Welcome to my blog on housing, culture, and design! I’m Steve Fudge, and I’m celebrating over three decades as a realtor and property consultant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In May 2023, the City of Toronto introduced the ‘as-of-right’ to permit multiplexes up to four units (plus a Garden Suite or Laneway House if meeting the criteria) in locations that were previously the domain of single-family dwellings. I wrote about that here: As-Of-Right Multiplexes Create Missing Middle Options For Toronto Real Estate.
More recently, in June 2025, the Toronto City Council voted to allow fiveplexes and sixplexes in designated neighbourhoods. The previous zoning from 2023 permits no more than four units in a building, and the proposal expanded the as-of-right zoning to include six units, with anything above that considered an apartment building.
Although it was proposed city-wide, only 9 of 25 wards voted to permit the sixplexes. The response to this has been mixed, with many housing advocates disappointed in the outcome and hopeful for more opportunities to create the much-needed missing middle housing.
Another contentious issue was whether these units could be both owner-occupied and rented. As this Toronto Star article points out, “City Staff Recommend Allowing Sixplexes Across All Toronto Neighbourhoods”. Recently, people complained that multiplexes constructed as luxury condominiums, rather than rental apartments, work against the objective of providing more housing for the missing middle. The city did not agree with this point of view, as stated in their multiplex monitoring program report, which concluded that multiplexes can be condos for purchase or investments for rent.
On the question of whether multiplexes should be condos or kept strictly as rentals, both types of tenure would be beneficial in Toronto. Rental housing is vital, but so is the opportunity to purchase and establish roots in a unit within a low-rise dwelling in a desirable, convenient area. Creating this type of housing in the city’s older, centrally located neighbourhoods will, over time, increase the number of households and create a broader mix of units, serving singles, couples, and chosen families. Gentle density is critical. A 2017 Ryerson University report found that the majority of Toronto’s 140 residential neighbourhoods have experienced stagnant or declining populations for the past 30 years, mainly due to households having fewer children and residents choosing to age in place rather than sell their homes. Population stagnation or decline translates into a reduction in use of amenities (like schools, libraries and recreational facilities) which families covet, diminishes community engagement and vitality (fewer residents supporting local retailers, fewer kids playing road hockey) while restricting the filtering of existing housing stock (which is necessary for a balanced dynamic). The ‘hollowing out’ of once-vibrant yellow-belt neighbourhoods demonstrates that more is at stake than just homeownership.
Multiplexes are an intelligent solution to the missing middle housing supply. They’re also a sensible solution in a housing crisis. When a municipality changes its urban planning policies with a broad stroke to allow more units on parcels of land previously limited to single-family dwellings, it’s pulling a lever that instantly invites reinvestment and rejuvenation. I’m delighted that it follows the 2018 as-of-right for laneway dwellings and the 2022 as-of-right for garden suites, because this is a much more significant game-changer. While this market niche won’t solve the housing crisis, it’s going to help support all the players in the shelter economy (including urban planners, architects, landscape designers, interior designers, small-scale developers, construction trades, suppliers & consultants, lawyers, lenders, home furnishings and appliance makers, etc.), foster innovation in design, building technologies & systems, and provide an alternative housing option to the steady stream of luxury new builds currently replacing housing stock near, or at the end, of their economic lifespan.
Just over a year ago, I wrote about One Of The First New 4-Unit Condos Replacing Single-Family Houses In East York, Toronto. Although I didn’t like all of the design decisions, four households now own a dwelling instead of just one, giving them access to our city’s most established and venerated urban amenities. East York boasts reputable schools, several recreational spaces, cultural amenities, green spaces, village shops, and convenient public transportation, all of which contribute to an enhanced quality of life. Creating multiplexes as condos is a beneficial ownership option. Incidentally, the multiplex condo was already happening before the as-of-right multiplex bylaw was introduced. In 2020, I tipped my hat to a few small-scale developers in the city who were demolishing well-located but dilapidated single-family houses and replacing them with Boutique Condo Townhomes as early as 2014.
Multiplexes Aren’t A New Housing Type In Toronto, But The As-Of-Right To Construct Them On Single Family Lots Is
Although the recently introduced as-of-right to construct multiplexes on sites once restricted to single-family residences is new, multiplexes themselves aren’t. In fact, multiplexes have been a presence in Toronto for over a century.
It often surprises people when I tell them that Toronto has been experiencing a housing crisis for most of its existence. Yes, the need for housing has ebbed and flowed, from dreadful to just barely enough, and often in sync with the economy. But one only has to look at Toronto’s population growth to see that newcomers have, at times, arrived at a faster rate than builders could construct houses. For example, according to Statistics Canada, in 1901, Toronto had a population of approximately 208,000; in 1911, the city’s population was around 381,000, and in 1921, the city had approximately 521,000 residents. In the span of 20 years, the number of residents increased 2.5 times! That’s jaw-dropping!
I mention this particular time period because, although Toronto was experiencing a population boom, the powers that be were very judgmental about the types of shelter allowed. According to this Globe and Mail article Toronto’s Housing Crisis Of 1922 Was Rooted In Policies That Still Make Homes Unaffordable In 2022: “On May 14, 1912, motivated by moral concerns, the City of Toronto passed Bylaw No. 6061, which restricted apartment buildings from being built on the majority of the city’s residential streets”.
“The problem is then, as now: For Torontonians without significant wealth, finding housing was a challenge. However, at a time when newcomers desperately needed affordable rental properties, of the 3,000 new dwellings built since the beginning of the year (1922), just five – less than 0.17 percent – were apartment buildings. That’s because, for the most part, they were banned outright.”
Society at the time, so it seems, was very resistant to the construction of apartment buildings— typically four-storey walk-ups with a partially below-grade lower level – of which there were only 14 in total in the City in 1908. Apparently it was more specifically about the types of tenants who would occupy these homes. Concerns over the impact of tenants on neighbourhood fabric, their socio-economic standing, and their household structure were all considered problematic. Sound familiar? The presence of NIMBY -ism (Not In My Backyardism) defined “as the opposition to new development or infrastructure projects in one’s local area, driven by a reluctance to accept the changes or perceived negative impacts on the neighbourhood, while often believing such projects are acceptable if located elsewhere” was present then, and remains as vocally resistant today. How do we know?” Only one-third of Toronto wards approved allowing 6-unit multiplexes this past summer. Want to know the kicker? Multiplexes are not apartment buildings. An apartment building in Toronto has eight or more units. More startling, purpose-built multiplexes were not uncommon in Toronto neighbourhoods one hundred years ago. And since that time, I suspect every neighbourhood – if not every street – in the original City of Toronto has houses originally built as single-family dwellings that now ccontain 3 units possiby with a fourth unit in its basement. Seriously. In Toronto a house with 4 units is a nothing burger, and yet 6 units is considered a political hot potatoe? I find this appalling.
Back to the banning of apartment buildings. Although the 1912 bylaw hindered the construction of apartment buildings in residential neighbourhoods, many still got built through exemptions and loopholes, on mixed use commercial/residential streets, or outside the city limits in areas like Forest Hill and York Township (which we consider ‘downtown’ today), where the bylaw did not apply. With Toronto’s population exploding, the demand fueled a construction boom that saw about 20,000 units completed through the 1920s, peaking in 1928. Unfortunately, the Great Depression led to a precipitous decline in new construction.
As the above Globe and Mail article points out, Toronto’s century-old zoning bylaws, rooted in exclusivity and status, established a framework that hindered mid-density housing development and fueled urban sprawl throughout the 20th century. A stroll down most residential streets in the central core reveals that the original single-family housing stock still standing retains its original appearance. However, behind the facades of many of these dwellings are conversions into non-conforming rooming houses or multi-unit residences that were initially executed without permits or approvals. I mention this because when there is a need for shelter, people find solutions. And when done on a small scale, like a home owner seeking to offset their property taxes by renting their 3 extra bedrooms to friends in need of housing, they’re creating a Win Win fix to a shared problem. However, did you know that according to Toronto bylaws, when four or more separate rooms are rented to unrelated individuals who share a kitchen they’re deemed to be operating an ‘illegal rooming house’? If held to account, the owner would be forced to evict one of their friends or: obtain a license from the City, ensure their property complies with the Zoning Bylaw and the Ontario Building Code – which includes meeting standards for the number of rooms, bathrooms, and submitting a Fire Safety Plan approved by Toronto Fire Services. The process requires a permit to convert the building, even if no renovations are needed, and one must meet ongoing standards for property maintenance and provide a landlord-tenant contact person.
In Toronto, property owners’ rights have been regulated since its inception, including morality by-laws in the 1890s, which prohibited activities such as public intoxication, gambling, and indecency, affecting the way property owners and their tenants could behave on their premises. In the 1910s, poverty, overcrowding, and concerns over health and sanitation led to the demolition of slum structures, and regulations were implemented to ensure properties were maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. These rules mandated that yards be kept clean and free of debris and that landlords provide vital services to rental units, directly regulating how property owners maintained their buildings and land.
Although the zoning bylaw restricting apartment buildings in 1912 was ‘motivated by moral concerns’ it surely was a means to regulate increased density and protect the rich living in their gilded mansions from the progress they couldn’t control. During the first half of the 20th century, the status marker du jour was residing in a spacious well-constructed on-trend dwelling nestled in a bucolic setting convenient to natural features and urban amenities. Unfortunately, just four decades later, progress intervened in the lives of property owners in affluent Parkdale when, in 1954, 150 Homes were expropriated to make room for the Gardiner Expressway. During the 9 noisy dusty years it took to dig a wide deep trench and fill it with concrete roads and a rail line, the remaining elegant residences and estates were drastically devalued to land value, attractive only to developers who would buy all the dwellings on one side of a street to construct a 7 or 8 storey mid-century modern apartment buildings, before buying the other side of the street for a greater discount. Here’s my post called Eclectic, Elegant and Cool: The Housing Stock of Parkdale.
In the centre of the city, by the 1930s, many large once grand single-family dwellings had been converted into multiunit dwellings and rooming houses, and were suffering for lack of maintenance and repair. The City responded by introducing a series of regulations and mandatory inspections under a ‘Standard of Housing By-law’, which led to federal home improvement loans legislation that essentially compelled owners to repair or rebuild their properties. By 1939, more than 9,000 homes had been inspected, with over half subsequently undergoing renovation or replacement. Could you imagine the pushback today if 4500 houses out of 9000 inspected in the original City of Toronto were obliged to be renovated or torn down and replaced? To be frank, if the City were to inspect 9000 dwellings today, do you know what the most common and potentially dangerous infraction would be found? My bet – as a realtor who has crossed the threshold of thousands of houses in the original City of Toronto, is the number of basement apartments that do not meet the standards of our building and fire codes.
A city undergoing rapid growth and change is one in flux, and the pace at which Toronto boomed as an immigrant reception centre throughout the 20th century meant that the urban built form was constantly changing. A great example of this is the evolution of Jarvis Street, which stretches from Front Street (with south of Front Street East to Lake Ontario being called Lower Jarvis Street) north to one block south of Bloor Street East where it becomes Ted Rogers Way. The land where Jarvis Street is now was originally granted to William Jarvis, the first Secretary and Registrar for Upper Canada, and later developed by his son, Samuel, into an estate called “Hazel Burn” in the early 1800s. After the Jarvis family faced financial difficulties, the estate was subdivided and sold off starting in 1845, and a new street was created through the center, which became Jarvis Street. Tight for monet and ever pragmatic, smaller, working-class lots were sold closer to Queen Street near the rail, distillery, and port lands.
In contrast- and probably because the family were very well connected – larger lots were sold to the prosperous elites so they could build mansions that reflected the fashionable architectural styles of the day, resulting in the area being called “Millionaires’ Row.” From the late 1850s to the 1880s, Jarvis Street was home to the wealthiest families, such as the Masseys and Gooderhams, who built grand houses on the tree-lined boulevard that had become Jarvis Street. For example, the property now known as the Keg Mansion was originally built for Arthur McMaster, nephew of the wealthy banker William McMaster.
Just 50 years after Jarvis Street was laid out, the tree-lined boulevard, once called the Champs-Élysées of Canada, lined with mansions of which some were just 20 years old had lost its elegance. Demolition started first to make way for low-rise apartment buildings, and eventually high-rise towers. In 1947, the grand boulevard saw the removal of every tree to be replaced by a five-lane thoroughfare.
Not So Fun Fact: Did you know that the pair of 30-unit apartment buildings called Wellsboro Mansions (pictured below), built in 1908, was the second-largest apartment building completed in Toronto at the time? Hmmm. Were wealthy owners on Jarvis Street exiting and redeveloping their properties to new, higher, and better uses without the consent of their neighbours. Or did a newcomer see an opportunity to stick it to the Richie McRichies by constructing 60 units on the lot next door? It begs the question, “Is this the reason the by-law banning apartment buildings on residential streets came into effect in 1912?” Were Wellsboro Mansions built on Millionaire’s Row out of spite? Inquiring minds want to know!
For a city that began as a gritty port-industrial city and has transformed into a glittering post-industrial global centre over the past 100 years, I’m a bit gobsmacked that NIMBYism – when privileged politicians and property owners resist change to to their domestic surroundings – still resist low-density housing types such as 6-unit multiplexes. Shame on you.
These six purpose-built multiplexes, recently listed for sale or sold, are located in the central core of the city, surrounded by leafy, well-established neighbourhoods that feature single-family dwellings and other multiplexes. They were all constructed in the 1920s.
The Opportunity To Buy A Single Unit In A Multiplex Has Arrived
I believe the opportunity to buy a single condominium unit in a multiplex is worthy of a celebratory parade. Why? The natural filtering of the housing stock, where owners move up or down the property ladder, requires a broader range of housing options than we’ve ever had available.
For many years, boomers downsized into condominiums, which – until the 2010s – ranged from ‘small’ to ‘woah.. feels like a house!’ They accommodated all types of households. However, as the Toronto housing market boomed, condos became increasingly purchased by investors for investment or speculation, with the focus on yielding the highest rent possible for the smallest investment. This meant high-density condos increasingly became predominantly hundreds of teeny tiny microunits.
In a 2013 post, which tracked the Face of Toronto Condo Living up to that time, I share how many of the first condos were constructed for the affluent middle class, rather than for first-time buyers. In the early 2000s, a homeowner could sell their property and downsize into a spacious condo for about half the price, allowing them to age in place. You downsized both your space and your acquisition costs. Not so anymore. Today, purchasing a condo is often a lateral move for most. In theory, adding more efficiently sized housing—the Goldilocks of shelter, being neither too big nor too small—would create a missing middle supply, resulting in an in-between price point that would help maintain a more traditional flow on the property ladder and loosen supply on all the rungs.
Take, for example, the property owner who is staying in their large house because they don’t want to leave the fabric of their community. I believe that when multiplex condominiums are built in their neighbourhood, they will purchase one, and their larger house will be sold to a buyer with children.
Multiplexes Are Ideal For Seniors, Multgenerational Households, Co-Housing For Chosen Families, Blended Families & Those Living Apart Together.
The other day, a potential homebuyer complained about the lack of properties for sale, saying that baby boomers are so wealthy they can afford to rent an apartment or house in the neighbourhood of their choice. They wanted to know what’s stopping them? I replied that renting may offer turnkey freedom, but it doesn’t provide the security of tenure in the way that matters to seniors as they age.
Today, even rent-controlled apartments are subject to demolition, resulting in displacement, as explained in this Toronto Star article: Toronto Is Approving A Growing Number Of Rental Demolitions And Redevelopments — And Less Than Two-Thirds Of Tenants Ever Return.
A condo multiplex within the existing city fabric offers the kind of community and connection that is supportive of seniors. These clusters of units are neither too big nor too small to foster meaningful connections.
I wrote this blog early in 2020, near the start of the pandemic: With COVID-19 Outbreaks In Long-Term Care Facilities, Is Multi-Generational Housing Better? When the world turned upside down, the most vulnerable of our population were seniors in long-term care facilities. At the time, the lack of options had many families scrambling to find properties that could accommodate generations of their family, as this type of housing was in short supply.
And it’s worth pointing out that condominiums in a sixplex also benefit younger generations, with the ability to cohabitate with or near their elders, helping with childcare and addressing other affordability issues. Condo multiplexes could help with that. Check out this post for more insights: What’s Driving The Trend For Multi-Generational Housing In Toronto Real Estate?
An Answer For Co-housing
I love that a family can now build an as-of-right family compound. But what about those of us who have chosen families rather than blood relatives?
Back in 2018, I wrote a post that garnered a lot of attention: ‘Dear Urbaneer: Can I Sell Part of My House for Co-Ownership?‘ In it, I explored the theoretical excellence of co-housing in addressing several homeowner objectives in the current housing market, against the practicalities of obtaining financing under this model, which are complex and complicated, ultimately threatening the cohousing movement.
Three years into the pandemic, when I posted this: As We Start Calculating The Impact Of Covid-19, The Failure Of Government To Care For Its Senior Citizens Becomes Apparent. The calls started coming from young seniors who realized the conditions in long-term care homes were so dreadful that it simply wasn’t an option they’d consider when their time came.
Now that one can build a four-plex as-of-right, it means four besties, four neighbours, or four strangers could make a four-plex as a condo and be responsible for their quarter of the operating expenses, enjoy security of tenure, and leave title to their unit to their Estate without disrupting the quiet enjoyment of the other owners. It’s also a solution for blended families or couples living apart together. A dwelling built to be four condos but used in iterations ranging from single-family to fourplex truly opens the doors for beneficial homeownership.
Check out these other posts for more background on aging in place, co-housing, and multi-gen housing and living apart together: A Cottage To Age In Place In Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Build A New Multi-Generational Family Residence, Co-Housing For 4 Friends, An Income Property Or Small Condominium In East York, Toronto, Dear Urbaneer: Do We Age In Place, Downsize, Cohouse Or Move To A Retirement Community?, About Universal Design: Applications For Aging In Place & Toronto Real Estate, Dear Urbaneer: Is It Better To Buy Or Rent When Planning To Age In Place In Toronto? and Living Apart Together.
Vancouver’s Experience With Multiplexes & What To Watch For
Vancouver can often serve as a real estate barometer for Toronto, facing many of the same affordability issues and a lack of supply in the face of substantial demand. They approved a similar six-plex strategy a couple of years ago, and after a slow start, as developers, builders, and contractors learned how to navigate the process, they began to move forward.
Now, two years later, property purchases geared for multi-plex development represent a third of total property sales. Seemingly, this housing type has proved to be a win-win for builders (numbers currently show in Vancouver that these are proving cost-effective to build, although this is still new) and for homeowners, because the multi-plex housing style suits their needs.
One of the problems in Toronto (and Vancouver as well) is the scarcity of small, one-bedroom condos in towers that were geared for investor purchase but are not what buyers want in terms of space or layout. This article, “A Third Of All Land Buys Are Now Multiplex: Vancouver’s Zoning Bet Is Paying Off,” outlines this success story, following initial resistance from the community and policymakers. It also discusses how builders and designers are experimenting with layouts to find those that work best for all stakeholders.
Similarly, Vancouver has been experimenting with the rental versus condo model in multi-plexes, in an effort to appease all parties, create rental space, and offer accessible paths to homeownership, with incentives for builders and developers to incorporate rentals into their developments, while also allowing them the flexibility to designate them as condominiums. Rental-only projects are more highly incentivized.
Housing is more than shelter. It’s a home when it perfectly meets your needs. With decades of experience navigating the Toronto housing market and seeing its potential, I am here to help.
Some supplementary reading for you:
As-Of-Right Multiplexes Create Missing Middle Options For Toronto Real Estate.
Toronto Real Estate Then & Now: The Lost Decade Of The 1990s
What’s Trending In Toronto Real Estate?
The Not-So-Unbelievable(?) During A Shifting Toronto Real Estate Market
Dear Urbaneer: Has The Toronto Real Estate Market Gone SLO MO?
It’s A Different Toronto Real Estate Market, Folks!
Dear Urbaneer: A Question About Letters Of Opinion And Estimating Fair Market Value
Over A Recent 90 Day Period, We Discovered 1 In 4 Sellers Of Downtown Toronto Lofts Lost Money
Why More Condominiums On The Danforth Is Good
Since 1989, I’ve steered my career through a real estate market crash and burn; survived a slow painful cross-country recession; completed an M.E.S. graduate degree from York University called ‘Planning Housing Environments’; executed the concept, sales & marketing of multiple new condo and vintage loft conversions; and guided hundreds of clients through the purchase and sale of hundreds of freehold and condominium dwellings across the original City of Toronto. As a realtor and property counsellor, I remain as passionate about it today as when I started.
Please consider contacting me at 416-845-9905 or emailing me at Steve@urbaneer.com. It would be my pleasure to assist you.
We’d love to introduce your services to you.
Serving first-time Buyers, upsizers, downsizers, and individuals building their long-term property portfolios, our mandate is to help clients choose a property that will yield the highest future return on their investment while ensuring it best serves their practical needs and their dream of “Home” during their ownership.
Are you considering selling? We welcome providing you with a comprehensive assessment free of charge, which includes determining your Buyer profile, optimizing your return on investment, and tailoring the listing process to suit your specific circumstances. Check out How Urbaneer’s Custom Marketing Program Sold This Family-Friendly Home In Riverdale to learn more about what we do!
Consider letting Urbaneer guide you through your Buying or Selling process, without pressure or hassle.
We are here to help!
-The Urbaneer Team
Steven Fudge, Sales Representative
& The Innovative Urbaneer Team
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage – (416) 322-800
– we’re here to earn your trust, then your business –
Celebrating Thirty-Four Years As A Top-Producing Toronto Realtor
*Did you know we were recently listed as one of The Top 25 Toronto Real Estate Agents To Follow On Twitter! – Also this: Urbaneer Lands Spot On Feedspot’s ‘Best Toronto Blogs’ List
Consider signing up in the box below to receive our FREE monthly e-newsletter on housing, culture, and design, including our love for unique urban homes and other Toronto real estate!
*Love Canadian Housing? Check out Steve’s University Student Mentorship site, Canadian Real Estate, Housing & Home, which focuses on architecture, landscape, design, products, and real estate in Canada.