R2 (By-law 26-007) zone, Cambridge: Residential Two

What the R2 zone permits

• Additional residential unit (subject to Section 4.19 of this By-law)
• Adult or continuing education school
• Apartment dwelling (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Back-to-back townhouse dwelling (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Bed and breakfast establishment (Table 7.2 note 3: permitted in single detached dwellings only; note 4: not permitted on a lot with an ARU)
• Crisis intervention home (Table 7.2 note 2: maximum 10 residents exclusive of staff)
• Elementary school
• Group home (Table 7.2 note 2: maximum 10 residents exclusive of staff)
• Home child care
• Home occupation (subject to Section 4.8 of this By-law)
• Long term care home
• Multiple dwelling (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Place of worship
• Retirement home (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Secondary school (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Semi-detached dwelling (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Single-detached dwelling (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Stacked townhouse dwelling (Table 7.2 note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)
• Townhouse dwelling (Table 7.2 note 1: maximum 8 attached townhouse dwellings; note 5: four-unit cap on a lot containing an existing single or semi-detached dwelling)

Standards

Other provisions in this section

• Table 7.2 special provision 5 (p.85): except as provided in s.4.19, where a lot contains a single detached dwelling or a semi-detached dwelling with a maximum permitted height of 11 m on the date of enactment of the by-law (3 February 2026), the maximum permitted number of dwelling units is four. It is attached to every dwelling type and to retirement homes and secondary schools in the R1/R2 columns. Because s.4.19 allows at most two ARUs and only with a single, semi-detached or street townhouse dwelling, the ARU route never yields more than four units on such a lot.
• Table 7.2 special provision 1 (p.85): a townhouse building may have at most 8 attached townhouse dwellings.
• Table 7.2 special provisions 2-4 (p.85): group homes and crisis intervention homes are limited to 10 residents excluding staff; a bed and breakfast is permitted only in a single detached dwelling and not on a lot with an ARU (a B&B has at most three guest rooms, Part 3 definition, p.21).
• Multiple dwelling type standards (apartments, back-to-back and stacked townhouses, multiple dwellings, long term care and retirement homes, triplexes, and singles/semis/townhouses not on their own lots), Table 7.3C R2 column (p.87): lot frontage 12.0 m; front and exterior side yards 3.0 m; front yard to garage 6.0 m; rear yard 7.5 m (0.0 m for back-to-back townhouses); interior side yard 1.2 m; height 11 m (14 m on a collector/arterial road per Schedule 2); landscaped open space 25%; minimum 3.0 m between buildings on the same lot; amenity area 8 m² per dwelling unit, at least 50% of it common amenity area, but no common amenity area is required for developments under 20 units.
• Attached dwelling type standards (semi-detached and street / parcel-of-tied-land townhouses on their own lots), Table 7.3B R2 column (p.86): lot frontage 5.5 m; front and exterior side yards 3.0 m; front yard to garage 7.0 m; rear yard 7.5 m; interior side yard 1.2 m on the end-unit side and 0 m on the other; height 11 m; landscaped open space 25%.
• Flag-shaped lots, Table 7.3E (pp.88-89): flag-lot frontage 6.0-8.0 m; remnant lot frontage at least 12.0 m; both the flag lot and the remnant lot at least 40.0 m deep; driveway on the flag lot at most 4.5 m wide; front yard 4.0 m measured from the remnant lot's rear lot line; rear yards of both lots 4.0 m; interior side yard 1.2 m; height 6.0 m. Anything Table 7.3E does not change follows Tables 7.3B and 7.3C (special provision 1, p.89). The fallback names only the attached and multiple tables, not Table 7.3A, so for a single detached house on a flag lot the unvaried standards (e.g. landscaped open space, garage setback) are not clearly assigned; confirm with the City.
• Front yard averaging, s.4.18 (p.55): applies to residential lots in the R1/R2 built-up area (OP Map 1A); a vacant lot between two developed lots uses the average front yard of the two neighbours, but never less than 7.0 m to an attached street-facing garage.
• Number of driveways, s.5.2.12(a) (p.71): in R1 and R2 only one driveway per lot from the street, unless the lot frontage is 19 m or more and the driveways are at least 7.0 m apart along the street line.
• Lane-served lots, s.5.2.12(d) (p.71): in R1/R2 where the rear lot line abuts a public lane shown on Schedule 1 (p.235), a driveway may only cross the rear lot line from the lane, and a detached garage facing the lane is reached only from the lane; driveways legally existing on the effective date are exempt.
• Garage placement, Table 7.3A/7.3B special provision 1 (p.86): the street-facing wall of an attached private garage must be recessed at least 1.0 m behind the front wall of the dwelling facing the same street; the garage itself must be at least 7.0 m from the front lot line (Table 7.3A row 4 / Table 7.3B row 3).
• Home occupation, s.4.8 (pp.50-52): only inside the principal dwelling unit by its residents, with at most one non-resident employee, using at most 25% of the dwelling's residential floor area up to 50 m²; no outside storage or display; only goods made on site or accessory to the business may be sold; no noise, fumes, odour, dust or glare detectable outside. Listed prohibited home occupations include animal clinics, contractor's yards, medical offices (except a Registered Massage Therapist), restaurants, retail stores, taxi/limousine businesses and vehicle repair or storage.
• Additional residential units (ARUs), s.4.19 (pp.55-56): ARUs are permitted in a single detached dwelling, semi-detached dwelling or street townhouse dwelling (the 'principal dwelling') on a parcel of urban residential land as defined by the Planning Act, and only on the same lot as a principal dwelling. A maximum of two ARUs per residential lot: either two attached ARUs, or one attached ARU and one detached ARU (s.4.19(d)).
• ARU restrictions, s.4.19(e), (g)-(i) (p.56): no ARU within or on the same lot as a group home; no ARU on lands in the Floodway (F) Zone or any Floodplain Overlay Zone (F1/F2); the principal dwelling and ARUs must connect to municipal water and sewer where available (otherwise proof that private services can handle them); the entrance to an ARU may be at most 30 m from the street unless the ARU is accessed by a lane meeting Fire Access Route requirements.
• ARU parking, s.4.19(f) (p.56) and Table 5.8 row 1 (p.75): one additional parking space per ARU, which may be a tandem space. No new driveway or vehicular access to a street may be created to provide access or parking for an ARU.
• Attached ARU, s.4.19.1 (p.57): an entrance reached from the interior side yard must be at least 1.2 m from the interior side lot line; where the entrance door is in the interior side or rear yard, an unobstructed path at least 0.9 m wide and 2.1 m high must run from that door to the street, with only steps/landings up to 1.1 m deep and 0.6 m high allowed in it.
• Detached ARU (backyard unit / coach house), s.4.19.2 (pp.57-58): allowed in the interior side, exterior side or rear yard; at least 1.2 m from the interior side lot line; exterior side setback equal to the principal dwelling's minimum exterior side yard; at least 1.2 m from the rear lot line (0.6 m on a through lot, a lot backing onto a street, or a lane-accessed lot, measured from the rear lot line or the lot line along the lane); at least 4.5 m from the principal dwelling.
• Detached ARU height, s.4.19.2(c) (p.58): 4.5 m on a lot with frontage under 21 m not accessed by a lane; 6.0 m on a lot with frontage of 21 m or more if the unit is at least 3 m from every lot line and 6 m from the principal dwelling; 6.0 m where the unit is accessed by a lane, is on a through lot, or the lot backs onto a street.
• Detached ARU size, s.4.19.2(d)-(e) (p.58): maximum lot coverage the lesser of 100 m² or 15%; an unobstructed path at least 0.9 m wide and 2.1 m high is required from the street to its entrance.
• Garden suites: 'garden suite' is a defined dwelling unit type (Part 3, p.25) but is not listed in Table 7.2, so under s.1.2.6(a) (p.11) it is not a permitted use; a detached ARU is the permitted form of backyard dwelling.
• Residential parking, Table 5.8 (pp.75-76): single detached, semi-detached and townhouse dwelling units 2 spaces per unit (may be tandem); apartment, multiple, back-to-back townhouse and stacked townhouse dwelling units 1 space per unit plus 0.25 visitor spaces per unit (marked for visitors); additional dwelling unit 1 space per unit; bed and breakfast 1 space per guest room plus the dwelling requirement; home occupation 1 space per non-resident employee plus the dwelling requirement; group home 2 spaces; crisis intervention home 1 space per 3 residents plus the dwelling requirement; long term care home 0.35 spaces per bed; retirement home 0.50 spaces per unit plus 0.20 visitor spaces per unit; home child care no additional requirement. A fraction greater than 0.5 is rounded up (s.5.2.2, p.68).
• Where parking may go, s.5.3(a)-(b) (p.72): residential parking in a Residential Zone only in a parking garage, parking area, attached or detached private garage, carport, on a driveway in the front or exterior side yard within the width limits, on a driveway in the interior side yard set back at least 0.6 m from the interior side lot line, or on a rear-yard driveway reached from a public lane.
• Driveway width, s.5.3(c)-(f) (pp.72-73): in the front or exterior side yard of a single detached or semi-detached dwelling lot, the lesser of 8.0 m or 55% of lot frontage; for a townhouse or back-to-back townhouse lot, the lesser of 8.0 m or 65% of lot frontage. Any hard surface beside the driveway counts toward the width, and the rest of the front/exterior side yard must be landscaped open space. A driveway may be widened to fit a 4.9 m Type A accessible space (1.5 m of it hatched as a pedestrian aisle).
• Driveway location, s.5.2.12(b) (p.71): a driveway in a Residential Zone must be at least 7.5 m from the intersection of two streets, measured from the (projected) intersection of the front and exterior side lot lines.
• Garage sizes, s.5.4 (p.73): parking spaces in a private garage at least 6.0 m long; a one-car garage at least 3.0 m wide and a garage for two or more cars at least 5.75 m wide; stairs may intrude if each space stays at least 5.3 m x 2.7 m with 2.1 m headroom; garages legally existing on the effective date are exempt.
• Commercial vehicles, s.5.6 (p.74): at most one commercial motor vehicle per lot, no longer than 7.0 m (excluding hitch) and no taller than 2.7 m, at least 1.0 m from interior side, exterior side and rear lot lines, and on a driveway if parked in the open in a front or exterior side yard.
• Recreational equipment and utility trailers, s.5.7 (pp.74-75): only by a resident/owner of the lot, and only in the rear yard, in the interior side yard at least 1.2 m from the side lot line, in a garage or carport, or on a front/exterior side yard driveway from 1 April to 31 October; a utility trailer up to 5.5 m long may stay on the driveway year round.
• Planting strip, s.4.17(f) (p.55): a lot in the R1, R2 or R3 Zone that is the site of apartment dwellings, multiple dwellings or stacked townhouse dwellings needs a 1.2 m planting strip along the full length of the interior side and rear lot lines; it counts toward landscaped open space (s.4.17(g)).
• Parking for apartments/multiples, s.5.3(g) (p.73) and s.5.5 (pp.73-74): parking spaces in a parking area for an apartment, multiple or stacked townhouse building may not be in the front or exterior side yard; parking areas must be separated from the street by a 3.0 m planting strip; parking areas of 20+ spaces need one tree per 5 spaces; landscaped open space may not be used for parking.
• Electric vehicle and accessible parking, s.5.12-5.13 (pp.76-78): where more than 10 spaces are required for an apartment, multiple dwelling, stacked townhouse, long term care home or retirement home, 20% of required spaces must be designed EV-ready (new buildings only); apartments, multiples, back-to-back and stacked townhouses must dedicate Type A/B accessible spaces per Table 5.13 (e.g. 1 Type A for 1-12 spaces).
• Bicycle parking, s.5.15 and Table 5.15(A) (pp.79-80), new buildings only: apartments and multiple/stacked townhouse dwellings (without exclusive private garages) 0.05 short-term spaces per unit (minimum 4 per building) and 1.0 long-term space per unit.
• Waste storage, s.4.27 (pp.66-67): waste from 6 or more dwelling units on a lot must be kept inside a building or a waste receptacle in the interior side or rear yard, outside parking, planting strips and required landscaped open space, screened on three sides (deep-well receptacles excepted).
• Accessory buildings, s.4.1 (pp.44-45): not before the principal building; not for habitation or a home occupation; not in a public easement, not closer to the front or exterior side lot line than the principal building, not in the required front or exterior side yard, and at least 1.0 m from the principal building; at least 0.6 m from interior side and rear lot lines; maximum height 4.5 m (5.0 m for a detached private garage) in residential zones ('all other zones' row of the s.4.1(g) table); all accessory buildings including a detached garage may cover at most 10% of the lot; no more than one detached private garage per lot and not in the front yard; eaves etc. may project 0.3 m into an accessory building setback. A vehicle tent is not allowed in front/exterior side yards and must be 1.2 m from rear and interior side lot lines.
• Decks and porches, s.4.3 (pp.45-46): a deck must be at least 3.0 m from the rear lot line, no closer to side lot lines than the principal building's required side yards, not in the front yard, and its floor no higher than the first-storey floor. Porches (with stairs, eaves, gutters) may sit in front and side yards if at least 0.6 m from the interior side lot line and 1.5 m from the front and exterior side lot lines, and may extend at most 2.0 m into the required rear yard.
• Encroachments, Table 4.5 (pp.47-48): eaves, gutters, cornices, sills and similar may project 0.6 m into any required yard; bay/bow windows up to 3.0 m wide and chimneys up to 1.8 m wide 0.6 m (keeping 0.6 m from an interior lot line); balconies 1.5 m into front, exterior side and rear yards (none into interior side yards); stairs and landings at or above grade serving the principal building (not an ARU, and not part of a deck or porch) 1.5 m into the rear yard, no closer than 0.6 m to front/exterior side lot lines and none into the required interior side yard; air conditioners 0.6 m from interior side and rear lot lines, 1.5 m from the exterior side lot line, not in the front yard; heat pumps may encroach only into the rear yard, at least 0.6 m from the rear lot line (row 7's wording for the other yards is garbled but permits no encroachment there).
• Pools and hot tubs, s.4.15 (pp.53-54): in interior side, rear and exterior side yards only, at least 1.2 m from interior side and rear lot lines and 3.0 m from the exterior side lot line (measured to the water's edge / hot tub wall); pool equipment 0.6 m from interior side and rear lot lines and 1.5 m from the exterior side lot line.
• Corner sight triangle, s.4.21 (pp.58-60): on a corner lot nothing over 0.75 m high (buildings, fences, walls, planting) is allowed in the triangle formed by the front and exterior side lot lines and a line joining points measured along each from their (projected) intersection: 5 m on a local road, 7 m on a collector, 10 m on an arterial (Official Plan road class).
• Railway setback, s.4.22.1 (p.60): any part of a building used for dwelling units, schools, child care or a place of worship must be at least 30 m from an active Principal or Secondary Main Line right-of-way and 15 m from a Principal, Secondary or Tertiary Branch Line (not light rail).
• Provincial highway, s.4.22.2 (p.60): where a lot abuts a provincial highway, Ministry of Transportation setbacks apply.
• Environmental Protection setback, s.4.22.3 (p.61): no buildings or structures other than accessory buildings/structures and decks within 10 m of an EP Zone inside the Urban Area Boundary (OP Map 1A); within the Countryside Line (OP Schedule 1B) no buildings or structures at all within 30 m of an EP Zone. Existing buildings in the setback are deemed to comply but may not add floor area there.
• Watercourses outside the urban boundary, s.4.22.4 (p.61): within the Countryside Line, no buildings or structures within 30 m of the top of bank of any watercourse (the greater of this and s.4.22.3 applies).
• Airport, s.4.23 (pp.61-62): lands in the 'Development Limitations' area on Map 4.23 are subject to the Region of Waterloo International Airport federal zoning regulations.
• Frontage on a street, s.4.7 (p.50): a lot must front on an assumed public street (or a year-round maintained street, a street under a subdivision agreement, or a condominium private street connecting to a public street) to be built on or used.
• Existing undersized lots, s.1.8.3 (p.15): a lot that existed before the by-law took effect and is short of the minimum lot area or frontage may still be used and built on if the use is permitted and everything else complies.
• Uses permitted in every zone, s.4.25 (pp.64-65): public uses are permitted in all zones except the A and RC zones (where a public use is separately defined it is only permitted where listed); trails, passive recreation and community gardens everywhere. Community gardens, temporary farmers markets, accessory uses, essential emergency services (police, fire, ambulance) and municipal parking areas/garages are permitted in any zone except EP and F.
• Floodplain overlays, Part 13 (pp.95-98): where the zone symbol is preceded by (F1) (one-zone floodplain or floodway with existing buildings) only minor additions/alterations to legally existing buildings are allowed (no new dwelling units, no new floor space below the existing first floor, floodproofed to the Regulatory Flood, GRCA permit), plus non-habitable accessory buildings of more than 15 m² and at most 46.5 m² where there is no feasible site outside the floodplain. Where preceded by (F2) (flood fringe), development needs a GRCA permit, floodproofing and all habitable floor space at or above the Regulatory Flood elevation. Both overlays prohibit institutional uses (hospitals, long term care, retirement homes, schools, child care, places of worship), essential emergency services and hazardous-substance uses, and no ARU is permitted under either overlay (s.4.19(h)).