Close Window
The new City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013 was enacted on May 9, 2013. It has been appealed under section 34(19) of the Planning Act. Even though it is under appeal, the City's Chief Building Official and the Committee of Adjustment will apply the new By-law to applications filed after its enactment. Please consult with your advisors to determine whether the new by-law has any impact.
Amendments to By-law 569-2013 have been incorporated into this office consolidation. The web version of this by-law does not include highlighting to reflect the regulations that remain under appeal as a result of appeals to the By-law as adopted on May 9, 2013. Please review the PDF version of the office consolidation for regulations that remain under appeal.
The original by-law and its amendments are with the City Clerk's office.
Zoning By-law No. 569-2013, as
amended (office consolidation),
is available in PDF format from the
Zoning By-law 569-2013 homepage
   
 
City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended (Office Consolidation)
Version Date: July 31, 2023
Table of Contents

Back to Top of Bylaw

Chapter 1Administration
Chapter 2Compliance with this By-law
Chapter 5Regulations Applying to all Zones
Chapter 10Residential
Chapter 15Residential Apartment
15.5Regulations Applying to the Residential Apartment Zone Category
15.10Residential Apartment Zone (RA)
15.10.1General
15.10.1.10Interpretation
15.10.20Permitted Uses
15.10.20.10Permitted Use
15.10.20.20Permitted Use - with Conditions
15.10.20.40Permitted Building Types
15.10.20.100Conditions
15.10.30Lot Requirements
15.10.30.10Lot Area
15.10.30.20Lot Frontage
15.10.30.40Lot Coverage
15.10.40Principal Building Requirements
15.10.40.1General
15.10.40.10Height
15.10.40.40Floor Area
15.10.40.50Decks, Platforms and Amenities
15.10.40.70Setbacks
15.10.40.80Separation
15.20Residential Apartment Commercial (RAC)
Chapter 30Commercial
Chapter 40Commercial Residential
Chapter 50Commercial Residential Employment
Chapter 60Employment Industrial
Chapter 80Institutional
Chapter 90Open Space
Chapter 100Utility and Transportation
Chapter 150Specific Use Regulations
Chapter 200Parking Space Regulations
Chapter 220Loading Space Regulations
Chapter 230Bicycle Parking Space Regulations
Chapter 280Special Districts - Downtown
Chapter 300Special Districts - Centres
Chapter 400Special Districts - Avenues
Chapter 500Special Districts - Heritage
Chapter 600Regulations for Overlay Zones
Chapter 800Definitions
Chapter 900Site Specific Exceptions
Chapter 970Appendices
Chapter 990Zoning By-law Map
Chapter 995Overlay Maps

Chapter 15 Residential Apartment

15.10 Residential Apartment Zone (RA)

15.10.1 General

15.10.1.10 Interpretation

(1)Application of This Section
The regulations in Section 15.10 apply to all lands, uses, buildings and structures in the RA zone.

15.10.20 Permitted Uses

15.10.20.10 Permitted Use

(1)Use - RA Zone
The following uses are permitted in the RA zone:

Ambulance Depot
Dwelling Unit in a permitted residential building type in Clause 15.10.20.40.
Fire Hall
Municipal Shelter
Park
Police Station [ By-law: 545-2019 ]

15.10.20.20 Permitted Use - with Conditions

(1)Use with Conditions - RA Zone
The following uses are permitted in the RA zone if they comply with the specific conditions associated with the reference number(s) for each use in Clause 15.10.20.100:

Cogeneration Energy (1)
Community Centre (2)
Crisis Care Shelter (3)
Day Nursery (4)
Group Home (5)
Home Occupation (6)
Library (2)
Nursing Home (7)
Place of Worship (8)
Private Home Daycare (9)
Public Utility (10, 11)
Renewable Energy (1)
Residential Care Home (5)
Respite Care Facility (12)
Retail Store (13)
Retirement Home (7)
Rooming House (14)
Secondary Suite (15)
Seniors Community House (16)
Short-term Rental (18) [By-law 1453-2017]
Transportation Use (17)
[ By-law: 545-2019 ]

15.10.20.40 Permitted Building Types

(1)Permitted Residential Building Types - RA Zone
In the RA zone, a dwelling unit is permitted in the following residential building types:
(A)Apartment Building.

15.10.20.100 Conditions

(1)Cogeneration Energy Production or Renewable Energy Production
In the RA zone, cogeneration energy production or renewable energy production must be in combination with another permitted use on the lot, and comply with all Municipal, Provincial and Federal by-laws, statutes and regulations.
(2)Community Centre or Library
In the RA zone, a community centre or a library must be on a lot that abuts a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map.
(3)Crisis Care Shelter
In the RA zone, a crisis care shelter must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.20. [ By-law: 545-2019 ]
(4)Day Nursery
A day nursery in the RA zone must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.45.
(5)Group Home or Residential Care Home
In the RA zone, a group home or a residential care home must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.15.
(6)Home Occupation
A home occupation in the RA zone must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.5.
(7)Nursing Home or Retirement Home
In the RA zone, a nursing home, retirement home or a combination of these two uses, must be on a lot that has a front lot line or side lot line abutting:
(A)a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map; or
(B)a street which intersects a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map, and the lot is located, in whole or in part, within 80 metres of that intersection.
(8)Place of Worship
In the RA zone:
(A)a place of worship may be on a lot with an apartment building, if the lot has 100 or more dwelling units in one or more apartment buildings, and the place of worship:
(i)is inside an apartment building;
(ii)is not above the first storey of the apartment building;
(iii)does not exceed 30.0 square metres in interior floor area for the first 100 dwelling units in the apartment building, which may be increased by 10.0 square metres for each additional 50 dwelling units in excess of 100, to a maximum of 110.0 square metres; and
(iv)access to the place of worship must be from within the apartment building, unless it is on a lot with a front lot line or side lot line abutting a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map;
(B)if a place of worship is not on a lot with an apartment building, it must:
(i)comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.50;
(ii)be on a lot with:
(a)a front lot line or side lot line abutting a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map; and
(b)a lot area of at least 2,000 square metres; and
(iii)be in a building with no more than 3,000 square metres of gross floor area; and
(C)a lawfully existing place of worship is exempt from the requirements of regulation 15.10.20.100(8)(B) (ii) and (iii).
(9)Private Home Daycare
A children's play area for a private home daycare in the RA zone:
(A)must be fenced; and
(B)may be no closer to a lot line abutting a street than 6.0 metres.
(10)Public Utility
In the RA zone, a public utility may not be:
(A)a sewage treatment plant;
(B)a water filtration plant; or
(C)an above-ground water reservoir.
(11)Public Utility
In the RA zone, a public utility must be enclosed by walls and comply with the permitted maximum lot coverage, required minimum building setbacks and permitted maximum building height for the RA zone if it is:
(A)a hydro electrical transformer station; or [ By-law: OMB PL130592 February 7, 2017 ]
(B)a natural gas regulator station.
(12)Respite Care Facility
In the RA zone, a respite care facility must be combined with a nursing home or retirement home.
(13)Retail Stores in Apartment Buildings
In the RA zone, a retail store may be on a lot with 100 or more dwelling units in one or more apartment buildings, subject to the following:
(A)there may be only one retail store in an apartment building;
(B)it must be located inside the apartment building;
(C)it may not be above the first storey of the apartment building;
(D)access to the retail store must be from within the apartment building, unless it is on a lot with a front lot line or a side lot line abutting a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map;
(E)there may be no outside display of goods; and
(F)the interior floor area of the retail store may not exceed 30.0 square metres for the first 100 dwelling units in the apartment building, which may be increased by 10.0 square metres for each additional 50 dwelling units in excess of 100, to a maximum of 110.0 square metres.
(14)Rooming House
A rooming house in the RA zone must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.25.
(15)Secondary Suite
A secondary suite in the RA zone must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.10.
(16)Seniors Community House
A seniors community house in the RA zone must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.30.
(17)Transportation Use
A building or structure on a lot in the RA zone and used as a transportation use must comply with all requirements for a building on that lot.
(18)Short-term Rental
A short-term rental in the RA zone must comply with the specific use regulations in Section 150.13. [ By-law: 1453-2017 ]

15.10.30 Lot Requirements

15.10.30.10 Lot Area

(1)Minimum Lot Area
In the RA zone:
(A)if a zone label includes the letter "a", on the Zoning By-law Map, the numerical value following the letter "a" is the required minimum lot area, in square metres; and
(B)if the zone label on the Zoning By-law Map does not include an "a" value on the Zoning By-law Map, the required minimum lot area, in square metres, is the required minimum lot frontage multiplied by 30 metres.
(2)Minimum Lot Area for Each Dwelling Unit in an Apartment Building
If a zone label applying to a lot in the RA zone includes the letters "au", on the Zoning By-law Map, the numerical value following the letters "au" is the required minimum lot area, in square metres, for each dwelling unit in an apartment building.

15.10.30.20 Lot Frontage

(1)Minimum Lot Frontage
In the RA zone:
(A)if a zone label includes the letter "f", on the Zoning By-law Map, the numerical value following the letter "f" is the required minimum lot frontage, in metres; and
(B)if the zone label on the Zoning By-law Map does not include an "f" value on the Zoning By-law Map, the required minimum lot frontage is 24.0 metres.

15.10.30.40 Lot Coverage

(1)Maximum Lot Coverage
In the RA zone:
(A)if a lot is in an area with a numerical value on the Lot Coverage Overlay Map, that numerical value is the permitted maximum lot coverage, as a percentage of the lot area; and
(B)if a lot is not in an area with a numerical value on the Lot Coverage Overlay Map, no lot coverage applies.

15.10.40 Principal Building Requirements

15.10.40.1 General

(1)Application of this Article
The regulations in Article 15.10.40 apply to buildings or structures in the RA zone, other than ancillary buildings or structures which are subject to Article 15.5.60.
(2)Number of Dwelling Units on a Lot
If a zone label applying to a lot in the RA zone includes the letter "u", on the Zoning By-law Map, the numerical value following the letter "u" is the permitted maximum number of dwelling units on the lot.

15.10.40.10 Height

(1)Maximum Height
The permitted maximum height for a building or structure on a lot in the RA zone is:
(A)the numerical value, in metres, following the letters "HT" on the Height Overlay Map; or
(B)24.0 metres, if the lot is in an area with no numerical value following the letters "HT" on the Height Overlay Map.
(2)Maximum Number of Storeys
The permitted maximum number of storeys in a building on a lot in the RA zone is:
(A)the numerical value following the letters "ST" on the Height Overlay Map; and
(B)if the lot is in an area with no numerical value following the letters "ST" on the Height Overlay Map, the permitted maximum number of storeys is not limited by this regulation.

15.10.40.40 Floor Area

(1)Floor Space Index
In the RA zone, the permitted maximum floor space index is:
(A)the numerical value following the letter "d" in the zone label on the Zoning By-law Map; and
(B)if the zone label on the Zoning By-law Map does not include a "d" value on the Zoning By-law Map, the floor space index is not limited by this regulation.

15.10.40.50 Decks, Platforms and Amenities

(1)Amenity Space for an Apartment Building
In the RA zone, an apartment building with 20 or more dwelling units must provide amenity space at a minimum rate of 4.0 square metres for each dwelling unit, of which:
(A)at least 2.0 square metres for each dwelling unit is indoor amenity space located at or above established grade; [ By-law: 1353-2015 ]
(B)at least 40.0 square metres is outdoor amenity space in a location adjoining or directly accessible to the indoor amenity space; and
(C)no more than 25% of the outdoor component may be a green roof.

15.10.40.70 Setbacks

(1)Minimum Front Yard Setback
The required minimum front yard setback in the RA zone is 6.0 metres.
(2)Minimum Rear Yard Setback
The required minimum rear yard setback in the RA zone is 7.5 metres.
(3)Minimum Side Yard Setback
The required minimum side yard setback in the RA zone is 7.5 metres.
(4)Rear Yard Setbacks and Side Yard Setbacks in Relation to the Height of an Apartment Building
Despite regulation 15.10.40.70(2) and (3), for any portion of an apartment building in the RA zone with a height greater than 11.0 metres, the required minimum rear yard setback and required minimum side yard setbacks for each portion of the building above 11.0 metres in height must be increased by 1.0 metre for each additional 2.0 metres, or part thereof, above 11.0 metres in height.

15.10.40.80 Separation

(1)Distance Between Main Walls of the Same Residential Building
In the RA zone, if a residential building has main walls where a line projected outward at a right angle from one of the main walls intercepts another main wall of the same building, the required minimum above-ground separation distance between those main walls is:
(A)for any portion of the building with a height equal to or less than 11.0 metres:
(i)5.5 metres if there are no openings to dwelling units in one or more of those main walls; and
(ii)11.0 metres if each main wall has an opening to a dwelling unit; and
(B)for any portion of the building with a height greater than 11.0 metres, a distance equal to the average height of those main walls.
(2)Distance Between Residential Buildings on the Same Lot
In the RA zone, if two or more residential buildings are located on the same lot, the required minimum above-ground separation distance between the main walls of the respective buildings is:
(A)for any portion of the buildings with a height equal to or less than 11.0 metres:
(i)5.5 metres if there are no openings to dwelling units in the main wall of one or more of the buildings; and
(ii)11.0 metres if each main wall has an opening to a dwelling unit; and
(B)for any portion of the buildings with a height greater than 11.0 metres, a distance equal to the average height of those buildings.
(3)Apartment Building Separation from RD and RS Zones
An apartment building in the RA zone must be at least 15.0 metres from a lot in an RD or RS zone.
©City of Toronto 1998-2024