How can I convert my home in Kitchener into a duplex?
Question: What is a duplex and can I convert my family home into a duplex?
Answer: “Duplex dwelling” means a building containing two dwelling units but not including a semi-detached dwelling.
“Dwelling unit” means a room or suite of habitable rooms which is located in a building, is occupied or designed to be occupied by a household as single independent and separate housekeeping establishment contains both a kitchen and a bathroom for the exclusive or common use of the occupants thereof and has a private entrance leading directly from outside the building or from a common hallway or stairway inside the building.
There are parking requirements:
Duplex requires two parking spaces (one space per dwelling unit).
One space must be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the front lot line
parking for duplexes may be in tandem (one behind another)
Minimum size for a parking space is 8.5′ x 18′
Relative to zoning, a single-family dwelling, semi-detached dwelling or street townhouse dwelling may be converted to duplex dwelling in the R-2 TO R-8, CR-1, CR-2 and MU-1 to MU-3 zones provided all regulations of the bylaw are met such as parking and setback.
A building permit is required to convert a DWELLING to a duplex use. This ensures that the requirements of the building code are met. Some regulations are; fire separation, smoke alarms, exits, minimum window sizes, minimum ceiling heights and minimum room sizes.
The city of Kitchener has a complete set of rules and regulations available.
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