On November 28, 2022, Bill 23 (the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022) received Royal Assent and officially became law in Ontario.

One of the aspects of Bill 23 that is still poorly understood is that it made it so that municipalities across Ontario must allow up to three units as-of-right on a detached, semi-detached or townhouse lot (e.g., main unit + basement + garden/laneway OR 3 units in the main building). These “additional residential units” are exempt from development charges and can’t be down-zoned below that standard.

Let’s look at how the GTA has reacted to this legislation.

Toronto says, I see your triplex and raise you a fourplex.

While the Province has not mandated fourplexes province-wide, some municipalities have done so, including the City of Toronto.  Since May 2023, Toronto allows multiplexes up to 4 units as-of-right city-wide on lands designated Neighbourhoods (the old “yellowbelt”), subject to normal built-form rules (height, setbacks, lot coverage, etc.).  In Toronto’s Ward 23 (Scarborough North), a pilot program was launched in February 2025 where multiplexes with up to 6 units are permitted as-of-right.

Mississauga says, OK Toronto, we call.

Toronto isn’t the only city getting on the multiplex bandwagon, and Mississauga has adopted one of the most aggressive 905 approaches, where fourplexes are permitted as-of-right on low-rise residential lots city-wide (new builds or conversions of existing detached, semis, towns, duplexes, etc.), in addition to the provincial “3 units” baseline.

Everyone else folds.

Outside Toronto and Mississauga, full fourplex (4+ units) as-of-right permissions are still the exception, not the rule.

Most other GTA municipalities have, at minimum, updated their zoning to comply with Bill 23’s 3-unit ARU standard (often branding them “Additional Residential Units” and allowing combinations of internal and accessory units).

So, multiplexes are everywhere now?

While as of right zoning means that multiplexes can be built across Ontario, it hasn’t (as of yet) resulted in a massive surge in new multiplex builds.  Development charges are significant barriers for many small builders and a number of municipalities including Toronto have raised them considerably over time.  The cost to build is also quite high, and when you add in the cost to buy the land to build upon, not all projects make financial sense.

If we wanted to see how many options there are out there to buy an existing multiplex, we can look up listings for such properties on our MLS system.  As of November 21, 2025, there are just 223 multiplexes listed for sale on the MLS system in Toronto and the GTA.  Here’s where they are located.

Toronto accounts for more than half of multiplexes currently for sale, with 59% of the listings being located in the city.  Simcoe is surprisingly the second most popular place for listings of multiplexes, with 42 multiplexes for sale in Barrie and the surrounding area.  Durham rounds out the top three, with 23 multiplexes for sale right now, or about 10% of the total multiplex market.  These three areas (Toronto, Simcoe and Durham) make up 88% of the current multiplex market.

How much do multiplexes cost?

Just like houses, the cost for a multiplex varies tremendously based on its attributes.

Prices for multiplexes for sale right now range from $549,000 for a two storey triplex in Orillia to $27.5M for a newly built 11-unit multiplex in Toronto.  Here’s the average prices for Toronto and the GTA.

  • Toronto’s average price for a multiplex for sale right now is $2,540,000.
  • Peel’s average price for a multiplex for sale right now is $1,644,000.
  • York’s average price for a multiplex for sale right now is $1,712,000.
  • Durham’s average price for a multiplex for sale right now is $1,223,000.
  • Halton’s average price for a multiplex for sale right now is $1,767,000.
  • Simcoe’s average price for a multiplex for sale right now is $1,321,000.
  • Dufferin’s average price for a multiplex for sale right now is $1,193,000.

Dufferin is the lowest priced area on average, but given there are just four multiplex properties for sale, you don’t have many options out in the Orangeville area!  Durham is the second lowest priced area on average, and has 23 properties to choose from right now.  Simcoe is the third most affordable area for average price for a multiplex for sale, and given they have 19% of the available multiplexes for sale right now, you’d have over 40 options if you wanted to buy one.

If you are interested in income properties and want to compare the pros and cons of single family properties (whether condo units or single family freehold houses) versus multiplexes, we regularly work with clients in this space.  Get in touch with us to start the process!