We Get Approvals/Permits to Build Rental Apartment Buildings

 Constructing an apartment building in Ontario requires a multi-stage approval process governed by the Ontario Planning Act and the Ontario Building Code.

We help to secure local zoning compliance, Site Plan Approval, and building permits through your local municipal government.

Planning and Zoning Approvals
Before any building can take place, the land must be zoned for high-density or multi-residential use.

Official Plan & Zoning By-law Amendments:
If your proposed building does not conform to the local municipality’s Official Plan or current zoning, we must apply for an amendment.

Site Plan Approval (SPA): Required for almost all multi-unit developments in Ontario. This regulates how the building fits into the community, including landscaping, layout, parking, and exterior design.

Recent provincial changes exempt certain smaller residential projects (10 or fewer units) from full Site Plan Control.

Building Permits
Once your planning applications are cleared, we must apply for a full Building Permit through your local municipality’s building department.
Requirements: We will need to submit comprehensive architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical drawings stamped by licensed architects and qualified engineers.

Applicable Law: The design must satisfy the Ontario Building Code and all other applicable municipal by-laws

Timelines:
Under the Building Code Act, municipalities must review complete applications within statutory timeframes, which typically cap out at 20 business days for non-residential/multi-residential buildings.

Additional Required Approvals
Depending on the specific location of your project, we may also need clearance from external bodies, such as:
Conservation Authorities: If the property is near a river, lake, or wetland.
Ministry of Transportation (MTO): If your building is situated on or near a provincial highway.
Regional Municipalities: Depending on your region, you may need additional approvals regarding water/sewer connections or site access.
Next Steps
For large developments, we request a Pre-Application Consultation with your local municipality's planning and building departments. This allows you to meet with city staff to discuss requirements, submission fees, and required reports before officially filing for permits. If there are delays or disputes with municipal requirements, we can appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal

NO OPA OR ZBA REQUIRED
No Official Plan Amendment or Zoning By-Law Amendment is required for Small-scale Residential Apartment Buildings of up to Six Storeys and Sixty Units within the City of Toronto.

PARKING
There are NO MINIMUM parking requirements for Small-scale Residential Apartment Buildings of up to Six Storeys and Sixty Units within the City of Toronto.

SITE PLAN APPROVAL & BUILDING PERMIT ARE REQUIRED
The Site Plan Control process reviews the technical and design aspects of a proposed development to ensure it's compatible with the surrounding area. Bill 23 did specify that residential developments containing 10 units or fewer are exempt from municipal site plan control. However, these developments must still meet Building Code/Fire Code health and safety requirements. The Province of Ontario later approved Bill 97 in the Spring of 2023, which reversed and amended certain changes made by Bill 23.  As part of Bill 97, the Province of Ontario enacted Ontario Regulation 254/23, which specifies that despite the provision in Bill 23 to exempt residential developments with less than 10 units from site plan approval, such developments within 300m of a railway line or within 120 metres of a wetland, shoreline of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River System, an inland lake, or a river or stream valley that has depressional features associated with a river or stream, whether or not it contains a watercourse, is subject to site plan approval.

Ontario Building Code 1990 introduced requirements for four-storey residential Group C occupancy, including a requirement for sprinklers. In the Ontario Building Code 1997, Group D (business and personal services) was permitted to four storeys in wood, with sprinklers. And the Ontario Building Code 2012 was amended in January 2015 to allow five and six-storey wood buildings with multiple occupancies and many specific requirements beyond those for 4-storey wood buildings.

Typically, concrete and steel are the choices for the construction of six-storey high apartment buildings in Ontario. A six-storey high rental apartment building comprised primarily of cross-laminated timber (CLT) - Ontario’s first six-storey mass timber residential rental building is built at 1602 Queen Street East in Toronto. The largely prefabricated CLT structure was assembled in less than six weeks after the foundation had been completed. The mass timber design consists of a 6m (20ft) wide six-plex and a 12m (40ft) wide 12-plex conforming to the City of Toronto’s midrise guidelines.

While there are cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturing facilities in Quebec and B.C., the project’s CLT was imported from Austria. The first cross-laminated timber (CLT) factory in Ontario opens in St. Thomas.

In 2017, an 18-storey wood frame student residence was constructed on the campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and a 13-storey wood frame condominium was completed in Quebec City with the assistance of Natural Resources Canada, and leveraged by the provinces and industry, to aid in the development and approvals for this new type of wood construction in Canada.

A unique mass timber project has arrived in Toronto with T3 Sterling Road, a 420,000 ft² development consisting of 3 buildings near Dundas West subway station and Bloor GO and UPX station. Two full mass timber commercial buildings comprising six and eight stories consist of exposed glue-laminated columns and beams (Glulam) gravity system supporting dowel laminated timber slabs (DLT) along with a steel braced frame lateral system, 2hr fire design, MEP routing, integration of façade/edge support, and connection detailing.

With the 2020 National Building Code, developers in Canada will be permitted to construct buildings up to 12 storeys using mass timber technology. With mass timber buildings, the primary load-bearing structure is composed of solid or engineered wood. Large wood panels used for walls, floors, and roofs are prefabricated in a plant and assembled on-site. This way, mass timber projects are completed faster and require 90% less construction traffic.

Modern infrastructure combined with modern fire suppression/protection systems and new technologies for acoustic and thermal performance of buildings make up to 12-storey high mass timber buildings feasible in Ontario.

Mass timber buildings are fire-resistant. When exposed to fire, the outer layer chars and acts as a protective coating, insulating the wood underneath. Additionally, the lightweight nature of mass timber, weighing approximately one-fifth of equivalent concrete buildings, allows for smaller foundations and seismic resistance.

Our fee for preparing a concept plan, applying and attending a pre-consultation meeting with the City of Toronto for a proposed apartment building of up to six storeys and sixty units is $2,985⁺ʰˢᵗ. We prepare all the required drawings, plans, and reports to obtain site plan approval and building permit to construct an apartment building of up to six storeys and sixty units.

For Additional Information, please contact the following Key Players of Our Design Team for Apartment Buildings of up to Six Storeys and Sixty Units.

Miaoyi Xue, P.Eng,
Joo Min Park, MEng, P.Eng.
Saloni Khoja, B.Arch.
Wei Ming Lin, P.Eng
Rui Cong Xia, P.Eng
Liu Sun, B.Des (Arch)
Pamela M Jerezano, B.Arch

LAND DEVELOPMENT EXPERTS

Email:  LandBuildEx@gmail.com

Land Line: 905 940 9937

Text Messages: 647 877 8262

Emergency: 416 727 8336

Professional Engineers Ontario - Certificate of Authorization # 100205934

We prepare all the required drawings, plans, and reports in support of

• Site Plan Control / Approval for Rental Apartment Buildings
• Re-zoning Application for Rental Apartment Buildings
• Zoning By‐law Amendments for Rental Apartment Buildings
• Official Plan Amendment for Rental Apartment Buildings
• Building Permits for for Rental Apartment Buildings

in all the regions, counties, and municipalities in Ontario, including 

City of Brantford, City of Chatham-Kent, Haldimand County, City of Hamilton, City of Kawartha Lakes, City of Toronto

REGIONAL MUNICIPALITIES

Durham

    City of Oshawa, City of Pickering, Municipality of Clarington, Town of Ajax, Town of Whitby, Township of Brock, Township of Scugog, Township of Uxbridge

Halton

    City of Burlington, Town of Halton Hills, Town of Milton, Town of Oakville

Niagara

    City of Niagara Falls, City of Port Colborne, City of St. Catharines, City of Thorold, City of Welland, Town of Fort Erie, Town of Grimsby, Town of Lincoln, Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Town of Pelham, Township of Wainfleet, Township of West Lincoln

Peel

    City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, Town of Caledon

Waterloo

    City of Cambridge, City of Kitchener, City of Waterloo, Township of North Dumfries, Township of Wellesley, Township of Wilmot, Township of Woolwich

York

    City of Vaughan, Town of Aurora, Town of East Gwillimbury, Town of Georgina, City of Markham, Town of Newmarket, City of Richmond Hill, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Township of King

COUNTIES

Dufferin

    Town of Grand Valley, Town of Mono, Town of Orangeville, Town of Shelburne, Township of Amaranth, Township of East Garafraxa, Township of Melancthon, Township of Mulmur

Elgin

    City of St Thomas, Municipality of Bayham, Municipality of Central Elgin, Municipality of Dutton/Dunwich, Municipality of West Elgin, Town of Aylmer, Township of Malahide, Township of Southwold

Hastings

    City of Belleville, City of Quinte West, Municipality of Centre Hastings, Municipality of Hastings Highlands, Municipality of Marmora and Lake, Municipality of Tweed,  Town of Bancroft, Town of Deseronto, Township of Carlow/Mayo, Township of Faraday, Township of Limerick, Township of Madoc, Township of Stirling-Rawdon, Township of Tudor & Cashel, Township of Tyendinaga, Township of Wollaston

Northumberland

    Municipality of Brighton, Town of Cobourg, Municipality of Port Hope, Municipality of Trent Hills, Township of Alnwick/Haldimand, Township of Cramahe, Township of Hamilton

Oxford

    City of Woodstock,  Town of Ingersoll, Town of Tillsonburg, Township of Blandford Blenheim, Township of East Zorra-Tavistock, Township of Norwich, Township of South-West Oxford, Township of Zorra

Peterborough

    City of Peterborough, Township of Asphodel-Norwood, Township of Cavan Monaghan, Township of Douro-Dummer, Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, Township of North Kawartha, Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, Township of Selwyn, Municipality of Trent Lakes

Simcoe

    City of Barrie, City of Orillia, Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury,  Town of Collingwood,  Town of Innisfil, Town of Midland, Town of New Tecumseth, Town of Penetanguishene, Town of Wasaga Beach, Township of Adjala-Tosorontio, Township of Clearview, Township of Essa, Township of Oro-Medonte, Township of Ramara, Township of Severn, Township of Springwater, Township of Tay, Township of Tiny

Wellington

    City of Guelph, Town of Erin, Town of Minto, Township of Centre Wellington, Township of Guelph-Eramosa, Township of Mapleton, Township of Puslinch, Township of Wellington North.

County of Perth

City of Stratford, Municipality of North Perth, Town of St. Marys, Township of Perth East, Township of Perth South, Municipality of West Perth

County of Middlesex

City of London, Municipality of North Middlesex, Municipality of Southwest Middlesex, Municipality of Thames Centre, Township of Adelaide Metcalfe, Township of Lucan Biddulph, Township of Middlesex Centre, Township of Strathroy - Caradoc, Village of Newbury

County of Huron

Municipality of Bluewater, Municipality of Central Huron, Municipality of Huron East, Municipality of Morris-Turnberry, Municipality of South Huron, Town of Goderich, Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, Township of Howick, Township of North Huron

County of Bruce

Municipality of Arran Elderslie, Municipality of Brockton, Municipality of Kincardine, Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, Municipality of South Bruce, Town of Saugeen Shores, Town of South Bruce Peninsula, Township of Huron-Kinloss

County of Grey

City of Owen Sound, Town of The Blue Mountains, Town of Hanover, Municipality of Meaford, Township of Chatsworth, Township of Georgian Bluffs, Municipality of Grey Highlands, Township of Southgate, Municipality of West Grey

County of Haliburton

Township of Algonquin Highlands, Municipality of Dysart et al, Municipality of Highlands East, Township of Minden Hills

District of Muskoka

Town of Gravenhurst, Town of Bracebridge, Town of Huntsville, Township of Muskoka Lakes, Township of Lake of Bays, Township of Georgian Bay

Apartment Construction Loan Program
Access low-cost loans to build rental apartment projects across Ontario.

You can get mortgages from CMHC for up to 95% LTV for the construction of apartment buildings.  The CMHC's Apartment Construction Loan Program provides low-cost funding to eligible borrowers during the riskiest phase of development: construction through to stabilized operations.

The CMHC's program offers loans ranging from a minimum of $1,000,000 up to 100% of the cost of the residential component of a project.

The CMHC's program focuses on standard rental, seniors housing, and student housing projects in Canada where there is a need for additional rental housing supply.

The CMHC's Enhanced Apartment Construction Loan Program Features:
Enhanced eligibility requirements – includes an incentive-based approach to energy efficiency and accessibility
Financing for standard rental housing projects
Financing for independent living seniors' housing
Financing for student housing projects on and off campus

Loans through the program offer:
Favourable terms
A fixed interest rate is locked in at first advance for certainty during the riskiest periods of development.
Qualify for up to a 50-year amortization period.
Qualify for up to 100% loan to cost for residential space and up to 75% loan to cost for non-residential space (depending on the strength of the application).
Low costs

Interest-only payments: Financed by the loan during construction and paid by the borrower from the occupancy permit until 12 consecutive months of stabilized effective gross income (stabilization).

Principal and Interest payments: Paid by the borrower from stabilization to the end of the term.

CMHC mortgage loan insurance is an integrated feature of the program. The borrower does not pay the premium, only the PST if applicable.

At the end of the term, the applicant is responsible for arranging take-out financing with a CMHC-approved lender.

All projects must:

• have at least 5 rental units
• have a loan size of at least $1 million
• Respond to a need for rental supply
• The primary purpose of the project must be considered residential, with the non-residential component not to exceed 30% of total gross floor space nor 30% of total cost
• be permanent in nature (long-term stay)
• meet the minimum documentation requirements

Financial viability:
You must have the financial and operational ability to carry out the project without ongoing subsidies and the ability to meet debt coverage ratio requirements.

Affordability:
You must meet and maintain one of the following affordability requirements for at least 10 years:
Option 1: 
At least 20% of units must have rents at or below 30% of the median total income of all families in the subject market.
Option 2:
Alternatively, the requirement may be met if rents are established pursuant to an affordable housing program or other initiative (federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal) that approves the proposal and provides support for the development of the standard rental housing project.