A repeat client, a real estate investor, came to us with a clear target: at least five rental units, so the property would qualify for CMHC’s MLI Select financing. That meant designing for unit count and program eligibility from day one. The owner also wanted family sized units with three bedrooms or more, to suit Leaside.

The site was an existing two storey detached house on a narrow, undersized lot, about 290 square metres with 7.62 metres of frontage. The lot size and tight side yards limited how much density we could add without triggering variances.

We kept the house, added a third storey top up and a rear extension, and converted it to a fourplex. A new garden suite at the back, sized right up to the bylaw maximums, makes the fifth unit. Each unit has its own heat pump, which supports the energy efficiency pillar of MLI Select.

We studied two paths: an as of right 4+1, and a larger scheme under Toronto’s Major Streets zoning that could reach six or more units. The owner chose as of right because it avoided the Committee of Adjustment, and with it the time, cost and approval risk of a minor variance. The City issued a Zoning Applicable Law Certificate in October 2025, about five months after we were retained. Garden suite permits followed in November 2025. The project qualified for MLI Select through the energy efficiency pillar, and construction is set to finish in Fall 2026.