For more information, please contact Planning at 604.793.2906 or planning@chilliwack.com. In conjunction with the rezoning, the City established a development permit process to regulate the form and character of coaching inns and garden suites. Tuesday`s unanimous council vote at City Hall capped more than a year of extensive studies on high school apartments with the urgent goal of creating more affordable housing for Chilliwack. “Given the number of existing units, the need for affordable housing and staff shortages, enforcement and compliance could be approved as early as summer apartments in all single-family homes, which could result in apartment closures. While secondary apartments are permitted, residents are reminded that no secondary apartment is legal unless it is built with a building permit and meets the British Columbia Building and Fire Code and current flood control requirements. In the future, homes that intend to accommodate a secondary apartment will need to obtain all necessary permits and permits and comply with the British Columbia Building and Fire Code, municipal by-laws and other applicable legislation. New side apartments will not be permitted below flood construction levels under the Floodplain Regulation Regulation, but discounts may be considered as an alternative rental option. New secondary suites will not be allowed in flooded areas, but transport houses could be considered as an alternative rental option. Secondary apartments are now allowed in most of Chilliwack`s single-family home-dominated neighborhoods. The very first thing to consider when installing a secondary suite is zoning on your property.

Many properties in Chilliwack are not zoned to allow for a rental suite, especially when housed in a separate garage, store, or farm building. Whether your home is located on the ALR or in a suburb of Chilliwack, it`s worth having someone who knows how to navigate zoning permits review your plans before starting a renovation only to discover that your rental suite isn`t legal. If the secondary suite is attached to your home as a basement suite, upstairs suite or other, it is important to consider how its layout will affect your living space. If the suite entrance is shared with your living space, make sure you have a security and privacy solution in mind. Ask yourself questions such as shared areas and who is responsible for maintaining those areas. In the past, secondary apartments were limited to the use of family members of the owners. Now they can be rented by non-family people in a single-family home, or separately as in the case of a post shed, garden suite or driveway in R1A zones. Chilliwack is advocating for sweeping changes to its secondary apartment policies to create more affordable rental housing. The existing secondary apartments, estimated to number more than 1,200, will not be subject to code violations or fines, as city officials will not search for them if they were built before May 15, 2018.

Counsel. Popove asked if city officials would “look for” existing rental apartments. The “hope” is that the new policy “will align these suites,” he noted. In the past, second leases in Chilliwack were permitted only to a limited extent through zoning or in comprehensive development areas. Under the new secondary apartment policy, the City will not seek existing secondary apartments that may have been constructed outside the scope of British Columbia`s Building and Fire Code bylaws prior to May 15, 2018. As a result, the City will no longer respond to general complaints about rental apartments, but officials will continue to respond to emergencies and potential hazards. If you`re planning to host a tenant suite in your new home, or if you`re planning to renovate your existing property to accommodate a tenant suite, it`s important to know what to consider for Chilliwack Secondary Suites. A secondary apartment can be a great way to save money on a mortgage and enjoy the space in your home, and at Stattonrock Design + Build, our extensive experience in custom renovations has led us to know what to consider when planning a secondary apartment for a Chilliwack home. “In order to maintain and increase the supply of available and affordable housing, the City of Chilliwack has amended its zoning bylaws to allow for the rental of second homes in the R1-A (One Family) residential zone,” according to a press release from the City of Chilliwack.

Policy changes are planned for zoning, parking, enforcement and fees, as well as existing apartments to support and streamline the development of second-unit rental units on a larger scale. If you would like to know more about what you should consider for Chilliwack Secondary Suites, or if you would like to know more about Stattonrock Design + Build`s services, please contact us and we will get back to you with the information you need. City officials will no longer respond to complaints about illegal rental housing, but will continue to respond to emergencies and concerns about dangers. While secondary apartments are permitted, residents are reminded that no secondary apartment is technically legal unless it has been built with a building permit and meets the current requirements of the British Columbia Building and Fire Code and current flood control requirements. The new suite policy will not make existing suites compliant, but will specify what is permitted and where. At this stage, it is being considered to reconcile illegal apartments to include zoning change. In order to maintain and increase the supply of available and affordable housing, the City of Chilliwack has adopted a policy (the Secondary Apartment Policy) that allows for the rental of secondary housing in any single-family home in the city, regardless of the area of ownership. Further zoning by-law amendments resulted in sheds and garden suites being included as permitted uses in the R1-A (One Family) residential zone.