15/08/2026
An illegal secondary suite in BC does not usually fail the way people expect. It doesn't fall down. It doesn't burn. It quietly costs the homeowner six figures on the insurance claim, the mortgage renewal, or the sale — years after the drywall went up.
New video today on what makes a suite legal in British Columbia, and what happens when it isn't.
Nine checks, in order:
1. Ceiling height under BC Building Code Section 9.37 — 2.0 metres, with a 1.95 metre alternate compliance path for existing dwelling conversions
2. Egress window in every bedroom — 0.35 square metres minimum unobstructed opening, no dimension under 380 millimetres
3. Fire separation between the primary dwelling and the suite — three legal paths, from 15 minutes with photoelectric interconnected alarms up to 45 minutes without
4. Parking, after Bill 44 removed off-street minimums within 400 metres of frequent transit on June 30, 2024
5. A separate, self-contained entrance
6. Permits, staged inspections, and a final Occupancy Permit
7. Insurance disclosure — the single most common way an unpermitted suite hurts a homeowner
8. CMHC's 100 percent rental-income rule on legal owner-occupied two-unit properties
9. Bill 44 itself — what it required municipalities to permit, and what it did not do
Every figure sourced to BC Building Code, BC Housing, CMHC, or a municipal bylaw. Vancouver Island focus, code applies BC-wide.
