What is a secondary suite?

A self-contained residence with two or more rooms and includes a kitchen, living, sleeping and sanitary facilities.

All suites must have:

• Bedrooms with proper egress windows
• A separate bathroom
• Separate cooking facilities
• An entrance that is accessible from outside without passing through the main dwelling unit. A shared stairwell is acceptable, but each unit must have a private entrance.

What is the difference between a secondary suite and a backyard suite?

A secondary suite is a self-contained residence, located within a main residence. This can be located on any floor within the home, like the basement, main floor or upper floor.

A backyard suite is a self-contained residence that is detached from the main residence. This includes garage suites, garden suites or laneway homes.

What is the difference between legalizing and adding a secondary suite?

A suite may be considered existing and need to be legalized if all of the below are true:

• The suite includes a bathroom, cooking facilities and sleeping/living facilities.
• The suite is accessible from outside without passing through the main dwelling unit. (A shared stairwell is acceptable but each unit must have a private entrance.)
• The suite was built prior to March 12, 2018.
• The suite is located in the same building as the main residence and not a detached garage.

If all of these requirements are not met the suite will be considered new. See add a secondary suite for more details.

If there is more than one suite on the property or in the building, Contact the Planning Services Centre for further assistance

A building permit is required for all secondary suites, regardless of when they were constructed.