Yes, you can run a lash, nail or brow business from home in Ontario, but the room you work in counts as a personal service setting under provincial health law. That means telling your local public health unit in writing at least 14 days before you open, working in a room that isn't used as living space, having a sink used only for hand washing, and being inspected about once a year. In Toronto you also need a City personal services licence and, for a home business, a zoning review first. Together those cost $699.58 in the first year and $296.45 a year after that. This guide covers the rules as of October 2026, with links to every official source.
It's a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Confirm the details with your public health unit and your city before you open.
Which services the rules cover
Ontario's Health Protection and Promotion Act defines a personal service setting as a place offering services "where there is a risk of exposure to blood or body fluids", and names "nail services" and "other aesthetic services" among them. The detailed rules are in Ontario Regulation 136/18, which hasn't changed since 2022.
- Nails are named in the law.
- Lashes, brows, waxing, tinting and threading aren't named, but health units treat them as aesthetic services. Toronto's inspection records list lash and brow businesses under "Aesthetics".
- Working from your own home is covered. The rules apply "only to the rooms in the dwelling used for the purposes of providing personal services."
Opening in Toronto, step by step
- Get a zoning review. The City asks home-based businesses to get zoning approval before the health inspection or the licence. The review costs $248.67.
- Tell Toronto Public Health at least 14 days before opening. Email BodySafe@toronto.ca with your business name and address, your legal name, every service you'll offer, your expected hours and opening date, and your contact details.
- Apply for a Personal Services Settings licence. The application fee is $211.73 and the licence fee $239.18 on approval. You'll need photo ID, proof you can work in Canada, a criminal record and judicial matters check, a business name registration and a declaration signed by the owner or landlord of the property.
- Pass the inspection and post the sign. A public health inspector visits, and the result (Pass, Conditional Pass or Closed) is posted at or near your entrance and published on Toronto's BodySafe site.
Lash- or brow-only businesses: the City's licence categories are written around skin and nail services, so confirm which category you fall under with Municipal Licensing and Standards (mlsbusinesslicence@toronto.ca, 416-392-6700).
What the room needs
- A room that isn't living space. It can't be a room, or part of a room, used for sleeping, dining or preparing or storing food. The province's guideline says a screen or curtain across part of a dining room doesn't count.
- A hand-washing sink close to where you work, used only for hand washing, with soap in a dispenser and single-use towels or an air dryer. A sink in a washroom is allowed.
- A second sink for cleaning tools if you reuse equipment such as metal nippers or tweezers. It can't be in a room with a toilet.
- Smooth surfaces that are easy to clean, and hot and cold running water.
- No pets in the room, except service animals.
The day-to-day rules
- Take every client's name and contact details before each service.
- Clean and disinfect reusable tools between clients, and throw away single-use items, such as files, buffers and lash wands, right after use.
- Use a disinfectant with a Health Canada DIN or NPN on the label. Bleach is the exception.
- Wash your hands before and after each service.
- Keep your cleaning and disinfection records for three years, with at least the last year on site.
Microblading and anything else that breaks the skin carries extra rules: explaining the risks to the client, detailed records, and in Toronto $1 million in liability insurance. Nails, lashes and waxing don't need that insurance for the licence.
Toronto's home business limits
Toronto's zoning by-law allows a home occupation in a residential zone to be a personal service shop for a barber, hairdresser or beautician. The main limits:
- Up to two employees working in the home besides you. This went up from none in December 2025.
- Floor space of no more than 25% of the home, or 100 square metres, whichever is smaller.
- The home is your main residence, with no outside changes to the building to fit the business.
- One small sign at most: 0.3 square metres on the wall, not lit.
Apartment buildings sit in a separate zone category from houses, so a salon in an apartment may not qualify. The zoning review will tell you; you can also ask Toronto Building at 416-397-5330.
Mobile techs
A service done in the client's own home is outside the regulation. But the provincial guideline still asks health units to inspect somewhere for a tech who travels to clients, such as where you clean and store your tools. If you're mobile only, ask your health unit what they need from you.
Outside Toronto
The provincial rules are the same everywhere in Ontario: 14 days' written notice to your local public health unit, the same room and sink rules, and a yearly inspection. Halton, for example, inspects personal service settings in "both commercial and private home settings", and Peel also reviews a floor plan. Licensing and zoning are set by each city, so check with yours.
What it costs in Toronto
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Zoning review for a business licence | $248.67 |
| Licence application fee | $211.73 |
| Licence fee, on approval | $239.18 |
| First year | $699.58 |
| Yearly renewal | $296.45 |
We found no separate Toronto Public Health inspection fee. Operating without following the rules can be costly: the Act sets a fine of up to $5,000 for each day an offence continues.
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Sources
All checked on October 19, 2026.
- Ontario Regulation 136/18, Personal Service Settings
- Health Protection and Promotion Act
- Ontario Personal Service Settings Guideline, 2019
- Toronto Public Health: About BodySafe
- City of Toronto: Personal Services Settings licence
- Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013, home occupations
- City of Toronto: Zoning review for a business licence
FAQ
Do I need a licence to do lashes from home in Toronto?
Yes. The City requires a Personal Services Settings licence for personal services, including at home, and a zoning review comes first. Confirm the licence category for lash-only work with Municipal Licensing and Standards.
Can I do nails from home in Ontario?
Yes, in a room that isn't used as living space, with a hand-washing sink, after giving your public health unit 14 days' written notice. Expect an inspection about once a year.
How much does a personal services licence cost in Toronto?
$211.73 to apply and $239.18 on approval, plus $248.67 for the zoning review a home business needs. Renewal is $296.45 a year.
Can I run a nail or lash business from my apartment?
Possibly not. Toronto's home salon allowance applies to the residential zone category, and apartment buildings are usually zoned separately. The zoning review will confirm it for your address.
Do mobile lash and nail techs need to be inspected?
The service in the client's home is outside the regulation, but health units may still inspect where you clean and store your tools. Ask your local public health unit.
How often are home salons inspected in Ontario?
About once a year. Toronto posts the results on its BodySafe site.
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