With home affordability and rental availability becoming less attainable for many people, the appeal of building a secondary suite on your property is reaching an all-time high. However, up until very recently, Peterborough homeowners were quite limited in their options for building a secondary suite.
In the past, these rental suites were only permitted to exist within the main home dwelling–in the form of a basement apartment or a loft over the garage for example.
However, as demand for housing reaches its peak, policymakers have slightly relaxed the regulations, making it easier than ever for homeowners to maximize the use of their space, improve the affordability of their homes and help provide very necessary homes for renters.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new coach home rules in Peterborough.
First, a Quick History Lesson
Although coach homes, or ADUs as they are referred to officially, have been legal in Peterborough since 2018, most homeowners in the past didn’t even see this as a viable option. The reason? The City of Peterborough actually levied incredible fees and development taxes on detached secondary suites.
These fees put a definite damper on anyone in the area who was excited about potentially building a secondary dwelling on their property. The fees easily overshadowed any cost-benefit for building a coach home in the first place.
However, in late 2020, the Province of Ontario issued a “development charge exemption” on coach homes, meaning the City could no longer charge the same exorbitant fees to homeowners looking to build a secondary dwelling.
Around the same time, bylaw restrictions were also revised to allow both attached secondary suites and detached coach homes on residential properties.
Looking for more information on secondary suites and coach homes? Check out our blog series for everything you need to know:
- Everything You Need to Know About Carriage Homes and Secondary Suites
- How to Build Equity and Improve Housing Affordability with Secondary Suites
- Your Practical Guide to Building Your Own Secondary Suites
How are Coach Homes Defined in Peterborough?
Although the restrictions on building detached ADUs are lifted, that doesn’t mean the city is deregulating the market at all. In fact, coach homes must follow strict rules to be considered legal. Some of the key features of a coach home in Peterborough include:
- The unit must have at least 301 square feet of floor space.
- It must have a fixed foundation, anything on wheels is considered a trailer and not permitted on a residential lot.
- The unit must be connected to municipal services such as sewer, water, and electricity. Secondary suites are not recommended in rural areas with septic and well systems.
- Most properties must come with at least 1 parking space unless your home is located in the downtown area.
- The coach home must not take up more than 10% of your total lot space.
- Coach homes are not permitted to be located in a flood plain.
It’s important to also recognize that whenever you are building anything on your property, you are required and responsible to go through all the necessary permits and documentation to ensure the dwelling meets building codes and safety standards.
What Do Renters Look for In Coach Homes?
If you’ve decided the time is right to build a coach home on your property, you should consider the rental market before breaking ground on your new construction. Consider what is popular with renters right now and try to cater your detached ADU to meet those expectations. A few examples of features that renters love include:
- Higher than normal ceilings
- Stainless steel appliances
- In-unit washer and dryers
- Crisp, white paint
- Larger than normal windows and great lighting fixtures
- Efficient heating and cooling systems
The Future of Coach Homes
With housing supply remaining low and demand remaining high, the housing crisis is a problem that is not going away anytime soon. Experts are even skeptical that the Liberal Party’s proposed housing market improvements will have any positive impact at all for Canadian buyers and renters.
As a result, we expect to see secondary suites and coach homes increase in popularity as time goes on. Although at first, homeowners seemed hesitant to take advantage of the new rules, we’re already seeing more interest in building both in-home and detached secondary suites and accessory units.
Want to learn more about building a coach home or buying a property with an accessory unit? Reach out to us today. Our team is passionate about housing affordability and sustainability–this is a topic we’re always happy to discuss! Reach out to us here.
