Second suites in homes are a vital economic asset to many homeowners. All too often they constitute an “underground” activity as owners are uncertain over zoning prohibitions, building and fire code concerns.
This seminar addresses three central questions:
- When can a seller advertise a second suite as lawful?
- Can a buyer be assured that an existing second suite won’t be subjected to municipal prosecution?
- When can an owner obtain a permit to install or retrofit an existing second suite?
In addition, the seminar addresses student “lodging” houses (rooming houses, boarding houses, fraternity houses) and the challenges faced by owners seeking to use their residences for this purpose.
- What constitutes a second suite? How does it differ from a “granny flat”? How does it differ from having members of an extended family or perhaps one or two renters living with the owner in a house? How does a second suite differ from having numerous (student) renters living in rooms in a house?
- What makes one second suite lawful, while another is unlawful? When might a second suite or a lodging house be “grandfathered” under the existing zoning? What steps can be taken to attempt to revise the zoning by-law so that the land use can be lawful?
- What impact do building and fire codes, electrical and municipal property standards by-laws have on second suites and lodging houses? Why do some municipalities maintain a register of second residential units? Will new licensing by-laws affect lodging houses?