Considering an Additional Residential Unit? Our New Guides Can Help

If you’re thinking about adding an Additional Residential Unit (ARU) to your property, the Municipality of Mississippi Mills has developed new guides to help you understand the process and requirements.

Whether you live in the urban area of Almonte or in one of Mississippi Mills’ rural, agricultural or village communities, these guides provide practical information to help you determine if an ARU is right for your property.

What is an Additional Residential Unit?

An ARU is a fully livable and self-contained home that can be built either within your existing house, such as a basement apartment or as a separate structure on your property, like a backyard suite.

ARUs provide flexible housing options for residents and can help accommodate family members, caregivers or renters while making better use of existing properties.

What’s in the guides?

These guides provide easy-to-understand information on:

• Definition and benefits of ARUs
• How many ARUs are permitted on a property
• Where ARUs can be built and permitted sizes
• Parking requirements
• Required permits and approvals
• Frequently asked questions

These guides are intended to simplify the planning and building process, helping residents better understand the requirements before starting a project.

The development of these guides was made possible through funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund. The project supports efforts to increase housing options and make it easier for residents to create additional housing units within their communities.

Learn more

Residents can access the following guides:

• Mississippi Mills Additional Residential Unit Guide – Urban
• Mississippi mills Additional Residential Unit Guide – Rural, Agricultural and Village

For more information and to download the guides, visit the Additional Residential Units page on the Mississippi Mills website for more information.