Toronto Sixplex Rules: Which Wards Allow Six Units?

Toronto allows up to four homes in one building on house lots across the city. Five or six homes in one building are allowed only in certain parts of the city. If you own a house or are looking for a site, the first question is whether your lot is in one of those areas. I'm Anthony Palleschi, a real estate sales representative in Toronto, and I work with owners and builders on lots like these. This post lists the areas, using City of Toronto pages and by-laws as they read on November 1, 2026.

The short answer: nine wards

The City's Multiplex Housing page says Council adopted Official Plan and zoning changes on June 25 and 26, 2025, "to enable zoning permissions for residential buildings with up to six units in Toronto & East York District and Ward 23." It says the changes are now in force.

By-law 654-2025, the zoning change, defines the two areas:

1. "the lands in the Toronto and East York Community Council boundaries as they existed on June 26, 2025," and
2. the lands "generally bounded by Steeles Avenue to the north, Neilson Road and Rouge River to the east, Highway 401 to the south and Midland Avenue to the west," which is Ward 23.

The City's November 24, 2022 news release on Council appointments lists the eight wards on the Toronto and East York Community Council. With their numbers from the City's ward profiles, the sixplex wards are:

That is nine of the 25 wards. The by-law uses the Toronto and East York boundary as it stood on June 26, 2025. The by-law's own diagrams, and the Sixplex Overlay Map in the zoning by-law, show the exact lines. Check them for a lot near the edge of an area.

How the Ward 23 rules came first

Ward 23 had six-unit permissions before the rest. The City's Ward 23 Multiplex Study page says Council adopted them on February 5, 2025, in the RD, RS, RM and RT zones, and that no appeals were received. By-law 654-2025 repealed that earlier by-law (By-law 47-2025) and put both areas under one set of rules.

The rules for a fiveplex or sixplex

Inside the two areas, By-law 654-2025 adds these rules to the zoning by-law:

• Units: if a lot's zone label carries a "u" number below 6, the maximum becomes 6.
• Building type: a fiveplex or sixplex is a building on a single lot, not attached to a building on the next lot, with at least one unit entirely or partly above another. A house with secondary suites is a separate building type under the by-law.
• Height: the building follows the zone's height rules. The limit can rise to 10.5 metres when the lowest level holds a unit, sits partly below ground with its ceiling joists 1.0 to 1.5 metres above grade, and has a 2.4 metre ceiling height, each across at least 80 percent of that level.
• Conversions: an existing detached house can become a fiveplex or sixplex, and keep its status as a lawful existing building, if the new units fit inside the building as it stood the day before the building permit. Any addition must meet today's rules.
• Semi-detached houses and townhouses: no part of a semi-detached house, a semi-detached houseplex or a townhouse may be converted to a fiveplex or sixplex.
• Everything else: a fiveplex or sixplex must meet all other zoning rules, or get a minor variance from the Committee of Adjustment.

The same by-law defines an apartment building in these areas as seven or more units. An apartment building with five or six units that already exists stays under the other zoning rules.

What about the rest of the city?

Outside the nine wards, the limit is four homes in one building. The City's Sixplexes Citywide Study page, last changed June 30, 2025, says Council directed staff to study "as-of-right zoning for residential buildings with up to six units and four storeys city-wide." The page gives no adoption date. Until the City reports a decision, plan on four units outside the nine wards.

Two other rules can still add homes outside the nine wards. A garden suite or laneway suite can add one home at the back of the lot, which I compare in my post on laneway suites, garden suites and multiplexes. And a lot that abuts a Major Street can hold townhouses or an apartment building, which I cover in my post on Major Streets zoning.

Development charges on a sixplex

Section 415-6 of the Toronto Municipal Code charges no development charges on the second to fourth units and reduces the charge on the fifth and sixth to zero dollars, as long as the parcel holds no more than six units. My post on the development charges exemption explains the details, including garden suites and the credit for a demolished house.

What this means for owners and builders

This section is my own view.

For an owner in one of the nine wards, a detached house on a lot that can fit six units may be worth more to a builder than the same house in a four-unit area. My post on how builders price land explains why. An owner of a semi-detached house in the same wards has a different answer: the by-law rules out converting it to five or six units, so the four-unit rules apply to each half on its own lot.

For a builder, the nine wards hold the lots where six units are possible without a rezoning. The lot still has to fit the building with its yards, depth and coverage. On a narrow lot, the sixth unit may not fit, and the plan may stop at four.

Questions to ask about your lot

• Is my lot inside the Toronto and East York boundary as it stood on June 26, 2025, or in Ward 23?
• Is my house detached, or semi-detached or a townhouse?
• Does my lot's zone label carry a "u" number or a Chapter 900 exception?
• Would six units fit the depth, yards and coverage of my lot?
• Would a garden suite or laneway suite be a better way to add a home?

If your lot is in one of the nine wards and you want to know what it could hold, see how I work with sellers, or reach me through the contact page or at 416-636-6800.

Planning and development potential is property-specific and subject to zoning, approvals, site conditions, municipal review and other due diligence.

Sources

All pages opened on November 1, 2026 (PT).

• City of Toronto, Multiplex Housing page: the June 25 and 26, 2025 adoption for Toronto and East York District and Ward 23, and that the changes are in force.
• City of Toronto, By-law 654-2025, enacted June 26, 2025: the two areas, the definitions, units, height, conversions, the semi-detached and townhouse rule, and the repeal of By-law 47-2025.
• City of Toronto, news release of November 24, 2022 on Council appointments: the wards on the Toronto and East York Community Council.
• City of Toronto, Ward Profiles: ward numbers and names for the 2022 to 2026 term.
• City of Toronto, Ward 23 Multiplex Study page: the February 5, 2025 adoption, the zones and no appeals.
• City of Toronto, Sixplexes Citywide Study page (date modified June 30, 2025): the study of six units and four storeys city-wide.
• City of Toronto, Municipal Code Chapter 415 (consolidated to July 30, 2026): development charges on the fifth and sixth units.

Frequently asked questions

Which Toronto wards allow sixplexes?

By-law 654-2025 allows fiveplexes and sixplexes in the Toronto and East York Community Council area as it stood on June 26, 2025, and in Ward 23, Scarborough North. The Toronto and East York area covers Wards 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 19, so nine of Toronto's 25 wards allow up to six units.

Are sixplexes allowed everywhere in Toronto?

No. The City's Multiplex Housing page says four-unit multiplexes are permitted city-wide, and six-unit permissions currently vary depending on location. Council has asked staff to study six units and four storeys across the city, but the City's study page gives no adoption date. Outside the nine wards, the limit is four units in one building.

When did Toronto approve sixplexes?

Toronto City Council adopted the sixplex Official Plan and zoning changes on June 25 and 26, 2025, and the City's Multiplex Housing page says they are now in force. Ward 23 had six-unit permissions earlier, adopted on February 5, 2025. By-law 654-2025 repealed that earlier Ward 23 by-law and replaced it with one set of rules for both areas.

Can a semi-detached house become a sixplex in Toronto?

No. By-law 654-2025 says no portion of a semi-detached houseplex, a semi-detached house or a townhouse may be converted to a fiveplex or sixplex by adding units. A sixplex under the by-law must be a detached building on one lot, with at least one unit entirely or partly above another.

How tall can a Toronto sixplex be?

A Toronto fiveplex or sixplex follows the zone's height rules, which allow 10.0 metres for a multiplex where the Height Overlay Map shows less. By-law 654-2025 allows 10.5 metres when the lowest level is partly below ground, holds a unit, has ceiling joists 1.0 to 1.5 metres above grade, and a 2.4 metre ceiling height.

Do sixplexes pay development charges in Toronto?

Under section 415-6 of the Toronto Municipal Code, City development charges are not imposed on the second to fourth units of a residential development and are reduced to zero dollars for the fifth and sixth units, as long as no more than six units are built on one parcel of land.

Can an existing house in Toronto be converted into a sixplex?

In the sixplex areas, By-law 654-2025 lets a detached house be converted to a fiveplex or sixplex and still count as a lawful existing building, if the new units fit entirely inside the building as it stood the day before the building permit was issued. Any addition must meet the current zoning or get a minor variance.

What is a fiveplex in Toronto's zoning by-law?

By-law 654-2025 defines a fiveplex as a building on a single lot with five dwelling units, at least one of them entirely or partly above another. A detached or semi-detached house with secondary suites is a separate building type. The by-law treats a fiveplex as a type of detached houseplex, and apartment buildings start at seven units.

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