Home-Based Businesses

Advances in technology, societal and economic changes, in addition to flexible work schedules, have enabled people to work from their homes.  Home-based businesses constitute a growing trend and local residents need to gain an understanding of the municipal requirements of starting such a business. In the Town of Georgina, home-based businesses are known as “home occupations”. Home occupations are permitted within a variety of residential zone categories subject to compliance with certain criteria. The use must occur “within” the home (i.e. it cannot be located in an attached garage or detached structure like a shed) and it can only occupy a limited amount of floor space. Depending on the amount of space being occupied by the use, additional on-site parking may need to be provided. Limited signage is also permitted, but a home occupation must clearly be secondary to the residential use of the property and not change the residential character of the house. Home occupation uses cannot create or become a public nuisance, particularly in terms of traffic, parking, noise, noxious odours or the emission of smoke.    

A “home occupation” is defined as an occupation conducted for gain or profit as an accessory use within a dwelling pursuant to the provisions of Zoning Bylaw No. 500, as amended.  A clinic, day nursery, nursing home, tea room and an animal hospital are deemed not to be home occupation uses. Home occupations are essentially small scale home-based businesses which allow people to work from their homes while not detracting from the residential character of the neighbourhood in which they live. It should be noted that the retail sale of any goods or wares shall not be permitted as a primary home occupation use. Note: Any home-based business involving the handling or preparation of food must be in compliance with Ontario's Food Premises Regulation. Compliance with this regulation is determined by York Region Public Health.

Home Industry

A "home industry" is defined as a small scale industrial use in a non-residential building, which is operated as a secondary use to a single family dwelling on the same lot. A home industry use may include a carpentry shop, a metal working shop, a plumbing shop, an electrical shop, a small engine repair shop, a welding shop, a storage building for school buses, boats, snowmobiles or a similar industrial use. The retail sale of any goods or wares shall not be permitted as a primary home industry use. 

Home occupations are only allowed in the following zone categories:

Note: In accordance with Section 5.50(e) of Zoning Bylaw No. 500, as amended, “a home occupation 

shall only be permitted within one unit of a single family dwelling containing an accessory apartment.

 

Home Industry - Permitted Zone

Home Industry is permitted in the following zone category:

• Rural (RU) zone

Home Industry General Provisions

No home industry shall be permitted in any zone unless home industry is a permitted use and conforms to the following provisions;

• Not more than three persons, other than the resident occupant or his/her family, shall be employed in such home industry;
• There shall be no external display or advertising, other than a legal sign, to indicate to persons outside, that any part of the lot is being used for home industry purposes;
• Parking is provided in accordance with Section 5.28;
• The floor area shall not exceed 190 square metres;
• Such home industry is clearly secondary to the main use of the property and does not create or become a public nuisance, particularly in regard to traffic, parking, noxious odours or emissions of smoke;
• The owner has been issued a certificate of occupancy by the Town.

Home occupations must comply, and continue to comply, with the provisions listed below during the time the home-based business is in operation:

Home Industry Zoning Requirements 

• Lot frontage (minimum) - 60 metres
• Lot area (minimum) - 8,000 sq metres
• Front yard (minimum) - 15 metres (provided that a portable seasonal farm produce sales outlet is permitted in the front yard during the season of its produce.)
• Exterior side yard (minimum) - 15 metres (provided that a portable seasonal farm produce sales outlet is permitted in the exterior side yard during the season of its produce.)
• Rear yard (minimum) - 9 metres 
• Interior side yard (minimum) - 9 metres 

On-site parking is based on the amount of residential floor space being devoted to the home occupation use at a ratio of 3.5 spaces per 95 sq. m. of floor area. If a home occupation occupies less than 13.5 sq. m. (145.3 sq. ft.) of floor space, then no additional parking needs to be provided. If a home occupation requires additional parking, it must be provided in addition to the required parking for the home and it cannot be located within the minimum front or exterior side yard areas or on the street. 

 

Notwithstanding the above, where a single family dwelling contains an accessory apartment and a home occupation is proposed in one of the units, one additional parking space is required to be provided, regardless of the floor area occupied and such additional parking space may be located within the front or exterior side yard (but not on the street). The size of the parking spaces must also comply with the dimension requirements of the Zoning Bylaw.  With respect to signage, while a “legal sign” under Item (d) above does not require a permit from the Town, such signage must comply with the relevant provisions of the Town’s Sign Bylaw. 

 

Please contact the Municipal Law Enforcement Division at Ext. 2279 or 2373 for further information..

If you have any further questions or inquiries about establishing a home occupation in the Town of Georgina, please contact Lori Gardiner, Zoning Examiner, ext. 2282 (for any property located south of Old Homestead Road) or Jeremy Liscoumb, Zoning Examiner, ext. 2277 (for any property located north of Old Homestead Road) 

 

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