Toronto Areas | Scarborough
Multiplexes in Scarborough
Scarborough is the largest former municipality and the most suburban, postwar, auto-oriented, with big lots and bungalows. That lot size gives a multiplex new-build or a garden suite room the old core does not have. And Scarborough North (Ward 23) is the City's suburban sixplex pilot: one of the nine wards where up to six units are now permitted, included as the test that the form fits a typical suburban lot. Up to four units are permitted as-of-right elsewhere in the area. Pull the per-neighbourhood numbers from the City's Neighbourhood Profiles.
Key Takeaways
- ✓The city's largest, most suburban lots, room for new-builds and garden suites.
- ✓Scarborough North (Ward 23) is the suburban sixplex pilot, up to six units.
- ✓Four units as-of-right across the rest of Scarborough unless a ward opts in.
- ✓Big rear yards make a garden suite a natural added unit.
Ward 23 carries permissions the rest of Scarborough does not. Check a Scarborough address against the pilot .
New multiplex builds in Scarborough
184 new multiplex building permit applications have been filed in Scarborough since January 2024, at 141 distinct addresses. That is 21.6% of all new multiplex applications in Toronto. The most common size is 2 new homes, on 65 projects.
Where these applications stand
Of 184 applications in Scarborough, 118 have an issued permit, 25 are still under review, and 41 were refused, cancelled or abandoned. A filed application is not a permit, so the totals on this page count applications rather than approvals.
Taken from the City's own status value on each permit, not from which dataset it appears in.
New homes each project adds
Counts new homes added, not homes in the finished building. Demolishing a house and building a fourplex in its place adds three, not four.
Permits filed by year
By application date. The current year is partial, so it is not comparable to a full one.
What builders declared it would cost
Across 130 projects in Scarborough that state both a value and between two and six new homes, the declared construction cost runs from $500,000 at the 25th percentile to $1,000,000 at the 75th, with a median of $800,000.
This is the figure the applicant wrote on the permit application. It is not a sale price, it is not the final cost of the build, and it does not include the land.
How long the City took to issue
Of the 184 projects in Scarborough, 129 have been issued. Those took a median of 104 days from application, with a quarter issued within 54 days and a quarter taking longer than 194. 55 are still waiting and are not in that median.
Application to issue, from the City's own dates. Projects still under review are excluded rather than counted at how long they have waited so far, which would understate the real wait.
Busiest wards in Scarborough
- Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest 116
- Ward 21 Scarborough Centre 24
- Ward 25 Scarborough-Rouge Park 17
- Ward 24 Scarborough-Guildwood 11
- Ward 22 Scarborough-Agincourt 9
- Ward 23 Scarborough North 7
Why Scarborough Fits Multiplex Infill
The largest lots in the city
Scarborough is the largest former municipality and the most suburban, postwar, auto-oriented, with big lots and bungalows. That lot size gives a multiplex new-build or a garden suite room that the narrow lots of the old core do not have.
The suburban sixplex pilot
Scarborough North (Ward 23) is the sixplex pilot. When the City extended permissions to six units in June 2025, it included Ward 23 as the one suburban ward, its own evidence that a six-unit form fits a typical suburban lot, not just a downtown one.
Room for a multiplex plus a garden suite
Big rear yards make garden suites a natural fit across Scarborough. A fourplex new-build on a wide lot can leave space for a detached garden suite in the rear yard, adding a unit on a lot without a public laneway.
Area and former-municipality context via the City of Toronto former municipalities archive and the Neighbourhood Profiles. The sixplex pilot and Ward 23 via the Sixplexes Citywide Study.
Best For
- ✓ Wide suburban lots in Scarborough North (Ward 23) aiming for five or six units.
- ✓ Big-lot fourplex new-builds elsewhere in Scarborough at the four-unit ceiling.
- ✓ Lots with deep rear yards where a garden suite adds a unit beside the multiplex.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ A sixplex is assumed outside Ward 23 (where the ward has not opted in).
- ✕ An auto-oriented site is underwritten on parking it no longer needs to provide.
- ✕ A garden suite is planned without confirming the rear-yard depth.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The residential zone and Neighbourhoods designation for the parcel.
- → Whether the lot is in Ward 23 (sixplex) or a four-unit ward.
- → Lot dimensions and rear-yard depth for a multiplex plus a garden suite.
Where to Go Next
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I build a sixplex in Scarborough?
Why did the City choose Scarborough North for the sixplex pilot?
Are Scarborough lots good for a multiplex?
Do Scarborough lots suit garden suites?
How many units can I build on a Scarborough lot outside Ward 23?
What should I check before underwriting a Scarborough multiplex on parking?
Can a garden suite and a multiplex share the same Scarborough lot?
What zoning detail matters most before building in Scarborough?
Official Sources Referenced
Related reading
Longer pieces on the same question.
The suburban test case for six units on a normal lot.
Which nine wards allow six units, and how to check your own address.
The rear-yard choice, decided by whether you have a laneway.
Check a Scarborough address against the sixplex pilot
Ward 23 carries permissions the rest of Scarborough does not. PlexCheck reads your ward from the City address point and applies the right ceiling.
Free. City-stamped zoning and CMHC survey rents. Takes about 30 seconds.
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