Secondary Suites Program Initial Enrollment Window Extended
Council has extended the enrollment window for Registered Suites until May 16, 2024. A Registered Suite is an existing suite that was built outside the official building process and without permits. Homeowners with existing suites in their current condition now are required to register by May 16, 2024.
Once registered in the program, the City of Mission may not respond to complaints about these suites unless there are life-safety issues.
One of the key objectives of the City’s Secondary Suites Program is to have all existing suites in Mission registered. After the enrollment window closes on May 16, 2024, homeowners who have not registered their suite will only be able to enroll Certified Suites, which require all City of Mission and BC Building Code permits and approvals.
All secondary suites in the community must be registered with the City of Mission.
Secondary suites play an important role in the housing continuum in Mission by offering a relatively affordable option for renters and the potential for additional income for homeowners.
What Is a Secondary Suite?
A Secondary Suite is a self-contained living space that is located in a single family home and forms part of the same real estate entity. The existence of a secondary suite is not determined by the payment of rent nor determined by who occupies the space, including family members. If an independent residence exists, then a secondary suite exists.
A secondary suite is not the same as a coach home or garden cottage which are considered detached secondary dwellings. Suites are not permitted in townhouses or rowhomes.
Types of Suites
There are two types of suites in Mission:
Certified Suite
- Suites that have followed the process of legalization through a building permit application.
- These suites conform to all provisions of the City bylaws including the requirements for off-street parking.
Registered Suite
- Although known by the City, these suites have not been confirmed as meeting all City bylaws and or Building Code requirements. This type of suite can only be obtained during the initial enrollment window, which has been extended to May 15, 2024.
Should the City becomes aware of an unregistered suite, either through a Bylaw complaint or other means, a thorough investigation will be conducted by Bylaws to determine whether a suite decommission permit is required.
Secondary Suite and Utility fees
An annual secondary suite fee of $60 and applicable utility user fees will be applied to the property tax notice. The $60 fee is being collected to support the administration and response to issues related to secondary suites.
Utilities
Where an owner of a property has a registered secondary suite, utility charges for that property will be applied to the property’s tax notice based on the flat rate consumption charge of two single dwelling units.
This billing is intended to reflect on the use of the land from a utility consumption standpoint only. Find out more about secondary suite utility billing.
Building a New Suite
Installation of a new or recommissioning of secondary suite requires registration and an application to the City’s Building Division to ensure compliance with Building Code and City bylaws. Information is available at mission.ca/permits.
Exemptions
A property owner may be eligible to apply annually to exempt their suite from additional utility charges provided:
- The property owner uses the secondary unit for their personal use; or,
- A parent or child are occupying the suite.
An exemption must be renewed annually and covers a calendar year ( January 1 to December 31), or when ownership changes.
The exemption is applied to the property owner, not the property itself. Exemptions are void at date of the sale. It is the seller’s responsibility to inform potential buyers of the exemption and that the new owners are responsible to apply for the exemption if they are eligible.
Suite Decommission
If a homeowner wishes to decommission an existing secondary suite, they must complete the following form. Secondary suite decommission will be confirmed through an inspection of the property by a Bylaw Officer.
As a secondary suite is defined as self-contained living space that is accessory to, and within, a single family home, and forms part of the same real estate entity, decommissioning requires that the home function as one unit with free flowing access throughout. Find out the steps to decommission on the form.
Misidentified Suite
There may be instances where the City has record that there is a suite in a property when there is not. If this is the case, property owners are invited to complete the misidentified suites form. During this process, Bylaws will come by to do an inspection.
See the Boards from the Information Session
The City of Mission held a drop-in Information Session on Feb. 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Best Western. See the boards that were shared.