How to know if your Front Yard Parking Pad is Legal in Toronto

As of 2007, new or unlicensed front yard parking pads have been banned in most parts of downtown Toronto. However, there are exceptions for a few special circumstances.

For existing Parking Pads,  It’s important to ensure it is licensed and registered with the city and legal. This way,if the house is sold,  the new owners are able to continue parking there when they own the property, provided they transfer ownership, continue to renew the license annually, and keep it in good standing.

How Does the License Work?

At the present time, owners of legal parking pads pay the city about $270 annually. Those legal pads may be identified by a small, white, city-issued plaque displayed on the owner’s porch or house front. I say ‘may be’ because not seeing a plaque does not always mean the pad is licensed, and vice versa.

This is what the City of Toronto has this to say about front yard parking pad licensing:

Note that the license does not follow the property, but that a new property owner will need to apply to have the license agreement transferred.

Please note that disabled front yard parking licenses are not transferable to a new property owner. Please contact the appropriate district office for further information.

Not only do you need to ensure that, as the the current owner, you have  maintained the license and that it is in good standing but, make sure as the new owners,  to contact the City about having the license transferred upon successful closure of a purchase.

A quick call to the City’s Office of Permits and Enforcement, can help a real estate agent or buyer (or even a seller, if there is any confusion) to find out the status of a license and what steps need to be taken to transfer that license to the new owner:

Permits & Enforcement – Off Street Parking
East York Civic Centre
850 Coxwell Ave., 2nd Floor Toronto
Ontario, M4C 5R1

Office Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Telephone: 416-392-7768
Email: trarow@toronto.ca

Due Diligence

Sometimes sellers do not know what the current status of a parking pad is. In the event of an estate sale or a power of attorney sale, the person responsible for the property on behalf of another deceased, unfit, or absent party, may not have the information relating to the parking situation. They may not do the research to find the parking for potential buyers. Take care to find out before making your offer with your agent: parking has a lot of value in Toronto real estate. One part of a good agents’ due diligence is ensuring you are not paying for a parking space, just to find out you can’t use it shortly thereafter closing.

Beware of this type language in a listing:

Current owner has parked in front of the home for 20 years without a permit and never had a problem!

While that’s great for the current owner, who knows how long it will be before a neighbour complains. The City could start enforcing and find that owners are not paying the right fees for a front yard parking pad and removes the privilege.

Resources

There a number of resources you can reference, as a starting point for learning more.

1. Toronto Municipal Code – Chapter 918, Parking on Residential Front Yards and Boulevards.This is where you’ll find rules and regulations.
2. Parking on Residential Front Yards and Boulevards Application. Here is the application, along with the requirements listed. Applications can still be made to acquire a front yard parking pad, but it is a lengthy process with a lot of red tape, fees, and special requirements that have to be fulfilled.
3. Locations Licenced for Residential Off-Street Parking. This is Toronto’s alphabetized list of licensed address locations that allow for a front yard parking pad. It also lists what type of parking they have. While this list is a handy resource, it is always be wise to speak to someone at the Off-Street Parking Office to validate the information.

Lastly, if you know or confirm that there is no parking with the listing you are interested in, and want to inquire about if street permits are available, the fastest way to do so is to send an email to parking@toronto.ca, with the address of the property.