In the 12 months since Council adopted changes to the Zoning Bylaw to allow secondary suites and garden suites (one-storey accessory residential dwellings) on single-family lots in more urban areas, there was an 18% increase in the number of building permit applications for suites over the previous 12-month period.
The City has launched a video to help increase awareness about the Guide to Residential Suites and other educational materials that are available on the Residential Suites web page for homeowners looking to build a new residential suite or to legalize an existing one.
The City has taken an education-first approach to assisting homeowners with building safe, legal residential suites.
Suites built to BC Building Code standards under a building permit help to protect the health and safety of homeowners and tenants, and suites built in accordance with zoning regulations help to minimize their impact on neighbourhoods.
Residential suites help increase density in an efficient and sustainable way by making use of existing services and infrastructure. Residential suites also contribute to the city’s rental housing stock and can act as mortgage helpers by making homeownership more attainable.
