Toronto Sixplexes Pass 60 Applications: Where Six-Unit Homes Are Allowed and What It Means

The short answer: The City of Toronto has received more than 60 applications to build sixplexes since it began allowing six-unit buildings in select neighbourhoods, according to new City data reported by the Toronto Star on November 12, 2026. Fourplexes are allowed in low-rise neighbourhoods across the city, but fiveplexes and sixplexes are only allowed as of right in detached buildings in nine wards: the eight wards of the former Toronto and East York district plus Ward 23 (Scarborough North). The City now offers free pre-approved sixplex plans, and new federal mortgage insurance for 5 to 50 unit properties starts February 1, 2027. A sixplex still needs a building permit, site-specific work and numbers that make sense for your lot.

This post is written by The Starke Group, the Toronto real estate team led by Brett Starke and powered by RARE Real Estate Inc. We have stuck to what the City of Toronto's own pages, the zoning by-law and the Department of Finance say, and we have flagged where the reported numbers come from.

How many sixplex applications has Toronto received?

More than 60, according to the Toronto Star's November 12 report based on City data. The Star reported that:

• The wards with the most sixplex applications were Toronto-Danforth (15), Davenport (14) and Toronto-St. Paul's (12).
• Five wards where sixplexes are not allowed as of right also saw applications, including York Centre and Etobicoke North with two each.
• More than half of the properties with sixplex applications also sought permission for a garden or laneway suite. Because those backyard units would be on top of the six homes in the main building, they need special permission from the City.
• Citing CMHC, small infill homes made up 10 times more of Toronto's housing starts last year than in 2023.

Former City of Toronto urban design director Ken Greenberg told the Star, "The uptake is real. It isn't yet dramatic, but it shouldn't have been expected to be." An application is not a finished building, so treat these as early signals, not completed homes.

Where are sixplexes allowed in Toronto?

On June 26, 2025, City Council passed Zoning By-law 654-2025 and Official Plan Amendment 818. The City's notice of adoption says fiveplexes and sixplexes are permitted in detached residential buildings on low-rise residential lots designated Neighbourhoods in two areas:

• The former Toronto and East York district: Wards 4 (Parkdale-High Park), 9 (Davenport), 10 (Spadina-Fort York), 11 (University-Rosedale), 12 (Toronto-St. Paul's), 13 (Toronto Centre), 14 (Toronto-Danforth) and 19 (Beaches-East York).
• Ward 23 (Scarborough North), where Council first adopted six-unit permissions on February 5, 2025, as the City's Ward 23 Multiplex Study page notes.

Everywhere else in the city, the as-of-right limit is four units. As the City's Multiplex Housing page puts it, "Four-unit multiplexes are permitted city-wide" while "Six-unit permissions currently vary depending on location." The Star reported that City staff had recommended allowing fiveplexes and sixplexes more broadly, but Council limited them to these areas after pushback from suburban wards.

What are the key sixplex rules?

From the by-law and the City's notice:

• Detached only. A sixplex must be a detached building on one lot with at least one unit above another. No part of a semi-detached house or a townhouse can be converted to a fiveplex or sixplex.
• Conversions are possible. An existing detached house can be converted to five or six units if the new units fit entirely within the building as it lawfully existed. Additions still have to meet the zoning rules or get a minor variance.
• A little extra height. Fiveplexes and sixplexes that would otherwise have a 10-metre height limit can go to 10.5 metres if the lowest level contains a unit and meets the by-law's ceiling height tests. The City says this is meant to allow better basement ceiling heights and daylight.
• Permits still required. You still need a building permit and must meet zoning and all other City by-laws.

What are Toronto's pre-approved sixplex plans?

On October 2, 2026, the City announced free pre-approved fourplex and sixplex designs for wide and narrow lots. The City's Pre-Approved Multiplex Building Plans page lists Sixplex Narrow and Sixplex Wide, each in electric or hybrid HVAC versions, designed by LGA Architectural Partners.

The plans give you a head start on design, not a shortcut around the permit. The City says:

• You still apply for a building permit, and the City still reviews site-specific items such as where the building sits on your lot.
• A qualified design professional must take responsibility for the plans and submit signed and sealed letters covering architectural, structural, and mechanical, HVAC and plumbing items. For a sixplex, the architectural letter must say whether window sprinklers or fire shutters will be used.
• You need a survey or site plan and a lot grading plan.
• Any modification, including HVAC or plumbing changes, means the plan is no longer pre-approved.

The City adds that if a multiplex meets zoning requirements, owners can apply directly for a building permit without going to the Committee of Adjustment.

How could you finance a sixplex?

A new federal option arrives in early 2027. The Department of Finance has published mortgage insurance parameters for "missing middle" housing that apply to insurance applications lenders submit on or after February 1, 2027. Properties with 5 to 50 self-contained units held under a single title, which would include a sixplex, could qualify with:

• Construction, purchase, refinance and renewal as permitted uses.
• Up to 90% loan to value for new construction and 85% for other transactions.
• Amortizations up to 50 years for new construction and 40 years otherwise.
• Minimum debt coverage ratios of 1.15 (five-year terms) or 1.1 (10-year terms), no owner-occupancy requirement and no maximum property value.
• A borrower net worth of at least 25% of the loan amount, with a minimum of $100,000.

Lenders and private insurers will still apply their own underwriting. We covered the rest of the federal housing measures in our post on Budget 2026 and Toronto real estate.

What does this mean if you own a house in Toronto?

If you own a detached house in one of the nine wards, your lot may be able to hold up to six units as of right, subject to the by-law's height, depth, coverage and other standards. That can matter for long-term plans such as housing family members, adding rental income or eventually selling to a builder. Planner Sean Galbraith told the Star, "Just because you can build it, doesn't mean that that's what that market is demanding," and that builders run the numbers on three, four, five and six units before choosing. In many cases a smaller building with larger family-sized units may be the better fit.

If you own a semi-detached house or a townhouse, conversion to a fiveplex or sixplex is not allowed, although the city-wide rules for up to four units may still apply. Check with City Planning for your specific property.

What does it mean for buyers and sellers?

For buyers looking at a detached house in Toronto and East York or Ward 23, the zoning on the lot is now part of the conversation, especially for multi-generational families and investors. For sellers, a detached house on a lot that could work as a multiplex may appeal to a wider group of buyers, but any value depends on the specific lot, its size, its condition and what a buyer can actually get permitted and financed. Nobody should assume a sixplex permission automatically changes what a home is worth.

FAQ

Can I build a sixplex anywhere in Toronto?

No. As of right, fiveplexes and sixplexes are only allowed in detached buildings in Wards 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 19 (Toronto and East York) and Ward 23 (Scarborough North). Fourplexes are allowed in low-rise neighbourhoods city-wide.

Can I turn my semi-detached house into a sixplex?

No. By-law 654-2025 says no part of a semi-detached house or a townhouse can be converted to a fiveplex or sixplex.

Do the City's pre-approved sixplex plans mean I skip the permit?

No. You still need a building permit, a qualified design professional, a site plan and a lot grading plan. The plans are free and save design time, but any changes remove the pre-approved status.

When does the new mortgage insurance for 5 to 50 unit buildings start?

For mortgage insurance applications lenders submit on or after February 1, 2027, according to the Department of Finance.

Thinking about your next move?

If you would like to talk through what multiplex rules could mean for a home you own, or for a detached house you are thinking of buying or selling in Toronto, you can connect with The Starke Group here.