Long-term Rental Housing Concern – Unlicensed or Unregistered (e.g. basement apartment)
Additional Residential Units (ARUs) must be registered with the City of Brampton. ARUs may also be known as basement apartments, additional dwelling units, second or third units, accessory residential units, accessory apartments, granny flats, in-law suites, garden suites, laneway suites, and/or coach houses (See list of registered ARUs). They are self-contained residential dwelling units, with their own cooking facility, sanitary facility and sleeping area, and are located either within a single detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling (attached ARU) or within an ancillary building (garden suite).
To be considered legal, these units must be registered with the City of Brampton.
- Units registered before November 16, 1995, still recognized as valid and do not need to re-register.
- Units with Legal Non-Conforming status (under Bill 120) must now register with the City following the new process, though they do not need to comply with the new Zoning By-law requirements.
- All other existing or proposed second units will be required to register and comply with the new Zoning By-law requirements for Two-unit Dwellings
The Enforcement and By-Law Services division investigates zoning violations related to second units. Any concerns about the legality of an ARU will be investigated.
Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) Pilot Program requires landlords of four or less rental housing units in Wards 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 to also be licensed by the City of Brampton. The two-year pilot program is initially focused on the five (5) ‘central’ wards where most violations have historically occurred. It aims to improve rental housing conditions by ensuring properties meet essential safety and maintenance standards. See a list of issued licenses.
For concerns about the conduct of the Residential Rental Licence (RRL) holder or if you believe the property is not being operated in accordance with a By-law, you can request a review of the licence.
Lodging Houses must be licensed by the City of Brampton: Shared accommodations do not require a license. A lodging house is where separate residential accommodations are provided to more than four individuals, each occupying separate bedrooms, and not living together as a single household. This does not include a group of people living together communally and sharing control of the property, for example a group of students or friends residing together.
For more information regarding rental accommodations, refer to Renting In Brampton.
Related Information:
Registered Additional Residential Units
