Secondary suite
Encyclopedia
Secondary suite is an urban planning
term for an additional separate dwelling unit on a property that would normally accommodate only one dwelling unit. A secondary suite is considered "secondary" or "accessory" to the primary residence
on the parcel. It normally has its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and living area. Such a suite often is one of the following types:
In many municipalities, secondary suites are illegal because they do not conform to the zoning
or land use
district the property is in, they have been developed without the proper permit
s, or they do not meet the local building code
. However, some localities only prohibit the renting out of secondary suites, and allow occupation by a relative or guest, leading to the use of the term "mother-in-law" house or apartment. Local jurisdictions may have rules regarding allowing certain relatives to live there and rules about what, if any, rent may be charged.
Secondary suites can also be called accessory suites.
In Honolulu, Hawaii, they are called "Ohana Dwelling Units" or "Ohana Housing". Ohana Dwellings in Hawaii were created in 1981 as a way to encourage the private sector to create more housing units (without government subsidy), preserve green fields (open space) and ease housing affordability.
Secondary suites in Santa Cruz, California and many other parts of the United States (ie. County of Maui in Hawaii), are called "Accessory Dwelling Units" or ADU's
Dual occupancy is sometimes used to refer to the development of two dwellings on one allotment of land. They may be either attached (semi-detached
) or detached. The term is common in Australia
.
that may be either completely detached (a guesthouse) or attached to a primary residence. An attached mother-in-law house often involves some spaces shared in common with an attached primary dwelling. It may, for instance, have a separate bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, while sharing a living room and laundry facilities.
Mother-in-Law houses are sometimes abbreviated as MIL
in internet or newspaper listings.
accessory to a primary residence. Alternative names include "granny flat", "granny suite","in-law suite", and "accessory apartment", the first being used primarily in Australia and Britain
, where it is the most familiar of these terms, but also in parts of the United States
. Such apartments are frequently used to accommodate an elderly relative who is not capable of living on their own, but is not ready for a nursing home
environment or other similar facility.
The apartment may or may not have a communicating door to the main house, but virtually always has a separate entrance and is usually not part of the original design. Many are located above the garage
of the main house or as a separate building in the rear yard.
provides a financial assistance program to help Canadians create affordable housing for low-income seniors and adults with a disability within a secondary suite. The program is called the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) -- Secondary/Garden Suite. The maximum fully forgivable loan depends on the location of the property:
A 25% supplement in assistance is available in remote areas.
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
term for an additional separate dwelling unit on a property that would normally accommodate only one dwelling unit. A secondary suite is considered "secondary" or "accessory" to the primary residence
Primary residence
A person's primary residence is the dwelling where they usually live, typically a house or an apartment. A person can only have one primary residence at any given time, though they may share the residence with other people...
on the parcel. It normally has its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and living area. Such a suite often is one of the following types:
- A suite above a rear detached garage,
- A suite above the main floor of a single-detached dwelling,
- A suite below the main floor of a single-detached dwelling (a "basement suite").
- A suite attached to a single-detached dwelling at grade, or
- A suite detached from the principal dwelling (a "garden suite" or "guesthouse").
In many municipalities, secondary suites are illegal because they do not conform to the zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
or land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
district the property is in, they have been developed without the proper permit
Permit
Permit may refer to:*Permit *Various legal licenses:*License*Work permit*Learner's permit*Permit to travel*Construction permit*Home Return Permit*One-way Permit*Permit is the common name for the Trachinotus falcatus, a type of Pompano....
s, or they do not meet the local building code
Building code
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the...
. However, some localities only prohibit the renting out of secondary suites, and allow occupation by a relative or guest, leading to the use of the term "mother-in-law" house or apartment. Local jurisdictions may have rules regarding allowing certain relatives to live there and rules about what, if any, rent may be charged.
Secondary suites can also be called accessory suites.
In Honolulu, Hawaii, they are called "Ohana Dwelling Units" or "Ohana Housing". Ohana Dwellings in Hawaii were created in 1981 as a way to encourage the private sector to create more housing units (without government subsidy), preserve green fields (open space) and ease housing affordability.
Secondary suites in Santa Cruz, California and many other parts of the United States (ie. County of Maui in Hawaii), are called "Accessory Dwelling Units" or ADU's
Dual occupancy is sometimes used to refer to the development of two dwellings on one allotment of land. They may be either attached (semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
) or detached. The term is common in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Mother-in-law house
A mother-in-law house is a form of guest accommodationLodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
that may be either completely detached (a guesthouse) or attached to a primary residence. An attached mother-in-law house often involves some spaces shared in common with an attached primary dwelling. It may, for instance, have a separate bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, while sharing a living room and laundry facilities.
Mother-in-Law houses are sometimes abbreviated as MIL
Mil
-Organizations:* Mapuche International Link, an organization which campaigns on behalf of the Mapuche people* Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, a UK-based body serving professional linguists worldwide...
in internet or newspaper listings.
Mother-in-law apartment
A mother-in-law apartment is a small apartmentApartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
accessory to a primary residence. Alternative names include "granny flat", "granny suite","in-law suite", and "accessory apartment", the first being used primarily in Australia and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it is the most familiar of these terms, but also in parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Such apartments are frequently used to accommodate an elderly relative who is not capable of living on their own, but is not ready for a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
environment or other similar facility.
The apartment may or may not have a communicating door to the main house, but virtually always has a separate entrance and is usually not part of the original design. Many are located above the garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
of the main house or as a separate building in the rear yard.
CMHC
The Canada Mortgage and Housing CorporationCanada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is a Crown corporation, owned by the Government of Canada, founded after World War II to provide housing for returning soldiers...
provides a financial assistance program to help Canadians create affordable housing for low-income seniors and adults with a disability within a secondary suite. The program is called the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) -- Secondary/Garden Suite. The maximum fully forgivable loan depends on the location of the property:
- Southern Areas of Canada: $24,000/unit
- Northern areas of Canada: $28,000/unit
- Far northern areas: $36,000/unit
A 25% supplement in assistance is available in remote areas.