What makes a suite illegal

Remember, owning a legal basement suite pays off by allowing you to rent out your suite and increasing the value of your property. If a homeowner fails to let their insurer know about the suite, they open themselves up to significant risk and the possibility that in the event of a claim, the insurance company can deny coverage and void the existing insurance policy. Insurance companies will not ask for verification to confirm if the suite is legal or illegal.

However, a claim can be denied if it is deemed that damage due to homeowner negligence. It is definitely still advisable to go through with making sure your secondary suite is legal. For example, if a tenant is harmed while escaping a fire because you did not ensure proper fire routes, you could be sued or face criminal charges. We can help you to ensure that your secondary suite development is in full compliance with the law and built with your specific needs and preferences!

Learn more about our secondary suite services here and check out some of our past projects in our project collection. Please note, all suites require a building permit. Please review the Fees section on our legalize an existing secondary suite , adding a new suite or building a backyard suite pages in order to estimate your building permit fees.

The most notable requirement is a second heating source, like a furnace, for each unit. Please visit add a secondary suite for requirements. If your suite was built before March , visit legalize an existing suite for requirements. In January , we will reinstate fees for the development permit and suite registry. They will discuss permits, fees, and how to make your suite legal and safe. A secondary suite is a dwelling unit contained within the main residence, such as a basement or in-law suite.

A backyard suite is a dwelling unit in a building that is detached from the main residence, such as a garage suite, garden suite or laneway home. The secondary suite registry is an online, searchable list identifying legal and safe secondary suites in Calgary. View the suite registry bylaw and go to secondarysuites. The registry aims to build awareness with Calgarians about the importance of public safety, and the safety features of a legal secondary suite. What are the advantages of the registry and sticker for owners?

Owners can use the registry and sticker as a means to promote their suite to current and future residents. Not currently, however, in January , we will reinstate fees for the suite registry. The registry program is intended to promote the importance of safe secondary suites for Calgarians. How do I get a secondary suite sticker for my suite? Is My Suite Legal or Illegal? What is the difference between a legal suite and an illegal suite? BC Building Codes Are you looking to add a suite or renovate an existing space into a secondary suite?

What are the advantages to legalizing a suite? Ensures health and safety of occupants Protected with home insurance coverage Reduces neighbour complaints A legalized suite can increase the present and future value of your home Can be used as a mortgage helper Increases the supply of rental housing units available in a neighbourhood What is a secondary suite?

What is a garden suite? What are the risks of operating an illegal suite? Will a legal or illegal suite help me qualify for a larger mortgage? September 14, Donna Cook says:. October 21, at am. Ria Mavrikos says:. October 21, at pm. Mike Stinson says:. November 8, at pm. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Seller's Checklist. Buyer's Checklist. Secondary suites are not allowed in multi-family buildings like townhouses, duplexes, or apartments UNLESS there is special zoning.

You can only have 1 legal secondary suite per single family home. The suite will not have separate title, nor can it be stratified unless special municipal zoning allows. A secondary suite will not be assigned a separate address by the City nor be eligible for separate services, such as garbage and recycling.

A secondary suite is not a separate housing unit with its own Certificate of Title, nor can it be stratified like a duplex or townhouse unit. A suite will not be assigned a separate address by the City. The statistics speak for themselves, many BC suites are illegal and rented out.

BC recognizes the advantages of secondary suites to help with increasing rental choice, providing lower cost rental stock, and providing financial mortgage help for homeowners — HOWEVER — the primary concern is the proper safety inspection of secondary suites. Many of them do not comply with all the rules yet they continue to be rented out. Additionally, if you are looking a selling your home later, an additional authorized suite can increase value when selling your home.

Pros: include lower risk as mentioned above and increased value when selling a home. However, it is in your interest to understand the costs and effort involved to legalize a suite. The steps to legalize a suite are different in the Tri-cities due to different zoning bylaws.

However, the general steps are similar. Coquitlam has a Secondary Suite Program that promotes the process of determining what you need to do if the house you buy has an illegal rental suite or if you want to create a legal rental suite. RISKS : The reality is that there are many homeowners who currently do not go through legalization of their suites; some may not be familiar with the procedures; some fear the costs will be too high; some avoid the extra costs and taxes associated with declaring their suite.

Regardless of why, it is in your interest to understand the extra costs required to gain the benefits above. If you have an existing suite, you need to find out if it is legal, authorized, or licensed for rental use. There is proposed legislation to allow homeowners to be exempt from strata bylaws to restrict rentals.

Although discussions of this proposal by Selina Robinson was estimated to come into effect in , discussions are likely to continue into