Laneway Housing & Garden Suites: A Smart Choice for Toronto Property Owners

Unlock the Potential of Your Property with laneway housing and garden suites, innovative urban living solutions that offer substantial benefits to homeowners.

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Our decades of experience building in Toronto provide us with unique insights to crafting these special spaces. Whether you’re looking to add space that can be rented out or create an independent space for aging parents, a laneway house or garden suite could be the perfect solution for your property.

Modern black metal house with a sloped roof, surrounded by a wooden fence and landscaped garden with trees and shrubs, and a high-rise building under construction in the background.

Laneway Houses

If your property backs onto a laneway, as many Toronto properties do, then you could be eligible to build an additional residential unit: a laneway suite.

If you have an existing structure (like a garage) it’s possible that it could be converted into a laneway suite. No structure? No problem! We can simply build from scratch. At Lighthaus, we partner with great architects who specialize in laneway housing and can help navigate the often confusing zoning process.

Exterior view of a modern house with mixed wood and metal siding, a glass door, and small trees in the front yard

Garden Suites

If your property does not back onto a laneway, don’t despair!

Toronto now allows for the construction of garden suites - essentially a laneway house but without the parking requirements.

Just like laneway suites, garden suites come with their own set of zoning by-laws and Lighthaus is your perfect partner to navigate this type of project.

Our Service Areas

Our service areas span across the Greater Toronto Area and include:

  • High Park

  • Leaside

  • Riverdale

  • Leslieville

  • Forest Hill

  • The Beach (formerly The Beaches)

  • The Annex

  • Moore Park

  • Rosedale

  • And the surrounding areas.

Visit our Service Areas page for more details on our work in local Toronto neighbourhoods.

Photo Gallery

  • Garden Suite Interior

  • Open-concept living space with a blue sectional sofa, white kitchen with open wooden shelves, stainless steel appliances, and a staircase with wooden steps and glass railing.

    Garden Suite Kitchen

  • A modern bedroom with a yellow bedspread, dark blue headboard, and glass dividers on either side of the bed. There is a colorful rug, wall-mounted lamps, a rattan pendant light, a mirror, and a clock on the wall near the staircase.

    Garden Suite Bathroom

  • Bright, empty living room with large windows, light wood flooring, and a staircase railing leading downstairs. Outside view shows a wooden fence and trees.

    Laneway House Interior

  • Bright living room with large windows, a modern fireplace, and light wood flooring.

    Laneway House Living Space

  • Modern bathroom with a glass shower enclosure, black fixtures, a dual sink vanity with gray countertops, and natural light from a window.

    Laneway House Bathroom

Three digital tablets showing a renovation cost guide and related content, placed on a white surface against a white background.

Lighthaus Built’s

FREE Toronto Renovation Cost Guide

Are you considering a home addition or full home renovation and not sure how to budget for it?

Our free guide walks you through over 50 topics and how the cost of materials, labour and design ranges so you can plan for your Design-Build home renovation in Toronto, ON.

Download Now for FREE

 FAQs

  • A laneway suite is situated on a lot that abuts a publicly designated laneway.

    A garden suite applies to properties that do not have public laneway access.

    Garden and laneway suites are regulated by their own zoning by-laws.

  • Financial Advantages

    Generate Additional Income: Rent out your laneway house or garden suite for a steady source of revenue.

    Boost Property Value: Enhance your property's market value with these attractive, functional additions.

    Tax Benefits: Take advantage of potential tax deductions related to property improvement and maintenance.

    Lifestyle & Privacy:

    Flexible Living Solutions: Whether it's for family, as a rental, or a personal retreat, these units provide versatile living options right in your backyard.

    Enhanced Privacy: Enjoy greater separation from tenants, ensuring a comfortable living environment for everyone

  • While some people view these additional structures as secondary both in use and stature, we don’t believe this results in long term success.

    Regardless of what you call it, a home fit for living should be built to last decades and we approach every project with this mindset.

    Given the small footprint of garden and laneway suites, this could even result in a higher unit-cost of construction. Our pre construction process will help flesh out the scope of work and therefore the respective costs long before you’re committed to actually building it.

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