Home-based businesses
The City of Vaughan allows various businesses to be operated at someone's home, which is regulated in the Business Licensing By-law and Zoning By-law, posted in the By-law Library at www.vaughan.ca/bylaw.
Home occupations that are allowed in Vaughan
The City allows various types of home-based businesses, including:
- art studios;
- business services, provided that no retail is permitted;
- clinics;
- home-based day care;
- home based catering businesses, provided that no retail is permitted;
- personal services, such as hairdressing, barbering, micropigmentation, tattoo, laser hair removal, body and ear piercing and tanning;
- office work and
- instruction, education or tutoring including personal fitness, music, dance, math/science/language tutoring or instruction, cooking and other similar activities.
About hair, aesthetics, tattooing and other personal services businesses
As per the Business Licensing By-law, a Personal Services licence is required for a hair dressing salon, a barber shop, a nail salon, a shoe shine shop, a tattoo parlour, a tanning parlour, and establishments that provide micropigmentation, body and ear piercing, laser hair removal, electrolysis and other aesthetic services.
This is the only business activity listing above that requires a City of Vaughan licence. See the Personal Services page for information on how to apply.
About personal fitness, music and dance businesses
To minimize the noise, vibration and other impacts on neighbours, personal fitness, music, and dance instruction are limited to detached homes, rather than those connected to their neighbours such as a townhouse, condominium and other.
About catering businesses
No "retail" is allowed for home-based catering businesses, i.e., customers may not shop at a person's home for their catered foods. Also, the Regional Municipality of York (York Region) has additional requirements for businesses which involve food preparation, such as a kitchen inspection. Learn more at York Region's webpage Food Premises Operators and also in this guide.
Other requirements for personal services, art studios, clinics, business services, office work or construction businesses
| Area | Description: |
|---|---|
| Client limits | A maximum of one client shall be permitted on the premises at any given time. |
| Home occupation limits | There will be a maximum of one home occupation per home. |
| Home occupations run by residents | A home occupation shall be operated by the people for which the property is their home, however not by other people whose principle residence is elsewhere. |
| Size | A home occupation shall not occupy an area greater than 25% of the gross floor area of the home or have a total area greater than 50.0 square meters. |
| Private attached garages | An attached private garage can be used for the home occupation, as long as this does not block the minimum number of parking spots. |
| Sheds and other accessory structures | Home occupations may not be conducted in an accessory building or structure, such as a shed. |
| Storage and display | Outside storage or an outdoor display area associated with a home occupation shall be prohibited. |
| Advertising | Advertising or signs shall not be permitted to be displayed on a lot, except in accordance with the City of Vaughan’s Sign By-law where it relates specifically to home occupations. |
More information
For more information, please see the Business Licensing and Zoning By-laws, and their amendments, posted in the By-law library, or contact Client Services at bylaw.licensing@vaughan.ca or (905) 832-2281.
| For more information about: | Please use the following resources: |
|---|---|
| Business Licensing and Zoning By-laws, and their amendments | City of Vaughan: |
| Questions about City licences and by-laws | City of Vaughan: Client Services Unit, By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services Web: www.vaughan.ca/businesslicensing Email: bylaw.licensing@vaughan.ca Phone: 905-832-2281 |
| Questions about business registration and starting a business | City of Vaughan: Economic Development Web: https://vaughanbusiness.ca Email: ed@vaughan.ca Phone: 905-832-8526 Toll-free: 1-844-832-2112 |
| Questions about York Region's requirements for businesses that involve food or personal services | Regional Municipality of York: York Region Web: www.york.ca Email: accessyork@york.ca Phone: 1-877-464-9675
|
Contact Information
Related Links
City Web Pages
- By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services
- Vaughan Economic and Cultural Development
- Licensing Portal
- Photo requirements for some business licence applications
By-laws
- By-law Library (which includes new by-law amendments)
- Business Licensing By-law
- Zoning By-law
York Region