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A property owner in Little Portugal had a straightforward laneway home project. The lot qualified. The design met height and separation requirements. The building fit within size limits. Then the application was rejected because there wasn't enough grass and planting...

A detached home in Toronto's west end had the perfect setup for a laneway suite. The lot backed onto a public laneway. The property owner wanted rental income and extra living space for aging parents. Everything looked good on paper. Then the first zoning review came...

A property owner in Little Italy wanted a laneway home for one purpose: generating rental income. They weren't building guest space for family or a home office. This was purely an investment decision to create a new revenue stream from their property. That clear goal...

A Toronto property cleared every zoning hurdle. Separation distance worked. Height limits were met. Soft landscaping checked out. The city approved the site plan and issued zoning clearance. Then the building permit application hit a problem. Toronto Fire Services...

Toronto eliminated parking requirements for properties with laneway suites. This makes sense in urban neighborhoods where people use transit, bikes, and car-sharing services. No need to build expensive parking spaces that might sit empty. A property owner took this...