Medical Spa Premises in Ontario: Zoning, Inspected Premises, Public Health Rules and the Lease

By Jatin Dua · Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty · Updated 29 September 2026 · 10 min read — how the medical and aesthetic halves of a medical spa each bring their own premises rules, and what I check in the unit and the lease.

Zoning: medical office, personal service shop, or both

Toronto’s Zoning By-law 569-2013 defines a personal service shop as “premises used to provide personal grooming services or for the cleaning or care of apparel”, and separately names medical office as a use. A medical spa mixes the two. Which use the City treats yours as, and whether the zone permits it, is a question for the zoning examiner before you sign.

The City says a change of use needs a building permit even if no construction is proposed, and zoning must be complied with even where no permit is needed. Other GTA municipalities use different words for the same idea; check the by-law where the unit is.

Building Code occupancy

The Ontario Association of Architects’ occupancy guide, based on the Building Code, lists medical offices and beauty parlours in the business and personal services group, and shops in mercantile. A retail unit becoming a medical spa is usually a change of occupancy, with drawings, a permit and a check of exits, washrooms and fire separations. Procedures under sedation or anaesthesia raise different questions again, which is one more reason to know your service list before you design. The 2024 Building Code has been in force since 1 January 2025.

When the CPSO must inspect the premises

The CPSO’s Out-of-Hospital Premises inspection program covers procedures performed under general anaesthesia, parenteral sedation or regional anaesthesia, and cosmetic procedures including the injection or insertion of permanent filler. It does not apply to “temporary fillers, laser skin resurfacing, botox and sclerotherapy” performed without general, regional or parenteral anaesthesia.

Where the program applies, the medical director must complete a New Premises Inspection Application, pay a $500 fee and pass an inspection before those procedures start; the CPSO says the inspection is conducted within 180 days. If your business plan includes permanent fillers or sedation, build the inspection into the lease timeline and the design brief.

The aesthetic side: O. Reg. 136/18 setting rules

O. Reg. 136/18 does not apply where services are primarily provided by members of regulated health professions practising their profession. The Ministry’s 2019 guideline says medi-spas should be inspected to decide which side they fall on. If estheticians provide much of the work, plan the space to the regulation, which requires:

• a setting free of health hazards, with floors, walls, ceilings, fixtures and furniture that are smooth, impermeable and easily cleanable;
• no part of the setting used as a dwelling, including for eating or preparing food;
• potable hot and cold running water under pressure;
• at least one sink used only for hand washing, near the work area, with soap in a dispenser and single-use towels or a hot-air dryer;
• where reusable equipment is used, a separate reprocessing sink big enough for the largest item, with counter space, not in a washroom, and separated from service areas;
• enough lighting, ventilation, storage and waste receptacles, including for biomedical waste.

Sterilizers must meet Health Canada and CSA standards and be checked at least every two weeks unless public health directs otherwise. Sharps go into CSA-compliant containers near where the service happens.

Notices and Toronto licensing

Under O. Reg. 136/18, s. 3, anyone who intends to operate a personal service setting must notify the medical officer of health in writing at least 14 days before opening, and again at least 14 days before adding services or starting a renovation. Toronto Public Health asks for the notice at BodySafe@toronto.ca. In Peel, the region also asks for floor plans.

In Toronto, owners and operators of personal services settings need a licence with an endorsement for each class of service, and must give 30 days’ written notice before changing the classes offered. The most recent inspection notice must be posted near the entrance. If you are buying an existing business, read buying a medical spa in Ontario first.

Devices and power

I have not found an Ontario premises standard written specifically for laser rooms. Where O. Reg. 136/18 applies, equipment must be maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and those instructions must be kept at the setting where staff can reach them. So the manufacturer’s installation requirements for power, ventilation and room layout become your design brief. Get them before you sign, and make sure the unit’s electrical service can carry the devices you plan.

Lease terms for a medical spa

• Use clause. Cover both medical aesthetic procedures and personal services, naming the service classes.
• Plumbing. Consent and capacity for a hand-washing sink and a separate reprocessing sink.
• Waste. Landlord rules for biomedical and sharps waste pickup.
• Alterations and removal. What you may build, and what must come out at the end.
• Assignment. Conditions on a sale, and whether a change of control counts.
• Exclusivity. Protection from a competing clinic in the same plaza.

Under the AODA, every business needs accessibility policies and training; at 20 or more employees a compliance report is due by 31 December 2026. The Design of Public Spaces standard applies to renovated public spaces, including service counters. For a more esthetics-led business, see day spa premises in Ontario; for a comparable clinic fit-out, dental office space in Ontario.

Where I fit

I help clinic and spa owners across Toronto and the GTA find, lease and buy space, and I check the zoning and the service list against the unit before the design starts. The office space value estimator below gives a quick range for clinic and office space. When you have a unit in view, book a call or phone 833-330-1925.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• City of Toronto — Zoning By-law 569-2013, Chapter 800 definitions — personal service shop, massage therapy, wellness centre, body rub service
• City of Toronto — When do I need a building permit — change of use needs a permit even with no construction
• Ontario Association of Architects — Guide to occupancies — business and personal services examples
• Government of Ontario — Ontario’s Building Code — 2024 Building Code in force 1 January 2025
• CPSO — Out-of-hospital premises inspection program — which cosmetic procedures need an inspected premises
• O. Reg. 136/18 (Personal Service Settings) — e-Laws — notice, setting, equipment and records rules
• Ministry of Health — Personal Service Settings Guideline, 2019 — medi-spas and regulated professionals
• Toronto Public Health — About BodySafe — inspections and 14-day notice
• City of Toronto — Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing — licences not transferable; personal services settings; body-rub and holistic definitions
• Region of Peel — Personal service businesses — 14-day notice and floor plans
• Government of Ontario — Accessibility rules for businesses and non-profits — requirements by number of employees; compliance report due 31 December 2026

Related reading

• Buying a medical spa in Ontario
• Day spa premises in Ontario
• Massage therapy clinic space in Ontario
• Dental office space in Ontario
• Pharmacy premises requirements in Ontario
• AI office space value estimator
• Book a call with Jatin