Since the construction and continuous condition of the basement are under the sole responsibility of the owner, it becomes a responsibility in case of breakdowns and accidents. In order for insurance companies and other departments to support you, it is important that the landlord follows the instructions when it comes to building a safe and legal apartment for family members or future tenants if the apartment was built to generate additional income. Here are some basic requirements for a legal basement apartment: Are you ready to make your basement apartment compliant? Contact Jaura Design Studio Inc. for assistance by calling or visiting www.jauradesign.ca at 647-853-4007. But with the idea of spreading additional income comes more responsibility. If you decide to build a basement for rent, you need to make sure you do it right. Basement foundation walls with new openings greater than 3`11″ or walls with openings greater than 25% of their length are considered unsupported laterally and may require inspection by an engineer. If the depth of the separate basement side entrance causes the existing foundation to have less than the typical 4-foot frost cover, the basement foundation should be enlarged, providing the minimum required frost protection of 4 feet. If improvements are required, a building permit must be obtained from the City of Brampton. Once all necessary upgrades to the basement apartment have been completed, a final inspection will be conducted by the Brampton Fire Department. The newly created basement apartments provide additional affordable rental housing in established neighbourhoods in the City of Brampton. Basement apartments provide the extra income needed to make homeownership in the City of Brampton more affordable.
Building a basement apartment is an economical and sustainable use of existing infrastructure and a way to combat urban sprawl in the City of Brampton. Construction of new basement apartments is already underway in established neighbourhoods in the City of Brampton. The fee for registering a basement apartment in Brampton is as follows: We visit your basement apartment, measure and prepare appropriate drawings and plans to obtain the City of Brampton`s building permit for the construction or legalization of your basement apartment. The technical drawings required to obtain the building permit for the construction or legalization of a basement apartment are prepared by licensed engineers (P.Eng.) and cost $1,895 + HST. – The separation of drywall between the basement and the rest of the house must have at least 30 minutes of fire class. A separate output (2nd) is required. The technical drawings and plans required to obtain planning permission from the City of Brampton for the construction or legalization of a separate entrance to the basement apartment cost $1,595 + HST. A $500 discount applies if we prepare the drawings to legalize the basement apartment in the same place. Basement apartments that are not legal present a fire hazard and other safety issues, such as insufficient building exits, fire separations between units, functional smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and illegal and dangerous electrical and plumbing connections.
In the last 3 years, 32 fires have occurred in illegal basements in Brampton, killing two and injuring five. “If someone in the neighborhood or even a tenant files a complaint with the city about an alleged illegal basement, landlords could be fined up to $25,000, a fine much higher than the cost of ensuring the basement unit is compliant from the start,” says Jaura. Do you have a large basement in your home? Is it ready – with furniture, appliances and toilets? If your unfinished room has its own separate entrance, furniture, and a private bathroom, chances are you can make it a guest room! This allows you to rent the space at a reduced cost or even at a break-even price. “There`s this myth that it`s impossible to work with city inspectors, or that it`s too expensive to build a basement with a permit, but that`s just not true. If you follow the right process, you`ll save yourself a lot of headaches on the road,” says Jaura. City of Brampton homeowners are renovating their homes to a basement rental apartment to meet changing household needs and financial circumstances. The City of Brampton`s legal basement apartments contribute to the health, vitality and value of neighbourhoods, including improving property values. Companies like Jaura Design Studio Inc. work with owners to get the right permits for a legal entity, whether it`s an existing entity that needs to be paired or an entirely new second entity. Jaura recommends that homeowners also look for a fully insured business registered with the provincial Ministry of Community Affairs and Housing to ensure quality and accuracy. To legalize a separate basement entrance, the following drawings and plans are usually required.
The legalization of the basement apartment ensures that the basement apartment meets all required fire, construction and housing safety standards, including the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Fire Code and the City of Brampton Charter. A legal and safe basement apartment will improve the landlord`s relationship with tenants, neighbours and the City of Brampton. Some of the hazards and risk factors may include: – Fire hazards: not enough exits, smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors that do not work. – Unsafe/illegal utilities or building renovations – Overuse of existing utilities (electricity, sanitation, water, etc.) – Excess waste However, before we start looking at all the positives to this idea (and there are many!), let`s review what constitutes a legal basement apartment in Brampton, Ontario. A second unit is a self-contained housing unit located in a house. This unit can be located in any part of your home, including the basement. It is illegal unless it has been registered. Applications for second unit registration and building permits will be received in person at the Flower City Community Campus, and you will have a total of 18 months to complete the registration process from the date you submit your application to ensure that the registration of your second unit meets all requirements.