The City of Kitchener is set to provide an update on its decision to allow fourplexes to certain lots, a move that has drastically increased the number of four-unit building permits issued since the start of 2024.
The decision will be discussed at the Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee on Monday.
The move allowed four-unit dwellings on lots where single detached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings, or
street-townhouse dwellings were allowed, additionally decreasing the required lot size and parking spaces.
City staff have issued 22 fourplex building permits since the beginning of 2024, where only five permits were approved in the five years prior to council’s decision. Under these new regulations, about 45 per cent of all homes in the city meet the requirements to be developed into a fourplex.
According to the City of Kitchener and comments made by Mayor Berry Vrbanovic in 2024, these homes that have been redesigned or renovated into fourplexes are being used either to support a family member or as a rental unit.
“Perhaps you have a 23 to 24-year-old who finished university and wants to start having some independence but market rents are getting expensive,” said Vrbanovic at a council meeting in March 2024. “They could potentially have their own unit on your property.”
According to city staff, about one third of residents who renovated their homes into fourplexes were becoming landlords for the very first time.
This move to increase intensification and give residents more flexibility on their property has come with drawbacks for some residents. Neighbours shared their concerns with city staff, which include concerns about short-term rentals and student rentals, towering detached units in their quiet neighbourhoods, and illegal parking.
The amount of parking required was reduced to make way for this allowance, as fourplex homes are now only required to have two parking spaces instead of the previously required nine spaces.
Residents also shared concerns with city staff that fourplexes in their neighbourhoods could decrease the value of their own homes.
Moving forward, city staff will continue to monitor parking demands, consider adding financial incentives for fourplexes, and find ways to support the use of the newly developed CMHC Housing Design Catalogue.
