Basement Renovation - Legal Vs Personal Use
Hi All,
I have a question regarding the basement renovation with Personal use vs legal basement permits.
I am located in Toronto. Ideally, I would like to finish the basement with all required permits and use it for Airbnb, the basement has a separate side entrance.
I have received quotes from contractors to build a legal basement, however in Toronto if you have a legal basement it is treated as a separate unit & you cannot use it for short-term rentals (<28 days). So, I would ideally want the basement built to "legal basement" specifications minus the kitchen (so that it is not treated as a separate unit) and get permits for personal use from the city. The reason behind this is - if in the future I decide to get a legal basement approved by the city I would be able to do so with minimum expense. However, I worry that if I propose this to the contractor I might not be a good judge of what they are doing is going to be legal proof in the future.
1. What's the best way to tackle this situation?
2. Can I get legal basement permits, have the basement built to code without a kitchen, and then go to the city to convert it to personal use?
This is what the city's website says about short-term rentals-
"You can host a short-term rental in a secondary suite or laneway suite, as long as the suite is your principal residence.
A secondary suite is a self-contained and separate living accommodation where food preparation and sanitary facilities are provided for the exclusive use of the occupants. This is located within a larger house (for example, a basement apartment).
A laneway suite is a self-contained residential unit located on the same lot as a larger house, and generally located in the rear yard. A laneway suite must be next to a public laneway.
If you reside in the main portion of house, you are not permitted to separately short-term rent the secondary suite or laneway suite." - https://www.toronto.ca/community-people ... ors-hosts/
I have a question regarding the basement renovation with Personal use vs legal basement permits.
I am located in Toronto. Ideally, I would like to finish the basement with all required permits and use it for Airbnb, the basement has a separate side entrance.
I have received quotes from contractors to build a legal basement, however in Toronto if you have a legal basement it is treated as a separate unit & you cannot use it for short-term rentals (<28 days). So, I would ideally want the basement built to "legal basement" specifications minus the kitchen (so that it is not treated as a separate unit) and get permits for personal use from the city. The reason behind this is - if in the future I decide to get a legal basement approved by the city I would be able to do so with minimum expense. However, I worry that if I propose this to the contractor I might not be a good judge of what they are doing is going to be legal proof in the future.
1. What's the best way to tackle this situation?
2. Can I get legal basement permits, have the basement built to code without a kitchen, and then go to the city to convert it to personal use?
This is what the city's website says about short-term rentals-
"You can host a short-term rental in a secondary suite or laneway suite, as long as the suite is your principal residence.
A secondary suite is a self-contained and separate living accommodation where food preparation and sanitary facilities are provided for the exclusive use of the occupants. This is located within a larger house (for example, a basement apartment).
A laneway suite is a self-contained residential unit located on the same lot as a larger house, and generally located in the rear yard. A laneway suite must be next to a public laneway.
If you reside in the main portion of house, you are not permitted to separately short-term rent the secondary suite or laneway suite." - https://www.toronto.ca/community-people ... ors-hosts/