RELATED CONTENT
Feedback: In-law & Garden Suites
Please read the quick summary below and send us your comments by using the form at the bottom of the page. We thank you for your input. For a text-only version of the summary, please go to the bottom of the page or click here.
Summary of the Issue of Secondary Suites (Text-only)
These “secondary” suites are dwellings that are either attached (In-law or Granny Suite) or detached from the main house (Garden Suite). They are smaller dwellings usually inhabited by an older relative. Presently, a zone amendment is required to allow a suite, with the condition that the suite be reconverted back to the main house or removed from the property once the relative no longer lives in it.
What are the benefits?
- These suites allow elder family members to live close to relatives rather than living in assisted living facilities.
- Good design and screening can reduce any impacts on the neighbours.
What are the problems?
- The removal of these suites is hard to enforce after the elder relative no longer lives in it. Some landowners keep the suites and rent them out. The neighbours get upset because that was not the intent of the original approval.
- Some neighbours feel that garden suites infringe on their privacy and the enjoyment of their back yards.
Now that you have read about this issue, please fill out our quick survey above!
