Secondary Suites in West Kelowna

[waterwings]

Homes are built for a laundry area (220 amps) and kitchen (220 amps). Having a second stove or dryer not using 220 amps is a fire hazard and wear and tear on infrastructure. Ambulances: more are needed on a base of 30,000 instead of 20,000. Same with police and all social services. Lets see water services 4 adults use more wate than 2 adults. It isn't the monthly costs. It is the cost of taxpayers paying for municipal costs. If a homeowner wants a suite they should be just as responsible for the second household municipal costs as the single home is. Just saying

[graham2007]

Grammafreddy im all for voicing my opinion, if you have any insight as to who this can be directed to i would appreciate it.. maybe if its posted on here everyone who is on this post can voice there opinion as well..
I think this is going to lead to a serious problem down the road if a bunch of places are getting shut down. For both sides the homeowners and renter..
If i can get some more info on this topic i think there should be some media pressure put on.. as i have posted earlier if someone has a good safe, clean place thats up to building code not just whatever code The District Of West kelowna feels like implying, then i dont see the harm in having a rental suite.
As i have also posted earlier i did bought a home with a suite and made my own improvments up to code not cause i was forced to but because i felt that was my duty if i was renting out my suite. My suit has two ways to exit, all electrical is up to code with a second panel for the extra 220v appliances. I am no longer renting this out now either but i can appreciate those who do have suites in there house, just cause they are not deemed legal really is not a bad thing either..

[beancounter]

I'm all for this, and I don't think it will be long before neighbouring cities follow suit. We have lived next to a home that has had an absentee landlord and have put up with an endless stream of drunken partiers, dope dealers, you name it. That homeowner has done absolutely nothing to merit his rent, and has contributed even less to his neighborhood. Even in situations where the homeowner is living on site, I have no problem with them having to invest some of that rent money they have and are collecting back into their property to make it secure for someone to live in. They are gaining financially on it, so their places should be up to code. I went with my daughter looking at rental accommodation and couldn't believe what some landlords try to pass off as acceptable, and they certainly weren't much (or any) cheaper than others. Of course, the worst of them wanted their rent in cash, so they aren't even paying their fair share towards the infrastructure.
There are a lot of suites out there that should not be rented out, and I would have a big problem with a municipality that ignored this. The first fatality in one of these death traps due to no safe exit, fireguards or smoke detectors and everyone would be screaming "Why is the allowed?". DWK is in the process of addressing affordable housing but rezoning areas within close proximity to transit and services to compact housing, changing the OCP to allow coach houses, etc. Adapting this secondary suite policy is also part of that process. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be safe, and I really think that is what this about.

[shaq]

When we bought our house many years ago we had 3 kids, there is absolutly no extra amount added once a tenant moves in. All 3 kids are gone and say one tenant is lving in the suite. My kids used up far more electricity, garbage, heat etc than one renter would,
I agree its a non issue.

I like the idea of all of us on this forum become a group ready to rally and fight DWK should this continue to be an issue. The lady I referred to earlier who has been busted by DWK is now being forced to evict her tenant or take out the stove OR make it lega which she cannot afford to do ebcause she is unemployed. SO, therefore now needing to sell her home in the next few months.
Pretty much ruled by government again!

[shaq]

When we bought our house many years ago we had 3 kids, there is absolutly no extra amount added once a tenant moves in. All 3 kids are gone and say one tenant is lving in the suite. My kids used up far more electricity, garbage, heat etc than one renter would,
I agree its a non issue.

I like the idea of all of us on this forum become a group ready to rally and fight DWK should this continue to be an issue. The lady I referred to earlier who has been busted by DWK is now being forced to evict her tenant or take out the stove OR make it lega which she cannot afford to do ebcause she is unemployed. SO, therefore now needing to sell her home in the next few months.
Pretty much ruled by government again!

[mexi cali]

When we bought our house many years ago we had 3 kids, there is absolutly no extra amount added once a tenant moves in. All 3 kids are gone and say one tenant is lving in the suite. My kids used up far more electricity, garbage, heat etc than one renter would,
I agree its a non issue.

I like the idea of all of us on this forum become a group ready to rally and fight DWK should this continue to be an issue. The lady I referred to earlier who has been busted by DWK is now being forced to evict her tenant or take out the stove OR make it lega which she cannot afford to do ebcause she is unemployed. SO, therefore now needing to sell her home in the next few months.
Pretty much ruled by government again!

So, if it doesn't work out for you, it's BS?

[SunviewGuy]

So how many realize mayor and council are proposing to amend the secondary suites bylaw to "remove the requirement for owner occupancy as a condition of suite eligibility"

That is, approval of absentee landlords.

This has already had the final readings and will be the subject of a public hearing on October 23.

Details on the West Kelowna website.

[OnTheRoadAgain]

there are a lot of variables to that though...

owner gives manager rent deduction to take over landlord duties;
owner's familiy lives in one suite;
owner checks on property bi-weekly or monthly;
owner hires management company;
owner disappears and tenants are fine;
owner disappears and tenants to wild;

[mexi cali]

Recipe for disaster. Streets that are already on their way down the toilet will have the seat slammed shut.

Look around. Sad but true.

[beancounter]

Not only are they about to vote - TONIGHT - on removing the owner occupancy requirement, they are also about to pass the removal of S Designation for those that have taken the trouble to legalize their suites, AND to require an annual business license for all suite owners. Not at all looking like the original plan which was drafted, and looking a lot more like the plan Kelowna is going with. All this has gone on, somewhat quietly, within the last month. In order to oppose this, you must write a letter to be received prior to 4:00 pm TODAY, or attend the meeting tonight. Hope West Kelowna homeowners are aware of this!!

[youhavegottobekidding]

What I really do not like is ALL those cars, trucks, vans etc etc etc, parked on the streets, on both sides and have to squeeze yourself by them. Some park in front of your house and their leaky oil pans are leaking oil all over the street in front of your house. It looks like hell when they leave. If you have a rental, part of the laws should be that those renting have a PARKING SPACE ON THE PROPERTY THEY ARE RENTING..............NOT the street or in front of the neighbors house. Doesn't that make sense? You can usually tell it is a renter's home, as the lawn is never cut, weeds all over the place, it just isn't being taken care of. Does not make our neighborhood look very nice with all this mess wherever you look.

[Ken7]

I did not read all of this, however it may answer some of your questions.

http://www.districtofwestkelowna.ca/index.aspx?page=676

http://www.districtofwestkelowna.ca/Mod ... entid=4802

[fall]

What I really do not like is ALL those cars, trucks, vans etc etc etc, parked on the streets, on both sides and have to squeeze yourself by them. Some park in front of your house and their leaky oil pans are leaking oil all over the street in front of your house. It looks like hell when they leave. If you have a rental, part of the laws should be that those renting have a PARKING SPACE ON THE PROPERTY THEY ARE RENTING..............NOT the street or in front of the neighbors house. Doesn't that make sense? You can usually tell it is a renter's home, as the lawn is never cut, weeds all over the place, it just isn't being taken care of. Does not make our neighborhood look very nice with all this mess wherever you look.

Yeah I agree my street is lined with vehicles and gets so bad at times people are parking four houses down the road from theirs because of clogged street parking. Also yes the lawns are never cut and they look trashy, Yes there is oil all over the roads. The area I am in is full of illegal suites. That is where places like wilden can be nice with some rules for keeping a neighbourhood looking a little nicer, I always thought how ridiculous it sounded until living in an area with so many suites and vehichles. It doesnt really bother me but is impossible not to see!

[Ken7]

Yeah I agree my street is lined with vehicles and gets so bad at times people are parking four houses down the road from theirs because of clogged street parking. Also yes the lawns are never cut and they look trashy, Yes there is oil all over the roads. The area I am in is full of illegal suites. That is where places like wilden can be nice with some rules for keeping a neighbourhood looking a little nicer, I always thought how ridiculous it sounded until living in an area with so many suites and vehichles. It doesnt really bother me but is impossible not to see!

That is the trouble with "high density living". What occurs is the owner first lives in the main home. After they increase their financial ability they build a second home. The vacate the primary residence and they rent both dwellings out. It now is rent town and the same level of care is not there. You end up with what you see!!

We have a street just west on where I live, 90 % rental property and you can see quite a difference from our street which is 99% owned.

[797hauler]

Yeah I agree my street is lined with vehicles and gets so bad at times people are parking four houses down the road from theirs because of clogged street parking. Also yes the lawns are never cut and they look trashy, Yes there is oil all over the roads. The area I am in is full of illegal suites. That is where places like wilden can be nice with some rules for keeping a neighbourhood looking a little nicer, I always thought how ridiculous it sounded until living in an area with so many suites and vehichles. It doesnt really bother me but is impossible not to see!

It all depends on how EVERBODY in the community keeps it, I personally rented a short term unit from a friend of mine who is one of kelownas larger developers, the unit itself had a suite in the basement. and If I recall correctly. -10 homes out of the 20-25 homes had a suite, all were rented out. There was no over grown grass, or oil stains that you speak of. people respected the area( maybe cause it was brandnew? ) not sure. but everybody did their part and the area looked nice and I would say it would have been hard to pick out which houses had a suite and which one didnt...