Download Secondary Suite Program Brochure - The Corporation of ...

Secondary Suite Program
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(For Existing Suites)
Protect your investment. Legalize your suite.
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In 2010, Mayor and Council established regulations that legalize
secondary suites in single family dwellings in Delta.
This brochure provides homeowners with an overview of Delta’s
requirements for secondary suites and the steps to legalize an existing
secondary suite.
This brochure is for general guidance only, and does not
replace bylaws and legal documents such as Delta’s Zoning
Bylaw or the BC Building Code.
WHAT IS A SECONDARY SUITE?
A secondary suite is a self-contained area within a single family dwelling
containing cooking facilities, a living/sleeping area and a bathroom.
A secondary suite can include common areas with the rest of the house
such as a laundry room.
FREE INSPECTIONS
UNTIL JANUARY 31, 2014!
Council waived the fees for the first inspection of an existing secondary
suite (which would determine the necessary building upgrades required
to legalize your suite), and the follow-up
re-inspection, until January 31, 2014.
This incentive program translates into savings of
$250.
A $300 utility fee reduction has also been
approved for secondary suites that have a Final
Occupancy Permit. The reduction will be
prorated from the date the permit is issued.

HOW DO I LEGALIZE MY SECONDARY SUITE?
REGISTRATION
1. Complete the Corporation of Delta’s Registration Form included in
the centerfold of this booklet. The form can also be downloaded from
Delta’s website and is also available at Delta Municipal Hall.
2. Submit one copy of a Floor Plan (included in the centerfold of this
booklet). A Floor Plan will outline such items as room names and
dimensions, interior and exterior doors, and window sizes and
locations.
A complete criteria list of the Floor Plan and its requirements are
available on Delta’s website. If there are secondary suite restrictions
registered on the title of your property, you may contact Community
Planning and Development at 604-946-3380 to determine the process
to remove these restrictions.
INSPECTION
3. Once the Corporation of Delta has processed your Registration
Form and Floor Plan, an appointment to conduct an inspection of your
secondary suite will be scheduled. The Building Inspector will check
your secondary suite to confirm that it meets all requirements. If the
inspection reveals that additional work needs to be completed to meet
the requirements, a re-inspection will be necessary.
FINAL OCCUPANCY PERMIT
4. Once the Inspector is satisfied that your secondary suite meets all
the requirements, the Corporation of Delta will issue a Final Occupancy
Permit and add the information about the secondary suite to its
Secondary Suite Registry database. The registry lists all legal secondary
suites in Delta.
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT
LEGALIZE YOUR SUITE

WHAT ARE DELTA’S REQUIREMENTS
FOR SECONDARY SUITES?
Secondary suites are permitted in principal buildings in all single family
(RS) zones, with the exception of the RS9 zone which already allows a
detached secondary suite, also known as a Coach House. Secondary
suites are also permitted in the RD1, RD2, RM1, RM5 and RM6 zones
for single family dwellings only, not for duplexes or other multi-family
buildings. To determine your property zone, contact Community
Planning and Development at 604-946-3380.
Delta placed a number of conditions on the legalization of secondary
suites, including:
Maximum of one secondary suite within a single
family dwelling. This helps to ensure the preservation of
the character of single family residential neighbourhoods.
No separate address will be assigned for secondary
suites.
The secondary suite uses the same address as the principal
dwelling with the addition of the letter “B” to distinguish the
two dwelling units.
An indicator must be placed on the front of the principal
dwelling unit to show where the secondary suite exists on
the property. This allows emergency personnel quick access
when responding to various emergency situations.
The floor area of the secondary suite must be
between a minimum of 33 m 2 (355 ft 2 ) and a
maximum of 90 m 2 (968 ft 2 ) and cover no more than
40% of the total habitable floor space of the entire dwelling.
All single family homes with a secondary suite
require at least three off-street parking spaces.
Home occupations are limited to businesses that do
not generate traffic, for both the principal dwelling unit
and the secondary suite.
Boarders and lodgers are not permitted in a single
family house that contains a secondary suite.

EXISTING SECONDARY SUITE FLOOR PLAN
NAME: ___________________________________ ADDRESS: ___________________________________
DATE: ____________________________________ PHONE NUMBER: ____________________________
SQUARE FOOTAGE OF SUITE: ___________________
SQUARE FOOTAGE OF HOUSE: __________________
SAMPLE
Draw a floor plan of your Secondary Suite using the paper provided.
Items that need to be included are as follows:
Please note: measurements can be either (imperial or metric)
Overall area of secondary suite
Dimensions and names for each room in suite
Window(s) locations and sizes (Height & Width)
Door(s) locations and sizes (Interior & Exterior)
Wall locations
For further assistance please contact the Secondary Suite Department at
604-952-3159 or email suites@delta.ca
Form SS002 - 20130123

EXISTING SECONDARY SUITE REGISTRATION FORM
ADDRESS: _________________________________________________
The following constitutes the requirements to register an existing secondary suite in The Corporation of Delta:
The secondary suite must meet the British Columbia Building Code and Delta Building/Plumbing Bylaw No. 6060, 2002
requirements for health, fire and life safety.
Zoning must permit a secondary suite as an accessory to the principal 'Dwelling, Single Family'. Secondary suites are permitted in all
single family zones with the exception of the RS9 zone, which allows a detached secondary suite also known as a Coach House.
NOTE: Secondary suites are also permitted in the RD1, RD2, RM1, RM5 and RM6 zones for single family dwellings only.
Secondary suites are not permitted in duplexes or other multi-family buildings.
Only ONE secondary suite is permitted on the property.
The floor area of the secondary suite must be between a minimum of 33 m 2 (355 ft 2 ) and a maximum of 90 m 2 (968 ft 2 ) and cover no
more than 40% of the total habitable floor space of the entire dwelling.
Boarders and lodgers are not permitted in a single family house that contains a secondary suite.
Home occupations are limited to businesses that do not generate traffic for both the principal dwelling and the secondary suite.
Permission is required in writing from the property owner to operate a home occupation in a secondary suite.
One additional off-street parking space must be provided for the secondary suite, in addition to the two spaces required for the
principal dwelling.
I hereby declare that I have read and understood the foregoing requirements to lawfully register a secondary suite on the subject
property. I agree to abide by The Corporation of Delta and Provincial regulations regarding this suite, otherwise I understand that
I may be liable to legal proceedings by The Corporation of Delta to the full extent of the law.
____________________________
ADDRESS (Mailing Address)
____________________ ____________________________
APPLICATION DATE OWNER’S NAME (Please Print)
_____________________ _____________________________
PHONE NUMBER OWNER’S SIGNATURE
The Corporation of Delta
Property Use & Compliance Division
4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent
Delta, BC V4K 3E2
T 604-952-3159 F 604-952-3803 suites@delta.ca
www.delta.ca Form SS001 - 20130123

WHAT ARE THE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS?
FIRE SAFETY
In order to restrict the spread of fire and smoke, and to provide the
occupants a safe exit from the building in an emergency situation, an
approved fire separation must be installed between the suite and the
principal dwelling.
A fire separation is a construction assembly that acts as a barrier against
the spread of smoke and fire. Wall and floor systems that are shared by
both the suite and the remainder of the house must include a fire
separation.
A 30 minute fire separation rating is achieved by:
For walls: one layer of 12.7 mm (1/2") regular drywall on
each side of the wall.
For ceilings: one layer of 12.7 mm (1/2") Type X drywall or
two layers of 12.7 mm (1/2") regular drywall or one layer of
15.9 mm (5/8") regular drywall.
Your Building Inspector can assist you in determining how you might
achieve the required fire separation rating.

SAFE EXITING
Doors: Both the secondary suite and the main house must each have
at least one exit door that is at least 800 mm (2'8") wide and 1,980 mm
(6'6") high. The door must be equipped with an approved deadbolt lock.
Shared Exits: Exit corridors, stairways or exterior passageways
shared by the suite and the main house must be at least 860 mm (2'10")
wide. It must be possible to travel from the suite door in opposite
directions to two separate exits.
A single exit is acceptable if both the suite and the main house have
either a separate exit or a window with an opening, which is a minimum
of 1 m (3'3") high, 0.55 m (1'10") wide and less than 1 m (3'3") above the
floor.
Bedroom Windows: Each bedroom must have a window, openable
to the outside, to provide a second means of escape in case of fire.
The window opening must be a minimum of 0.35 m 2 (3.76 ft 2 ) in area
with no dimension less than 381 mm (15"). The window must be
openable from the inside without any special tools or knowledge.
Security bars are not permitted.

SMOKE ALARMS
Smoke alarms are required on each floor level and within 500 cm (16'
5") of each bedroom in the house and secondary suite.
To provide early warning to occupants, hard wired photoelectric type
smoke alarms are required in the house and the suite, in addition to any
existing smoke alarms.
The additional smoke alarms must be interconnected so that the
activation of one smoke alarm will cause the other alarms to sound.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors:
For homes with forced-air gas furnaces and/or gas
water heaters, a carbon monoxide detector must be
installed adjacent to the sleeping areas in both the
principal dwelling and the secondary suite.
To ensure the alarm can be heard, the detector
should be located not more than 5 m (16 ft) from a
sleeping area.
HEATING SYSTEMS
Each room in the secondary suite must have a permanent heating
source. Existing secondary suites that are heated with a common forced
air system may apply for an equivalent approach to meet this Building
Code requirement as follows:
An additional interconnected photoelectric smoke alarm in
the furnace room.
A relay to shut down the furnace fan if the alarm is activated.
Fire dampers for heat ducts and cold air return where they
penetrate the wall or ceiling membrane.
GAS AND ELECTRICAL
Electrical permits must be obtained from the BC Safety Authority:
1-866-566-7233 or www.safetyauthority.ca

Visit us online or call us for more information
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WWW.DELTA.CA/SUITES
IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION
Secondary Suite Hotline: 604-952-3159
Bylaw Enforcement: 604-946-3340
Community Planning & Development: 604-946-3380
BC Safety Authority: 1-866-566-7233
You may mail or drop off your Registration Form and Floor Plan at
the following locations:
THE CORPORATION OF DELTA
MUNICIPAL HALL
4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent
Delta, BC V4K 3E2
NORTH DELTA RECREATION CENTRE
11415 84 Avenue
Delta, BC V4C 2L9
You may also fax this information to The Corporation of Delta at
604-952-3803 or email the forms to suites@delta.ca.