Section 01
Start with the zone, not the basement
Whether a secondary or garden suite is permitted, and under what conditions, depends on the zoning applied to the parcel.
This is a five-minute check that prevents an expensive assumption, particularly on infill and mature-area properties.
Section 02
Development and building permits are separate
A development permit addresses use and site conditions; a building permit addresses construction. Both, with their inspections, form the evidence a suite is legal.
Request the permit file rather than accepting a listing statement.
Section 03
Egress, fire separation and alarms
Code requirements typically include compliant egress windows, fire separation between dwelling units, interconnected smoke alarms and sometimes sound attenuation.
These provisions protect occupants and are the items most commonly missing in unpermitted conversions.
Section 04
Ventilation, heating and metering
Suites need adequate ventilation and heating provision, and separate metering or sub-metering influences how utilities are shared.
Consider whether the mechanical design supports two households or simply divides one system in half.
Section 05
How a legal suite affects value and lending
Lenders and insurers treat documented legal suites differently from undocumented ones, and buyers price the difference accordingly.
Sellers with a legal suite should present the permit file prominently; it converts an ambiguity into a feature.