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Committee of Adjustment

Due to COVID-19, all City public service counters are closed. The Committee of Adjustment is accepting inquiries to committee.adjustment@mississauga.ca and applications to cofa.applications@mississauga.ca.

Applications must be completed in full and include a complete set of drawings. Committee of Adjustment staff will contact you once the application submission has been reviewed and will provide further information related to hearing dates, fee payment and commissioning.

Watch Committee livestream

To watch a meeting while it’s in session, view the livestream.

Current agendas, comments and decisions

Access recent agendas, comments and decisions and watch videos of past Committee of Adjustment meetings in the Council and Committees calendar.

View agendas, minutes and videos

Agendas prior to May 2020

Comments prior to May 2020

Decisions prior to May 2020

What is the Committee of Adjustment?

If you plan to use, develop or make changes such as enlarge or extend a building or structure that does not  meet existing Zoning By-law requirements, you can apply to the Committee of Adjustment to make changes (referred to as minor variances) to the specific part of the Zoning By-law that applies to your situation.

You need permission (referred to as consent or severance) from the Committee to:

  • Create a new lot of land from an existing plot
  • Use or enter a private property (referred to as private easement or interest in land) through an agreement, mortgage or lease that’s for 21 years or more
  • Sell or mortgage a portion of your land
  • Validate land title and Power of Sale

The committee is appointed by City Council and consists of seven citizen members.

Make an application to the Committee of Adjustment

Depending on the purpose of your application, fill out either the Minor Variance Application or Consent Application.

View the Application Submission Dates and email the completed application form along with the applicable fee and documents as mentioned in the form to cofa.applications@mississauga.ca.

Submit comments on an application

Written comments on an application can be sent to committee.adjustment@mississauga.ca. Please include your name, address, and the file number or address of the property.

For Tuesday hearings, comments must be received no later than noon the Friday prior to the hearing in order for them to be considered by the Committee.

For Thursday hearings, comments must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. the Tuesday prior to the hearing in order for them to be considered by the Committee.

Register to participate in an electronic hearing

Advance registration is required to participate in an electronic hearing.

Registrations to participate can be submitted to committee.adjustment@mississauga.ca. Any materials you wish to include in your presentation must be attached to the email. Links to cloud services will not be accepted.

For Tuesday hearings, registrations must be received no later than noon the Friday prior to the hearing.

For Thursday hearings, registrations must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. the Tuesday prior to the hearing.

We are unable to accept registrations after the deadline.

Application review process

  • Once your application is received, it’s sent to the relevant City departments and agencies for their comments
  • A notice of your proposal is sent by mail to property owners within a 60-metre radius of your property and placed on the concerned property
  • A public hearing before the Committee of Adjustment is scheduled about five weeks from the time your application is received. At the hearing, the Committee will consider your verbal and written evidence, comments from related departments and agencies, and comments from people who have received notice of your application.
  • If your application is approved by the committee, you can apply for the building permit or if your property is being sold, contact your lawyer or bank, letting them know of the decision
  • If your application is not approved, you can appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT)

If you disagree with a decision of the Committee of Adjustment, you can appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal within the 20 day appeal period.

Your appeal must include:

  • All forms, information and materials required by LPAT
  • A certified cheque or money order for $300 as the applicable fee payable to the Minister of Finance
  • A cheque or money order for $300 as municipal as the administration fee payable to the City of Mississauga

Submit all the LPAT required completed forms and materials along with all fees to:

Committee of Adjustment
300 City Centre Drive, second floor
Mississauga, ON L5B 3C1

The administrative office of the Committee of Adjustment processes applications received for consideration by the Committee. City staff don’t make decisions on applications.

You can contact the administrative staff for information about the application submission requirements or if you need details of the applications being processed.

If you want to make changes to your property and your proposed changes don’t exactly meet the zoning by-law, but follows the general purpose of the zoning standards, you can apply for a minor variance. Examples of minor variance applications include:

  • Requests for relief from the building setbacks
  • Building height
  • Driveway width
  • Porch enclosure or new deck
  • New accessory buildings such as garages and sheds
  • Parking spaces required for new or expanded businesses

The Committee of Adjustment determines that an application can be approved if the majority of the members agree that it meets the following four tests:

  1. The variance is minor
  2. The variance is desirable for the appropriate development or use of the property
  3. The general intent and purpose of the zoning by-law is maintained
  4. The general intent and purpose of the official plan is maintained

The Committee does not change the zoning of a property, it only adjusts regulations on a case by case basis.

If you want to know whether your development proposal requires a re-zoning, you can email eplanbuild.info@mississauga.ca or visit the Customer Service Counter on the third floor of 300 City Centre Drive.

Our office is open from Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If you want to sell or mortgage a portion of your land, create a new lot of land from an existing lot, use or enter a private property (referred to as private easement or interest in land) through an agreement, mortgage or lease that extends for 21 years or more you must get permission (referred to as consent or severance) from the Committee of Adjustment is required.

In some cases, other land division approval processes such as a plan of subdivision or part lot control may be more appropriate or there might be other circumstances that require consent from the Committee of Adjustment. It is best to consult a lawyer to determine if consent is required.

Contact us

To comment on an application that is currently on the Committee of Adjustment agenda, send an email with your comments, full name and address to committee.adjustment@mississauga.ca.

The Committee will be unable to consider your comments if your name and address is not provided.

Committee of Adjustment
City Clerk’s Office, second floor
300 City Centre Drive
Mississauga, ON L5B 3C1

Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Phone: 905-615-3200 ext. 2408