of the lot area, up to a floor space index of 0.5.

RD 21, RD 28 and RD 37 also set a maximum height of 6.5 metres for a detached house with a flat roof. RD 21, RD 28 and RD 37 count the floor area of a garage and of tall open spaces inside the house. An exception can change the result for a multiplex as well, so read your lot's exception in full and ask the City how it sits beside clause 10.20.40.40(1)(C).

The zone mix in each ward

RD covers 41.299 square kilometres of Etobicoke, 32.88% of all its land and 81.64% of its residential zoned land. RM, the Residential Multiple zone, covers 11.81% of the residential zoned land. RT covers 4.36% and RS 2.19%. My team found no land in the R zone. The mix differs from ward to ward.

Ward 2 is 93.89% RD. Ward 1 has the largest RT share, the zone for townhouses. Ward 3 has 4.537 of Etobicoke's 5.974 square kilometres of RM land. In the RM zone, a semi-detached house and a semi-detached houseplex are also permitted building types. The label's u value caps the number of homes on a lot, and my team found u4 on 87.81% of Etobicoke's RM land.

Long Branch, Mimico and New Toronto

The three towns that joined Etobicoke on January 1, 1967 are all in Ward 3, Etobicoke-Lakeshore. The City's neighbourhood list still uses their names: New Toronto (number 18), Long Branch (19) and Mimico-Queensway (160). The neighbourhood lines are drawn for statistics, and I did not compare them with the old town lines.

Three zoning sheets

The City keeps one zoning information sheet for each town. Each sheet says it is for convenience only and points to the Etobicoke Zoning Code for the full rules.

• Long Branch, Division C of the Etobicoke Zoning Code. Its zones are RS, RM1, RM2 and RMA. A detached house needs a lot of 371 square metres and 12.0 metres of frontage, with a floor space index of 0.35. A semi-detached house is permitted in RM1, RM2 and RMA, with 325 square metres and 10.5 metres for each home and an index of 0.6. Side yards are 0.9 metres and the height limit is 9.5 metres. A lot under 7.5 metres wide counts as undersize under section 330-20.
• Mimico, By-law 1982-255. Its zones are R1A, R1, R2A, R2, R3 and R4. A detached house is permitted in all six, and a semi-detached house in R2, R3 and R4. The front yard is 6.0 metres, or the established front yard for an addition at the front. Side yards are 0.9 metres, the height limit is 9.5 metres, and 25% of the lot must be landscaped open space.
• New Toronto, By-law 1982-257. Its zones are R1 to R4. The sheet lists two minimum frontages for each zone, 7.0 and 7.5 metres, and two minimum lot areas, 167 and 232 square metres. Where there is an established front yard, that sets the front yard.

The label RD (f12.0; a370; d0.35) in the table above carries the Long Branch numbers: 12.0 metres, 370 square metres against the sheet's 371, and 0.35.

What the three neighbourhoods look like today

My team measured the zoned land, lanes and 2021 Census homes inside each neighbourhood line. Alderwood, the inland neighbourhood next to Long Branch, is in the table for comparison.

In each of the three lakeshore neighbourhoods, detached houses were under 30% of homes. Apartments in buildings under five storeys outnumbered detached houses in New Toronto and Long Branch, and were 10 fewer in Mimico-Queensway. Across all 22 Etobicoke neighbourhoods, detached houses were 34.7% of homes and low apartments 10.1%. New Toronto alone has 28.16% of Etobicoke's public lanes. Ward 3, which holds all three, has 75.95% of Etobicoke's RM land and 87.3% of its lanes.

The Etobicoke Zoning Code and where it still applies

When the six cities merged in 1998, each kept its own zoning rules. The City's page on former municipal zoning by-laws says some of them remain in effect today, and its zoning page says most properties are now under By-law 569-2013. For Etobicoke, the old rules are the Etobicoke Zoning Code. The City says the complete code and its maps are available only online.

The Etobicoke sheet lists these general rules for single family houses on most interior lots:

The same sheet sets a 33% maximum lot coverage, a 0.45 maximum floor space index, a height of 9.5 metres to the roof peak and 6.5 metres to the eaves, and a rear yard of 25% of the lot depth but at least 7.5 metres. The R2 row has the same frontage, lot area and index as the main RD label of today. The R1 and R5 rows sit 2 square metres away from the label RD (f15.0; a555; d0.45).

The sheet also carries a warning: a number of community by-laws in the former City of Etobicoke have rules that are not on the sheet. Staff can tell you whether one applies to your property.

My team found a 569-2013 zone on 106.573 square kilometres of Etobicoke, 84.86% of its land. The other 19.018 square kilometres, 15.14%, has no zone in the open data file. That remainder holds streets and water, and it can also hold land still under the old code. The file does not separate them. Before you count homes on a lot, ask Toronto Building at 416-397-5330 which by-law covers it. My guide to checking your lot shows how to read the City's zoning map.

Garden suites and laneway suites in Etobicoke

A garden suite is a small, separate home in the back yard. A laneway suite is the same kind of home on a lot whose back line meets a public lane. Council allowed laneway suites in the R, RD, RS, RT and RM zones across the city on July 16, 2019.

My team measured 14.1 km of public laneway in Etobicoke in the City's street centreline file. That is 4.11% of the 343.48 km of lanes in Toronto, and 0.112 km of lane for each square kilometre of land. Etobicoke has 646.85 km of local streets in the same file, so there are 2.18 km of lane for every 100 km of local street. Ward 3 has 12.31 km of the lanes, Ward 2 has 0.97 km and Ward 1 has 0.83 km. On most Etobicoke lots, the back yard option is a garden suite.

The City's garden suites study used a consultant, GPA, who interviewed staff on September 23, 2024. The notes for Etobicoke say "higher interest and lower approvals noted in Etobicoke", that most applicants are represented by architects, that delays at zoning review are common, and that "Urban Forestry requirements are a key constraint". In Ward 3, 9 tree permit applications were tied to garden suites, and 33% were issued. The City's final report noted more Committee of Adjustment applications in parts of Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough with larger lots.

Suite permits by year

My team counted building permits for a new garden or laneway suite in the City's active and cleared permit files. Each permit was placed in Etobicoke through an exact match of its address ID to the City's address file. The permit field does not separate garden suites from laneway suites.

Of the 233 permits, 175 were issued, 31 were applied for and not yet issued, and 27 were cancelled, refused or abandoned. City-wide, 1,938 issued suite permits could be placed in a former city, so Etobicoke has 9.03% of them. Ward 3 has 115 of Etobicoke's 175 issued suite permits, Ward 2 has 31 and Ward 1 has 29. The cleared file starts in 2017, so a suite permitted and closed before then is not in the count.

Multiplex permits in Etobicoke

The City's Multiplex Monitoring report counted 452 issued permits for buildings of two to four homes from May 12, 2023 to November 2024. Its Figure 10 counts whole wards. Ward 3 had 24, Ward 1 had 21 and Ward 2 had 10, for 55 together, 12.17% of the city total. Each of the three wards lies at least 99.8% inside Etobicoke, so these counts are close to Etobicoke counts.

The same report held four sessions in March 2025, one in each district. The Etobicoke session had 46 participants, the most of the four. Stakeholders also described "an increase in on-street parking in North York and Etobicoke" from their own experience.

The report stops in November 2024. My team counted later permits for new buildings with three or more units, placed in Etobicoke by the exact address match described above.

Of the 98 permits, 63 were issued, 19 were not yet issued and 16 were cancelled, refused or abandoned. City-wide, 442 issued permits of this kind could be placed in a former city, and Etobicoke has 14.25% of them. A house converted into a multiplex is filed as a small residential project and is not in this count.

Ward 3 has 74.6% of Etobicoke's issued three-plus unit permits on 31.8% of its land. Ward 2, where RD covers 93.89% of the house land, has 7.

Ravines, heritage districts and secondary plans

The City's Ravine and Natural Feature Protection by-law covers land in and next to these valleys, and work inside that area needs extra City permits. My team measured 18.974 square kilometres of Etobicoke inside it, 15.11% of the land. Ward 1 holds 9.314 square kilometres, 19.29% of its land. Ward 2 holds 6.197, 16.59%, and Ward 3 holds 3.463, 8.67%. The open data file is from 2019, so the City's current map may differ. My site screening guide covers what to check on a lot near a valley.

My team found no heritage conservation district with half or more of its area in Etobicoke, in the City's file dated June 23, 2026. A single house can still be listed or designated on its own, so check the City's heritage register for the address.

A secondary plan is a detailed City plan for one area, with policies added on top of the Official Plan. Six have half or more of their area in Etobicoke.

The file leaves the status blank for five plans and does not say what a blank means. Read the plan's current text on the City's site before you rely on any rule in it.

Station areas on Line 2, Line 6 and four more

The province has approved 120 areas around subway, GO and LRT stations where the City must plan for more homes. The City's page describes each one as the land within 500 to 800 metres of a station, a 10 minute walk. The City calls them Major Transit Station Areas, or MTSAs. A Protected Major Transit Station Area, or PMTSA, is the type where the City may use its affordable housing rule. Ontario Regulation 15/26 pauses that rule in Toronto until July 1, 2027.

My team found 14 station areas with 1% or more of their land in Etobicoke. Together they cover 12.282 square kilometres, 9.78% of Etobicoke, and the protected type covers 5.306 square kilometres, 4.22%. 3.642 square kilometres of Etobicoke's residential zoned land is inside a station area, 7.2% of that land.

The City's file does not name a line. For the line column, I read the TTC page for each station on November 2, 2026. The Old Mill and Islington pages list Line 2 trains toward Kennedy and Kipling, and the Kipling page names its Line 2 platform. The six stop pages from Westmore to Rowntree Mills list trains toward Humber College and Finch West, and the Humber College page names its Line 6 platform.

The TTC gives Line 6 Finch West as 11 km with 18 stations, from Finch West Station at Keele Street to Humber College Station near Highway 427, with service from December 7, 2025. Its western end is in Etobicoke. Rowntree Mills has 48.0% of its area in Etobicoke and the rest in North York.

The Eglinton West extension

Metrolinx is building the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. Its page describes 9.2 km from Mount Dennis Station to Renforth Drive, mostly underground, with an elevated section between Jane Street and Scarlett Road, and 7 stations as far as Renforth Drive. The page says construction is underway and gives no opening date.

None of the 14 station areas above belongs to the extension. My team placed the centre point of each area on the map: five lie south of Eglinton Avenue West and nine lie north of it. The City's January 2026 file therefore has no station area along the Etobicoke part of the extension. The 4 and 6 storey rules described below would reach lots on that corridor only after a station area is set there, and I found no City source with a date for that.

What the City says will change near stations

For land the Official Plan calls Neighbourhoods inside a station area, the City's page says the zoning must allow homes in buildings of up to 6 storeys within 200 metres of a station and on Major Streets, and up to 4 storeys in the rest of the area. On the page date, June 30, 2026, the zoning by-law did not yet contain those permissions. The City says it will set a timeline after staff finish an updated work plan, following Bill 98, which received Royal Assent on June 2, 2026.

Parking already changed. Since August 15, 2025, minimum parking rules no longer apply inside station areas of either type. Accessible parking is still required.

Who lives in Etobicoke

The 2021 Census can describe Etobicoke two ways. The first adds the City's Neighbourhood Profiles for the 22 neighbourhoods listed above. The sum follows neighbourhood lines, so it differs from the exact Etobicoke boundary where a neighbourhood is split.

The 22 neighbourhoods held 372,235 people. Detached houses made up a larger share of homes here than in the city as a whole, and semi-detached houses a smaller one, 2.5% against 6.3%.

The second way uses the City's Ward Profiles, which count whole wards. Wards 1, 2 and 3 each lie 99.8% or more inside Etobicoke, so the two ways come close.

Ward 2 had the highest share of detached houses, 48.2%, and of owners, 67.4%. Ward 1 had the largest households, 3.02 people on average, and the most homes in duplexes, 3,790. Ward 3 had the most homes built from 2016 to 2021, 7,405, and the smallest households, 2.13 people.

The Etobicoke York panel

The Committee of Adjustment is the City panel that decides minor variances, which are small exceptions to the zoning, and consents, which split a lot or move a property line. Every Etobicoke ward goes to the Etobicoke York panel. It also hears Wards 5 and 7 in York and North York.

• Where: Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall, 3rd Floor, South Block. Hearings are in the Council Chambers, with Webex for people who join online.
• 2026 dates: 23 hearings, from January 15 to December 3. After November 1, the dates left were November 5, November 19 and December 3.
• District office: 416-394-8060, coa.ey@toronto.ca.

To comment on an application, send written comments by 4:30 p.m. five business days before the hearing. To speak by phone or Webex, register online by 4:30 p.m. two business days before. An applicant has five minutes to present and five to reply. City-wide, the Multiplex Monitoring report found 290 minor variance applications for duplexes, triplexes or fourplexes from May 2023 to April 2025, and 72% were approved. My severance and minor variance guide explains the tests and the appeal steps.

If you own a house in Etobicoke

Find three facts first: the full zone label on your lot, its frontage, and its ward. If the label is RD (f13.5; a510; d0.45) with no exception, a builder will look at a fourplex in a building up to 11.1 metres wide, before the depth and coverage rules, and at a garden suite behind it. The by-law lifts the 0.45 limit for that fourplex. If the label has an exception number, the builder will read it first.

Then ask where the lot sits. A lot in Long Branch, Mimico or New Toronto may have a lane behind it and older apartment buildings nearby. A lot that backs onto a river or creek valley may be partly inside the ravine area. A lot near Old Mill, Islington or Kipling station, or near a Line 6 stop, is inside a station area where the City must allow 4 and 6 storey homes once the zoning is updated.

A family buyer prices your house. A builder prices the lot, the label and the number of homes it can hold. Know both numbers before you choose how to sell. My guides on how builders price land, offers and conditions and selling with your neighbours explain the next steps.

If you build in Etobicoke

Count four homes in the main building on every Etobicoke lot, and a garden suite as the fifth where it fits. Start with the label. On RD (f13.5; a510; d0.45), the floor space index does not limit a detached houseplex, so the side yards of 1.2 metres, the rear yard of 7.5 metres or 25% of the depth, and the height and depth rules set the size. Read any exception, because RD 21, 28, 37, 42 and 35 each carry their own floor area formula.

Ward 3 has had most of the permits so far: 47 of 63 issued three-plus unit buildings and 115 of 175 issued suites. Ward 2 has the most RD land and 7 issued three-plus unit permits. Check the old Etobicoke Zoning Code, a secondary plan, the ravine edge and any tree on the lot before you make an offer, because the staff notes in the City's consultant report named Urban Forestry requirements as a key constraint in Etobicoke. Then run the numbers in my feasibility guide and add the City charges from my fees guide. For the neighbouring former cities, see my York guide and my North York guide.

Questions to ask about an Etobicoke lot

• What is the full zone label, and does it carry an exception number?
• Is the lot under By-law 569-2013, or still under the Etobicoke Zoning Code or a community by-law?
• Is it in Long Branch, Mimico or New Toronto, with a public lane behind it?
• Is it inside a station area, a secondary plan or the ravine area?
• Does it face a Major Street?
• Which trees on the lot or next to it would a garden suite or a fourplex affect?

Before you ask what the bungalow down the street sold for, ask a different question: what could your Etobicoke lot become?

Frequently asked questions

Can an Etobicoke house lot hold five or six homes in one building?

Under the zoning as written, no. By-law 654-2025 allows a fiveplex or sixplex only in the Toronto and East York area and an area of Scarborough around Ward 23. My team measured 0% of Etobicoke inside the first area, and the second is in Scarborough. On an Etobicoke lot, one building can hold up to four homes. A garden or laneway suite can be a fifth home if its own rules are met.

What does the zone label RD (f13.5; a510; d0.45) mean on an Etobicoke lot?

f13.5 sets a minimum lot frontage of 13.5 metres. a510 sets a minimum lot area of 510 square metres. d0.45 sets a maximum floor space index of 0.45, so the floor area can equal 45% of the lot area. My team found this label, with no exception number, on 58.1% of Etobicoke's RD land. Its frontage and lot area match the R2 zone of the old Etobicoke Zoning Code.

Does the 0.45 floor space limit stop a fourplex on an Etobicoke RD lot?

Clause 10.20.40.40(1)(C) of By-law 569-2013 says the floor space index limit set by the d value does not apply to a detached houseplex, which is a house holding several homes, or to a building with a secondary suite. A fourplex on an RD (f13.5; a510; d0.45) lot is still limited by height, depth, coverage and yard rules. Any exception number on the label may add its own floor area rule.

Which Etobicoke RD exceptions set their own floor area formula?

After the plain label, the exceptions covering the most Etobicoke RD land are 21, 28, 37, 42 and 35. Each sets a maximum gross floor area of a base amount plus 25% of the lot area, up to a floor space index of 0.5. The base is 135 square metres in RD 21, 165 in RD 28, 150 in RD 37 and RD 35, and 118 in RD 42. Read the full exception text for your lot.

Does the old Etobicoke Zoning Code still apply anywhere?

Yes. The City says some former zoning by-laws remain in effect, in whole or in part, where By-law 569-2013 does not apply. For Etobicoke that is the Etobicoke Zoning Code, with separate sheets for Long Branch, Mimico and New Toronto. The City also warns that a number of community by-laws in the former City of Etobicoke have rules missing from its sheet. Ask Toronto Building at 416-397-5330 which rule covers your lot.

What makes Long Branch, Mimico and New Toronto different from the rest of Etobicoke?

They were three separate towns until January 1, 1967, when they joined Etobicoke. Each still has its own City zoning sheet: Long Branch under Division C of the Etobicoke Zoning Code, Mimico under By-law 1982-255 and New Toronto under By-law 1982-257. In the 2021 Census, the New Toronto and Long Branch neighbourhoods had more homes in low apartment buildings than in detached houses, and New Toronto has 3.97 km of public lane, the most of any Etobicoke neighbourhood.

Where in Etobicoke are the public laneways for a laneway suite?

My team measured 14.1 km of public laneway in Etobicoke, and 12.31 km of it is in Ward 3, Etobicoke-Lakeshore. By neighbourhood, New Toronto has 3.97 km and Stonegate-Queensway 3.56 km. Most Etobicoke lots have no public lane behind them, so for those lots the back yard choice is a garden suite. Check the lot on the City's map before you plan a laneway suite.

How many back yard suite permits has the City issued in Etobicoke?

My team counted 175 issued building permits for a new garden or laneway suite in Etobicoke, to November 1, 2026. 31 more were applied for and not yet issued, and 27 were cancelled, refused or abandoned. Applications rose from 11 in 2022 to 69 in 2025. 2026 had 63 by November 1. The permit field does not separate garden suites from laneway suites.

How many new three-plus unit buildings has Etobicoke had permits for?

Etobicoke has 63 issued building permits for a new building with three or more units, counted by my team to November 1, 2026. 19 were not yet issued and 16 were cancelled, refused or abandoned. 43 were applied for in 2026 up to November 1 and 34 in 2025. A house converted into a multiplex is filed as a small residential project and is left out of this count.

Which subway and LRT stations have station areas in Etobicoke?

Three Line 2 stations, Old Mill, Islington and Kipling, and seven Line 6 stops, from Humber College to Rowntree Mills, by the TTC's station pages. The City's file also has station areas named Mimico, Park Lawn, Etobicoke North and Woodbine. Together, the 14 areas cover 9.78% of Etobicoke, measured by my team. The City's page says zoning inside them must be updated to allow 4 and 6 storey homes on Neighbourhoods land.

Does the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension have station areas in Etobicoke yet?

Not in the City's January 2026 file of 120 station areas. My team placed the centre of each area that reaches into Etobicoke: five lie south of Eglinton Avenue West and nine lie north of it. Metrolinx describes the extension as 9.2 km from Mount Dennis Station to Renforth Drive, with 7 stations, and says construction is underway. Its page gives no opening date.

Where are Etobicoke Committee of Adjustment hearings held?

At the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall, in the Council Chambers, with Webex for people who join online. The Etobicoke York panel hears Wards 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. Its 2026 schedule lists 23 hearing dates, from January 15 to December 3. After November 1, three were left: November 5, November 19 and December 3. The district office answers at 416-394-8060.

Who lives in Etobicoke, by the 2021 Census?

The 22 Etobicoke neighbourhoods held 372,235 people in 149,045 occupied homes, by my team's sum of the City's Neighbourhood Profiles. 34.7% of those homes were detached houses, against 23.29% across the city. 43.3% were apartments in buildings of five or more storeys. 59.5% of households owned their home. The sum follows neighbourhood lines, which differ from the old city line where a neighbourhood is split.

Sources

1. Resources on Former Municipalities. City of Toronto Archives. Updated October 22, 2025; read November 1, 2026.
2. Zoning By-laws. City of Toronto. No date shown; read November 1, 2026.
3. Former Municipal Zoning By-laws. City of Toronto. Updated April 21, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
4. Etobicoke Zoning Information. City of Toronto. Updated November 24, 2017; read November 1, 2026.
5. Long Branch Zoning Information. City of Toronto. Updated November 24, 2017; read November 1, 2026.
6. Mimico Zoning Information. City of Toronto. Updated November 24, 2017; read November 1, 2026.
7. New Toronto Zoning Information. City of Toronto. Updated November 24, 2017; read November 1, 2026.
8. By-law 654-2025, fiveplexes and sixplexes. City of Toronto. Enacted June 26, 2025; read November 1, 2026.
9. Considerations When Building Multiplexes. City of Toronto. Updated June 30, 2025; read November 1, 2026.
10. Zoning By-law 569-2013, Chapter 10 Residential (office consolidation). City of Toronto. Version date July 31, 2024, with city-wide amendments up to April 30, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
11. Zoning By-law 569-2013, Article 10.20 Residential Detached Zone (RD) (office consolidation). City of Toronto. Version date July 31, 2024, with city-wide amendments up to April 30, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
12. Zoning By-law 569-2013, Article 900.3 Exceptions for the RD Zone (office consolidation). City of Toronto. Version date July 31, 2024, with city-wide amendments up to April 30, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
13. Zoning By-law 569-2013, Article 10.80 Residential Multiple Zone (RM) (office consolidation). City of Toronto. Version date July 31, 2024, with city-wide amendments up to April 30, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
14. Former Municipality Boundaries (open data). City of Toronto. Updated February 20, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
15. City Wards, 25-ward model (open data). City of Toronto. Updated February 20, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
16. Community Council Boundaries (open data). City of Toronto. Updated February 20, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
17. Community Council Area Profiles. City of Toronto, City Planning. No date shown; read November 1, 2026.
18. Neighbourhoods, 158 model (open data). City of Toronto. Updated February 20, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
19. Zoning By-law, Zoning Area layer (open data). City of Toronto. Updated February 20, 2026, with amendments up to June 18, 2023; read November 1, 2026.
20. Ravine and Natural Feature Protection Area (open data). City of Toronto. Updated July 23, 2019; read November 1, 2026.
21. Heritage Conservation Districts (open data). City of Toronto. File dated June 23, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
22. Secondary Plans (open data). City of Toronto. Updated March 16, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
23. Toronto Centreline (TCL), Version 2 (open data). City of Toronto. Updated October 30, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
24. Changing Lanes: Laneway Suites in Toronto. City of Toronto. Updated February 29, 2024; read November 1, 2026.
25. Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods: Garden Suites Monitoring Program, Final Report. City of Toronto, City Planning. Dated June 27, 2025; read November 1, 2026.
26. Garden Suites Monitoring, consultant report (GPA). City of Toronto, City Planning. Dated May 2025; read November 1, 2026.
27. Building Permits, Active Permits (open data). City of Toronto. Updated November 1, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
28. Building Permits, Cleared Permits since 2017 (open data). City of Toronto. Updated November 1, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
29. Address Points (Municipal), Toronto One Address Repository (open data). City of Toronto. Updated October 30, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
30. Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods: Multiplex Monitoring Program, Final Report. City of Toronto, City Planning. Dated May 29, 2025; read November 1, 2026.
31. Multiplex Monitoring, Attachment 4: Data, Figures, and Findings. City of Toronto, City Planning. 2025; read November 1, 2026.
32. Minister-Approved Major Transit Station Areas (open data). City of Toronto. File dated January 2026, updated February 3, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
33. Zoning for Major Transit Station Areas. City of Toronto. Updated June 30, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
34. Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. Metrolinx. No date shown; read November 1, 2026.
35. Line 6 Finch West. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 1, 2026.
36. Old Mill Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
37. Islington Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
38. Kipling Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
39. Humber College Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
40. Westmore Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
41. Martin Grove Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
42. Albion Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
43. Stevenson Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
44. Mount Olive Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
45. Rowntree Mills Station. Toronto Transit Commission. No date shown; read November 2, 2026.
46. Ward Profiles (25-Ward Model), 2021 Census (open data). City of Toronto, City Planning, from Statistics Canada. Prepared December 2023, updated July 22, 2024; read November 1, 2026.
47. Neighbourhood Profiles, 2021 Census (open data). City of Toronto, from Statistics Canada. Updated May 27, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
48. Committee of Adjustment. City of Toronto. No date shown; read November 1, 2026.
49. Committee of Adjustment: Etobicoke York Schedule. City of Toronto. Updated October 27, 2026; read November 1, 2026.
50. Committee of Adjustment contact information. City of Toronto. No date shown; read November 1, 2026.
51. Participate at a Hearing. City of Toronto. Updated December 3, 2025; read November 1, 2026.

Planning and development potential is property-specific and subject to zoning, approvals, site conditions, municipal review and other due diligence. This guide gives general information. For legal, tax or financial advice, ask your own lawyer and accountant.