Took me 3 MONTHS to get my Edmonton basement suite occupancy permit sorted

I finished my basement suite reno back in February and thought I had everything ready. But the city kept sending me back for stupid little things like the vent clearance being 2 inches off. I had to pay my contractor to come back THREE separate times over 3 months just to fix small code issues. The worst part was waiting 6 weeks just to get a follow up inspection scheduled. Has anyone else dealt with the city dragging their feet on secondary suite permits? I'm this close to just renting it out under the table.

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_hunt1mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh, the "vent clearance being 2 inches off" part really got me. That is the exact kind of petty thing that drives you crazy after spending so much money and time. I went through something similar with my own place a few years back. It is not just the money for the contractor coming back, it is the feeling that you are being punished for trying to do things the right way. I get why you are tempted to just skip the permit, but honestly, the stress of getting caught and having to rip it all out later is probably worse than dealing with the city's nonsense.

abby_king221mo ago

Hang on though, is it really that serious? I mean, how often does the city actually come knocking on someone's door to check a bathroom vent? I've seen people do way sketchier stuff with their wiring and nothing ever happened. Plus a two inch difference isn't going to cause a fire or anything dramatic. Seems like a lot of stress and money for something that's basically cosmetic. I'd just let it slide and save the headache for something that actually matters.