Secondary suites application deadline is approaching

June 15, 2010

(Red Deer, Alberta) – The City is reminding residents/owners with secondary suites the July 1 deadline to register your suite is fast approaching. Owners of illegal suites in Red Deer will face financial penalties if they don't obtain permits by the July 1 deadline.

"We are giving the opportunity for owners of existing secondary suites to make application and hope people will come in voluntarily," said Joyce Boon, Manager of Inspections and Licensing with The City of Red Deer. “If secondary suite owners do not get their development permit applications in to The City by the July 1 deadline, owners could face penalties of several hundreds of dollars a day.” said Boon.

As long as a suite owner has registered an application with The City, the owner will not be subject to penalties.

“For the last six months we have been encouraging secondary suite owners to come forward and start the application process,” said Beth McLachlan with Inspections and Licensing. “The City still maintains that our number one concern is the safety of residents. Having the time limit application process allows Inspections & Licensing to start the process to make sure suites in Red Deer meet the Safety Codes Act as well as the Land Use Bylaw as soon as possible.”

On December 15, 2009 City Council approved changes to the Land Use Bylaw to allow secondary suites. The Bylaw amendments expanded the allowance of secondary suites as a discretionary use into all established and new city residential neighbourhoods thereby creating more choices in the range of housing options and ensuring that suites meet the provincial fire and building code regulations.

We encourage all secondary suite owners to make your application and we thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work through this process.

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For more information, please contact:

Beth McLachlan
Inspections and Licensing
The City of Red Deer
403-342-8208