Economics | Development Charges
Development Charges and Bill 23 for an Ottawa Multiplex
Development charges are one-time fees a municipality collects on new development to help fund growth-related infrastructure. Ontario's Bill 23 changed how they apply to added residential units. This page explains the mechanism — what changed, what still applies in Ottawa, and how to confirm your own numbers. It carries no dollar figures by design.
The Mechanism, Not the Money
What a development charge is
A development charge is a one-time fee a municipality collects on new development to help fund the growth-related infrastructure that serves it — roads, water, sewer, and similar. Ottawa sets its charges through its Development Charges By-law.
What Bill 23 changed
Ontario's Bill 23 exempted additional residential units from development charges in defined cases — for example, units added within or alongside an existing house, within set limits. The exemption is rule-based, not a blanket waiver on every new unit.
What still applies in Ottawa
Outside those defined exemptions, the City's Development Charges By-law still governs what is charged on new units. Whether a given multiplex unit is exempt or charged depends on how it fits the rules, which is why you confirm against the City's own by-law.
Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 (full text), exempted additional residential units from development charges in defined cases. The key word is defined. The exemption applies to specific kinds of added units within set limits, not to every new unit you might build.
What This Means for a Multiplex
Whether a unit in your multiplex is exempt or charged turns on how it fits the rules. Some added units fall under the Bill 23 exemption. Others sit outside it and are charged under Ottawa's Development Charges By-law. Because the answer is unit-by-unit and rule-driven, the only reliable path is to map your specific design against the City's current by-law — not against a rule of thumb. The four-units as-of-right permission decides what you can build; the development-charge rules decide what each unit costs to permit.
How to Confirm Your Own Numbers
We do not print development-charge dollar amounts on this page. The figures are set by the City's Development Charges By-law, are adjusted over time, and depend on the unit type and any exemption that applies. A number copied into a guide goes stale fast and can be wrong for your project. Read the current by-law and fee schedule on the City of Ottawa development charges pages, check whether your units qualify for a Bill 23 exemption, and confirm the total with the City for your specific multiplex. For broader fee context, the City's zoning pages and the related financing page cover the rest of the project budget. If you want Ottawa-specific help, the hub CTA points to the early-access list.
Best For
- ✓ Owners and builders trying to understand whether their multiplex units are exempt or charged.
- ✓ Anyone who wants the mechanism behind Bill 23 development-charge relief before talking to the City.
- ✓ Project budgets that need a defensible source for the charge, not a guessed figure.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ You need an exact dollar amount from this page — those live in the City's by-law and fee schedule, not here.
- ✕ You assume Bill 23 waived all charges — the exemption is limited to defined cases.
- ✕ You rely on a third-party number instead of confirming the current by-law with the City.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The current City of Ottawa Development Charges By-law and fee schedule.
- → Whether each unit in your project qualifies for a Bill 23 additional-residential-unit exemption.
- → The total charge for your specific multiplex, confirmed directly with the City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do development charges apply to an Ottawa multiplex?
How did Bill 23 change development charges?
How much are development charges for an Ottawa multiplex?
How do I confirm development charges for my Ottawa project?
Official Sources Referenced
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