Georgina Boat and RV Storage Bylaw, Explained

What the Georgina bylaw says about boat and RV storage

The core rule, quoted directly from georgina.ca: "As of Oct. 31, seasonal storage of any summer leisure vehicle is no longer permitted." In practice that means the boat on its trailer, the travel trailer, the motorhome: anything built for the warm months that has been sitting on the lot since spring needs to be gone by the end of October.

Two more limits apply alongside the deadline. Seasonal storage is capped at one leisure vehicle per property, so a boat plus a tent trailer is already over the line even in July. Snowmobiles get a mirror-image window of their own and may be stored from Nov. 1 to Mar. 31, matching the season they are actually used.

Note the word seasonal. The bylaw treats a vehicle parked for the summer differently from one kept on the property year-round. Permanent storage is allowed, but only where a lot can meet the setback rules covered below.

Can I park my RV in my driveway in Georgina?

Yes, during the warm season: an RV can sit in your driveway as your one permitted seasonal leisure vehicle. After Oct. 31 that permission ends, and keeping the RV at home means qualifying under the permanent storage rules instead.

That is where most driveways run into trouble. Permanent storage in a front yard or exterior side yard requires the vehicle to sit at least 6.0 m back from the front or exterior lot line. On a typical driveway that runs straight to the street, measuring 6.0 m back from the lot line, which is usually not the edge of the pavement, often leaves no legal spot at all.

Setback rules for keeping a vehicle year-round

Permanent front or exterior side yard storage requires a 6.0 m setback from the front or exterior lot line and 1.2 m from interior side and rear lot lines. The vehicle itself is capped at 4.0 m in height and 13 m in length.

Before assuming your property qualifies, take a tape measure to it. Lot lines rarely sit where people think they do, and 6.0 m is farther back than most driveways allow. The 13 m length cap is generous, but the 4.0 m height limit is worth checking against a taller fifth wheel or motorhome before you commit to a winter at home.

Which lots get no front yard storage at all

Lots under 270 square metres, semi-detached homes and townhouses get no front or exterior side yard leisure vehicle storage at all. If that describes your property, the front of the lot is off the table for a boat or RV in any season.

That leaves either a rear or interior side yard position that meets the 1.2 m setbacks, if access allows it, or storage somewhere other than home. For most townhouse owners there is no practical way to get a boat behind the house, which makes off-site storage the real answer.

How enforcement actually works

Enforcement of Georgina's storage rules is complaint driven: bylaw officers respond when someone reports a problem rather than patrolling the streets for violations.

In practice, a complaint usually means an officer attends, checks whether the storage complies, and asks you to move the vehicle if it does not. The trigger is almost always a neighbour, which is why identical boats on the same street can have very different outcomes: one sits unbothered for years, the other draws a visit in November.

The honest takeaway is that complaint-driven enforcement is not permission. You cannot plan a winter around a neighbour's continued goodwill, and moving a boat in January after a complaint is a much worse job than moving it in October by choice. Rules also get updated, so check the current wording with the Town before making long-term plans.

Where to put the boat or RV after Oct. 31

Once home storage is out, there are three realistic routes: land owned by someone you know, a marina, or a rented spot in a private yard.

The friends-and-family option is the cheapest and the loosest. If someone you trust has rural property with room to spare, it can cost nothing. Two cautions: zoning applies wherever the vehicle sits, so their municipality's rules matter as much as Georgina's, and an informal arrangement can end mid-winter with no notice. Agree on access, duration and cost in writing, even between friends.

Marinas are the traditional answer on Lake Simcoe. Marina Del Rey publishes winter land storage at $200 per month for boats up to 30 ft, $250 per month to 36 ft and $300 per month over 36 ft, with boat-on-trailer storage at $650 for the season. The catches: deposits are non-refundable, and storage is typically bundled with 12-month slip leases, so trailer boaters without a slip are commonly turned away.

The third route is renting space in a private yard through Stashly, a peer-to-peer storage and parking marketplace at stashlycanada.com. Georgina hosts list winter boat storage from $95 per month for boats up to 24 ft, the price shown is the all-in monthly amount paid by card, terms are month-to-month unless stated, renters are ID verified, and hosts keep 100 percent of their rent.

Here is how the paid options compare for a Georgina winter:

• Marina land storage (Marina Del Rey): $200 per month to 30 ft, $250 to 36 ft, $300 over 36 ft, slip lease typically required
• Marina boat-on-trailer: $650 per season, non-refundable deposit
• Private yard, boat to 24 ft: from $95 per month
• Private yard, boat 25 to 35 ft: $145 per month
• Private yard, RV or travel trailer to 30 ft: $120 per month; motorhome or fifth wheel over 30 ft: $165 per month
• Private yard, car or van: $75 per month; truck or oversized vehicle: $135 per month

Whichever route you pick, book before the late-October rush. The Oct. 31 wording gives everyone in town the same deadline, and the convenient spots go first.