Secondary suites offer numerous advantages to homeowners, tenants, and the community, often serving as a cost-effective alternative to apartment living. Remarkably, around 70% of single-family homes in the City of Coquitlam feature secondary suites. These are Coquitlam homes/ house with 2 kitchens. If the secondary suite is legal and rented, the lenders will consider the income from the suite when qualifying buyers for a mortgage. These homes are commonly called Coquitlam Homes/ Houses with mortgage helper.
Please note that this information serves as a general guide and does not supersede the stipulations outlined in the British Columbia Building Code, Zoning Bylaw, or any other City regulations.
What is a secondary suite?
A secondary suite is an independent living area within a single-family house, offering self-sufficiency with its own kitchen, bathroom, and at least one bedroom. While it may share common spaces on the same floor with the primary residence, such as a laundry room, it must have at least one access door leading directly outside the house for safety and convenience. Simply put it: it’s a Coquitlam homes/ house with 2 kitchens.
It’s important to note that a secondary suite differs from a separate housing unit with its own Certificate of Title and cannot be stratified like a duplex or townhouse unit. As such, Coquitlam City does not assign a separate address to a secondary suite, nor does it qualify for distinct services such as garbage and recycling collection. Instead, it remains an integral part of the primary dwelling, offering additional living space within the same property.
Can your Coquitlam home/ house contain a secondary suite (house with 2 kitchens)?
Certainly, most single-family homes in residential zones in Coquitlam are permitted to contain a secondary suite. While each application is subject to detailed review, there are general regulations that apply to all homes:
- A secondary suite may only be situated within a single-family dwelling.
- A single-family dwelling cannot have more than one secondary suite.
- The suite may be located within a residential building containing only one other dwelling unit (the primary unit).
- Secondary suites are not permitted on properties where a restrictive covenant on title prohibits them.
- An additional parking space, beyond the two spaces already required for the main dwelling, must be provided for the secondary suite.
All secondary suites require building permits to be legal.
What are the benefits of legalizing your secondary suite?
Legalizing a secondary suite in your home offers numerous advantages, primarily centred around safeguarding both your financial investment and the safety of your home’s occupants, including your family and tenants:
- Safety Compliance: By legalizing your secondary suite, you adhere to various safety standards established to ensure minimum levels of health and safety for occupants. This compliance mitigates potential hazards and enhances the overall well-being of those residing in the property.
- Insurance Coverage: Legalization allows you to secure adequate property and home insurance coverage tailored to secondary suite arrangements. This coverage protects you in emergencies or disasters caused by either tenants or family members, providing financial security and peace of mind.
- Mitigated Neighbour Concerns: Legalizing your secondary suite enables you to adequately accommodate tenants, minimizing their impact on the neighbourhood. For instance, providing designated parking spaces not only fulfills regulatory requirements but also reduces street congestion, leading to fewer complaints from neighbours.
- Enhanced Property Value: Legalization of your suite is often perceived as a value-added feature, as the necessary work has been completed and inspected. Moreover, it opens up the potential for supplemental income through rental revenue (which can by used as a mortgage helper), thereby increasing the overall value of your property.
- Avoidance of Penalties: Failure to comply with regulations regarding secondary suites can result in costly penalties. Upon receiving complaints, the City of Coquitlam may investigate the legality of the suite. Homeowners found with illegal secondary suites may be mandated to legalize or remove the suite, facing potential fines for bylaw non-compliance.
In summary, legalizing a secondary suite not only protects your financial investment and ensures the safety of occupants but also enhances neighbourhood harmony, increases property value, and helps avoid legal repercussions. By adhering to regulations and obtaining proper permits, homeowners can reap the numerous benefits of a legalized secondary suite arrangement. Coquitlam Homes with legal suites will sell for more because they are Homes with mortgage helper!!!
How will a secondary suite affect my utility bill?
The presence of a secondary suite in your home will result in additional usage of services, leading to varying utility tax rates:
- Home without a secondary suite: Standard utility tax applies.
- Home with an authorized secondary suite: Standard utility tax plus a 40% surcharge is levied to account for the increased usage of services.
- Home with an unauthorized secondary suite: Standard utility tax plus a 100% surcharge is imposed due to the unauthorized usage of services beyond what is covered by the standard tax rate.
It’s important to ensure that any secondary suite in your home is properly authorized to avoid the higher surcharge and potential penalties associated with unauthorized usage.
Can you remove a secondary suite?
If your home/ house has a legal secondary suite and you no longer wish to rent it out, you have the option to decommission it. Decommissioning offers several advantages, including reclaiming the additional space for personal use and eliminating the 40% tax surcharge that was previously added to your utility bill.
However, it’s crucial to adhere to fire safety standards, particularly in the bedroom or sleeping area of the decommissioned suite. Ensuring compliance with current standards, such as mandatory smoke alarms in homes built after December 1981, is essential for the safety of occupants. It’s strongly recommended to install smoke alarms in all homes, regardless of their age, to enhance overall safety measures.
To qualify for an adjustment in the following year, it’s imperative to apply for suite removal by December 31.
To remove the secondary suite you have 2 options:
- Remove cooking facilities
- Remove locks to create one dwelling
For more information about Coquitlam Homes/ Houses with suites (Homes with Mortgage helper) check Coquitlam city website. You will find which documents are required for a Secondary suite permit application, what Coquitlam City services are available to you, what should you consider when designing a Coquitlam Home/ House with suite, etc. Check the brochure from Coquitlam city for Homes/ Houses with Suite.
