Additional Residential Units

As a result of recent changes in provincial legislation, all municipalities across Ontario are required to permit Additional Residential Units (ARUs) in detached, link, semi-detached, townhouse dwellings, and in ancillary buildings or structures.

ARUs are separate, self-contained dwelling units with a private entrance, cooking, sleeping, and sanitary facilities, provided for the exclusive use of those residing within the unit. An ARU may be located within the primary dwelling (referred to as an Attached ARU or within an ancillary building or structure (referred to as a Detached ARU on the same lot as the primary dwelling. 

These units may be configured as follows: 

One (1) primary dwelling unit and up to two (2) Additional Residential Units within the same building; or

One (1) primary dwelling unit and one (1) Additional Residential Unit within the same building and one (1) Detached Additional Residential Unit on the same lot.

At this time, Newmarket does not have specific zoning regulations for DARUs. To address this, the Town is updating its Official Plan and Zoning By-laws to introduce new policies and zoning regulations that are consistent with provincial policy direction and support Newmarket’s goal of providing more affordable housing options. These new policies and zoning regulations will apply to all new Attached Additional Residential Unit (ARUs) and Detached Additional Residential Units (DARUs).

As part of this initiative, a statutory Public Meeting will be held to gather community feedback.

When: Monday, March 23, 2026, at 1 p.m.
Where: Municipal Offices – Council Chambers (395 Mulock Drive) or streamed live online at Newmarket.ca/Meetings

How to get involved 

A Public Meeting was held on December 1, 2025 to gather community feedback.
Committee of the Whole will be considering this report on March 23, 2026 and the meeting starts at 1pm. Additional details about the meeting and how to attend are available here.
Learn more by visiting the project webpage at Additional Residential Units (ARUs) | Hey Newmarket