Zoning · Toronto · Residential
RA zone, Toronto: Residential Apartment Zone
Chapter 15, Section 15.10 (Regulations 15.10.20 to 15.10.40) of the City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended by 545-2019, 1453-2017, 156-2023, 414-2024(OLT), OMB PL130592 (February 7, 2017).
A zone for apartment buildings (and townhouses on the same lot as an apartment building), with a default 24 m height limit, 6 m front and 7.5 m side and rear setbacks that grow with building height, and most lot-size, density and coverage limits set by the numbers on the zoning map label and overlay maps.
Is a property in the RA zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.
Check an addressWhat the RA zone permits
- Ambulance Depot
- Dwelling Unit in an Apartment Building
- Dwelling Unit in a Townhouse (only on the same lot as an Apartment Building, with the unit's main pedestrian entrance no farther than 7.5 m from a lot line abutting a street)
- Fire Hall
- Municipal Shelter
- Park
- Police Station
- Cogeneration Energy (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(1))
- Community Centre (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(2))
- Crisis Care Shelter (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(3))
- Day Nursery (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(4))
- Group Home (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(5))
- Home Occupation (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(6))
- Library (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(2))
- Multi-tenant House (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(14))
- Nursing Home (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(7))
- Place of Worship (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(8))
- Private Home Daycare (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(9))
- Public Utility (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(10),(11))
- Renewable Energy (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(1))
- Residential Care Home (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(5))
- Respite Care Facility (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(12))
- Retail Store (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(13))
- Retirement Home (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(7))
- Secondary Suite (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(15))
- Seniors Community House (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(16))
- Short-term Rental (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(18))
- Transportation Use (with conditions, 15.10.20.100(17))
Standards
| Requirement | By-law |
|---|---|
| Minimum lot area (interior lot) | See note15.10.30.10(1): if the zone label includes an 'a' value, that number is the minimum lot area in m2; if no 'a' value, minimum lot area = required minimum lot frontage x 30 m. 15.10.30.10(2): if the label includes 'au', that number is the minimum lot area per dwelling unit in a residential building. |
| Minimum lot width (interior lot) | 24 m15.10.30.20(1): the 'f' value in the zone label if present, otherwise 24.0 m; in addition, increased by a minimum of 5.0 m for each townhouse dwelling unit fronting directly on a street. |
| Minimum front yard | 6 m |
| Minimum interior side yard | 7.5 m15.10.40.70(3): 7.5 m side yard setback (no separate interior/exterior distinction stated). Per (4), for any portion of an apartment building above 11.0 m in height, side yard setbacks for that portion increase by 1.0 m for each additional 2.0 m (or part thereof) above 11.0 m. |
| Minimum rear yard | 7.5 m15.10.40.70(2): 7.5 m. Per (4), for any portion of an apartment building above 11.0 m in height, the rear yard setback for that portion increases by 1.0 m for each additional 2.0 m (or part thereof) above 11.0 m. |
| Maximum building height | 24 m15.10.40.10(1): the 'HT' value in metres on the Height Overlay Map, or 24.0 m if no HT value. (2) Storeys: the 'ST' value on the Height Overlay Map; if no ST value, storeys not limited. (3) A townhouse is limited to 10.0 m despite (1) and (2). |
| Maximum lot coverage | See note15.10.30.40(1): the numerical value on the Lot Coverage Overlay Map if the lot is in such an area (percentage of lot area); if no value on the overlay map, no lot coverage limit applies. |
| Maximum floor space index | See note15.10.40.40(1): the 'd' value in the zone label on the Zoning By-law Map; if the label has no 'd' value, FSI is not limited by this regulation. |
| Minimum unit width | 5 m15.10.40.1(3): minimum width of a dwelling unit in a townhouse is 5.0 m; no unit-width standard is stated for apartment buildings. |
| Maximum dwelling units | See note15.10.40.1(2): if the zone label includes a 'u' value, that number is the maximum number of dwelling units on the lot; otherwise not stated in this section. |
Other provisions in this section
- Ancillary buildings and structures are governed by Article 15.5.60, not Article 15.10.40 (15.10.40.1(1)).
- Townhouse main pedestrian entrance (front wall or side main wall) may be no higher than 1.2 m above established grade (15.10.40.10(4)).
- Amenity space: a lot with 20 or more dwelling units must provide at least 4.0 m2 of amenity space per dwelling unit, of which at least 2.0 m2 per unit is indoor amenity space at or above established grade, at least 40.0 m2 is outdoor amenity space adjoining or directly accessible to the indoor space, and no more than 25% of the outdoor component may be a green roof (15.10.40.50(1)).
- Separation between main walls of the same residential building (where a line projected at a right angle from one main wall intercepts another): for portions 11.0 m or lower, 5.5 m if no openings to dwelling units in one or more walls, 11.0 m if each wall has an opening to a dwelling unit; for portions above 11.0 m, a distance equal to the average height of those main walls (15.10.40.80(1)).
- Separation between residential buildings on the same lot: for portions 11.0 m or lower, 5.5 m if no openings to dwelling units in one or more main walls, 11.0 m if each main wall has an opening to a dwelling unit; for portions above 11.0 m, a distance equal to the average height of those buildings (15.10.40.80(2)).
- An apartment building must be at least 15.0 m from a lot in an RD or RS zone (15.10.40.80(3)).
- Cogeneration or renewable energy production must be combined with another permitted use on the lot and comply with all municipal, provincial and federal laws (15.10.20.100(1)).
- Community centre or library must be on a lot abutting a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map (15.10.20.100(2)).
- Crisis care shelter must comply with Section 150.20; day nursery with Section 150.45; group home or residential care home with Section 150.15; home occupation with Section 150.5; multi-tenant house with Section 150.25; secondary suite with Section 150.10; seniors community house with Section 150.30; short-term rental with Section 150.13 (15.10.20.100(3)-(6),(14)-(16),(18)).
- Nursing home or retirement home must be on a lot with a front or side lot line abutting a major street on the Policy Areas Overlay Map, or abutting a street that intersects a major street with the lot wholly or partly within 80 m of that intersection (15.10.20.100(7); enacted May 9, 2013 but under appeal to the OLT and not in full force and effect).
- Place of worship on a lot with an apartment building: lot must have 100 or more dwelling units; must be inside the apartment building, not above the first storey, max 30.0 m2 interior floor area for the first 100 units plus 10.0 m2 per additional 50 units, to a maximum of 110.0 m2; access from within the building unless the lot fronts a major street (15.10.20.100(8)(A)).
- Place of worship not on a lot with an apartment building: must comply with Section 150.50, be on a lot with a front or side lot line abutting a major street, have a lot area of at least 2,000 m2, and be in a building with no more than 3,000 m2 of gross floor area; lawfully existing places of worship are exempt from the lot and GFA requirements (15.10.20.100(8)(B),(C)).
- Private home daycare children's play area must be fenced and no closer than 6.0 m to a lot line abutting a street (15.10.20.100(9)).
- Public utility may not be a sewage treatment plant, water filtration plant or above-ground water reservoir; a hydro electrical transformer station or natural gas regulator station must be enclosed by walls and comply with the RA zone's maximum lot coverage, minimum setbacks and maximum height (15.10.20.100(10),(11)).
- Respite care facility must be combined with a nursing home or retirement home (15.10.20.100(12)).
- Retail store: only on a lot with 100 or more dwelling units in apartment buildings; only one per apartment building; inside the building and not above the first storey; access from within the building unless the lot fronts a major street; no outside display of goods; interior floor area max 30.0 m2 for the first 100 units plus 10.0 m2 per additional 50 units, to a maximum of 110.0 m2 (15.10.20.100(13)).
- A building or structure used as a transportation use must comply with all requirements for a building on that lot (15.10.20.100(17)).
- Category-wide regulations for all Residential Apartment zones are in Section 15.5, and general regulations for all zones in Chapter 5.
Source: Chapter 15, Section 15.10 (Regulations 15.10.20 to 15.10.40), By-law 569-2013 (City of Toronto), checked 2026-09-12. General provisions elsewhere in the by-law (parking, driveways, accessory buildings) also apply, and a numbered exception on the parcel can change any value here. Treat this as a pre-check, not a sign-off.