Tiny Homes: Which Municipalities Allow Them in Quebec?

In short — There is no fixed official list of Quebec municipalities that allow tiny homes: each town, through its zoning bylaw, decides. More and more municipalities allow them — sometimes via an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), sometimes through a reduced minimum floor area, sometimes by pilot project — but conditions vary enormously. So the right question is not "which towns allow them?" but "how do I check for MY municipality?". This guide answers that.

People often ask us for "the list of towns that allow tiny homes." The problem: such a list would be wrong by the next day. Bylaws change, towns launch pilot projects, and a single municipality can allow a tiny home in one zone and prohibit it in another. What does not change is the method for finding out with certainty.

Why there is no single answer

In Quebec, land-use planning is a municipal power, overseen by the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation. Each town adopts its own zoning bylaw, which sets permitted uses, minimum building floor areas and the conditions for a second dwelling. A tiny home often runs into two rules: a minimum floor area (which can exclude very small units) and the conditions specific to ADUs. Hence the different answers from one municipality to another. The vocabulary (tiny home, ADU, modular) is clarified in our tiny home and ADU guide.

The trend: "gentle density"

The good news is the direction of the current. Facing the housing crisis, the government is encouraging gentle density — adding dwellings within existing neighbourhoods without towers — and several municipalities are loosening their rules to allow accessory dwellings and small units. Organizations like Écohabitation document this movement. But "encouraged by the province" does not mean "allowed everywhere": the decision remains municipal.

How to check for your municipality (the method)

1. Find your town's zoning bylaw (municipal website, urban planning section).
2. Look up the minimum floor area required for a dwelling, and the rules on ADUs or accessory dwellings.
3. Check your lot's exact zone — the rules change from one zone to another.
4. Call the urban planning department. A real case gets settled by phone, not online.
5. File a permit application before ordering anything — see our building permit guide.

On our site, each city page shows where to find the local bylaw and the municipality's urban planning department. It is the most reliable starting point.

What towns often require

Without drawing up a named list, here are the conditions that come up frequently:

• a minimum floor area;
• for an ADU, a link to the main building or strict siting rules;
• parking and hookup standards;
• sometimes, a requirement that the occupants be related (the multigenerational case — see our multigenerational home guide).

And do not forget the lot itself: settle the order of steps with land or home first.