Landlords glad to see Calgary's secondary suite process reformed

Calgary has rolled out a new system that makes it easier for homeowners to apply for secondary suites, and some landlords say they're excited to see the process reformed.

Tanya Horsfall said when she moved into her home in McKenzie Towne 20 years ago, she put in a full suite in the basement but didn't apply for a permit, because she felt if she showed up to argue her case in front of city council, her neighbours would show up and torpedo the application.

• New secondary suite rules rolled out at city hall

Twiceshe rented out her suite with a kitchen, and twice, it was shut down by bylaw enforcement after neighbours complained, so she ended up pulling the kitchen out.

"Since then I haven't put in a sink or stove or anything like that, but I have continued to rent it out," she said.

Horsfell said she was frustrated by the complaints, especially because when she first bought her home, she purchased it in the hopes of renting out the basement.

"I thought it was a shame, especially since I didn't stop renting out the suite. It just affected the quality of the tenants I could attract and the amount of rent that I made. However that was the bylaws of the time but I'm very excited about the new changes."

Now, she plans on applying for the appropriate permits, so she can re-add a sink and stove to her basement in the coming months and hopefully open her property up to more renters.

The new rules make secondary suites a discretionary use, and those who apply have to seek the approval of the city's planning department, not council.

"I'm very excited about these changes. It means a lot to Calgarians who need affordable housing. We definitely have a crisis with affordable housing in this city," she said.

'It was quite a process'

Humaira Palibrodahas been a landlord to two secondary suites for more than 20 years, and both properties are already licensed under the old legislation.

"It was quite a process and it took a substantial amount of inconvenience as well as cost and time," Palibroda said.

As part of the process, she ensured that all of the windows were large enough for people to exit the unit from and that smoke detectors were wired into the home instead of just being battery operated.

Despite going through the process the hard way, Palibrodasaid she's glad to see the change in legislation.

"I think it's a positive step because I think it makes the suites safer, and I think it makes them more marketable. And I think it will be better for tenants," she said.

But, she said she's concerned the new process won't actually lead to an increase in the number of landlords upgrading their properties.

"I hope it provides more incentives for landlords to come forth and register their suites. I don't know if it will because it's time consuming and it is expensive."

The new bylaw gives homeowners a two-year amnesty period to give them time to bring their suites up to compliance. The amnesty period officially starts June 1.

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