Building a Secondary Suite
Find out what you need to know about building and maintaining a secondary suite in your home.
A secondary suite is defined as a dwelling unit, that is an accessory use, with its habitable floor area not exceeding 40% of a principal dwelling unit within a single family dwelling, semi-detached, duplex residential building, and is not a separate strata lot.
When you follow the process to install a new or legalize an existing secondary suite in your home, it will automatically be registered on property taxes with the appropriate fees applied. Learn about the secondary suite fee details.
Benefits of legal secondary suites
There are many benefits of building and maintaining a legal secondary suite in your single family home. Secondary suites support the City's affordable housing goals by providing ground‐oriented rental housing for a range of tenants. For homeowners, legal secondary suites also:
- act as a mortgage helper, making home ownership more affordable.
- may increase the value of your home
- typically provide a higher rental income than illegal suites
- allow you to purchase insurance, unlike illegal suites
- provide more safety and security of the house and suite than illegal suites.
Unauthorized suites may be a source of tension between neighbours and may not offer safe accommodation or security of tenure for tenants, or security of rental income for homeowners who are dependent on this income for mortgage payments.
Make a complaint about a secondary suite or review the review the bylaw enforcement procedures. Unsure if the suite on a property is legal? Check the status with the Secondary Suite Fee Web Inquiry.
Applying for a secondary suite
To legalize or install a new or existing secondary suite, a homeowner must:
- meet the conditions of zoning,
- have necessary building permits,
- meet the standards of the BC Building Code,
- pay secondary suite utility and service fees, and
- submit a building permit application if previously a building permit to authorize the existing secondary suite is not obtained to demonstrate compliance.
Where a property is in breach of City bylaws, such as the Zoning Bylaw or Building Bylaw, the City reserves the right to enforce these bylaws now or in the future.
Find out how to apply for a Secondary Suite Permit and check the electrical requirements for secondary suites.
Acceptable zoning for secondary suites
The Zoning Bylaw sets the following conditions for a secondary suite in a single, semi-detached or duplex dwelling:
- The home must be owner‐occupied.
- Only one secondary suite is permitted per single family, semi-detached or duplex dwelling unit.
- A secondary suite is not permitted within a coach house or garden suite.
One secondary suite may be permitted in single family, semi-detached and duplex dwellings within small-scale, multi-unit housing zones and including Comprehensive Development (CD) zones.
Each application for a secondary suite must be reviewed for possible legal restrictions such as Land Use Contracts and Building Schemes that prohibit secondary suites on specific properties. Contact the Building Division to see if your house was issued with a Suite Ready permit.
Multiple secondary suites
The Zoning Bylaw permits only one secondary suite per single family, semi-detached or duplex dwelling. Multiple suites within a single family, semi-detached or duplex dwelling are not permitted due to BC Building Code provisions.
Therefore, the City will initiate closure of multiple suites as these properties are identified. The process involves communication between City staff and property owners to ensure that adequate time is provided for tenants to find new accommodation.
To file a secondary suite complaint, submit your complaint online or contact Bylaw and Licensing Services at 604-591-4370.
Contact Information
For questions or concerns about secondary suites, select from the following contacts:
- Zoning requirements: 604-591-4448
- Building permits: 604-591-4366
- Complaints & enforcement: 604-591-4370 or Report a problem online
- Property & payment services suite-related questions: 604-591-4516 Option 2
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
