Second Units
A second unit (i.e. basement apartment) is only permitted if it is registered with the City of Brampton. The registration process exists to ensure that the safety of the City’s residents and its workers is upheld.
A second unit is a self-contained apartment with a separate entrance (which may be through another unit), consisting of a room or rooms in a detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling. A second unit contains its own cooking, bathing and sleeping areas.
Second Unit Registration
In order to register a second unit, the unit must comply with the requirements set out in the Second Unit Registration By-law. A second unit that does not comply with the Zoning By-law, Building Code, Fire Code and Electrical Safety Code will not be permitted.
In general, a second unit shall not be permitted within a lodging house (see below for information about lodging houses), group home or an accessory building; and a maximum of one second unit is permitted per dwelling.
All second units must be registered with the City of Brampton, including all those previously deemed as Legal Non-Conforming.
Contact the Building Division prior to beginning construction for a second unit, or for information pertaining to the second unit registration process.
Lodging Houses
(Also commonly referred to as rooming, boarding, or multi-tenant houses)
Landlords are permitted by the City of Brampton Zoning By-law to provide residential accommodation to any group of persons living together as a single housekeeping or household unit.
Single-room accommodations are permitted to be offered without a licence for up to four (4) lodgers, in up to four (4) bedrooms per dwelling unit. If a property is registered as a two-unit dwelling, this shall apply separately to each unit. These policies are intended to make units safe, legal, and livable for occupants.
Please note that the number of occupants alone, or their relationship with one another, does not constitute a contravention of the Zoning By-law. The Ontario Planning Act does not grant authority for a municipality to pass a by-law that has the effect of distinguishing between persons that are related and persons that are unrelated in respect of the occupancy or use of a building. As such, there is no effect on the legality of accommodations being provided.
The Planning Act also requires that an officer have reasonable grounds to believe that a by-law passed under the Act is being contravened before entering and inspecting a property. Therefore, if a resident believes a violation has occurred, detailed information should be provided about the specific use and violation, as well as the manner in which this information became known.
If there are by-law contraventions related to the exterior use or maintenance, please contact 3-1-1 to submit the offence-specific complaint.
Rights and Responsibilities of Tenants and Landlords
The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) sets out the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants of residential properties in Ontario. It provides rules for increasing rent, evicting a tenant, maintenance, and more. Under the RTA, the Landlord and Tenant Board was created to resolve disputes between tenants and their landlords.
Students and Landlords
There are many reputable platforms to find legal rental accommodations in Brampton. Sheridan College has partnered with Place4Students to provide students and landlords in the City of Brampton with a free service platform to post and browse safe, available, and vetted rental accommodations.
Students can search verified listings, find preferred roommates, and post sublet listings.
Landlords can create and post free rental listings for students with access to many tools such as Google Maps, live up-to-date databases, descriptive listings with photos, floor plans, and customer service support.
Sheridan College has also partnered with Canada Homestay Network (CHN) to offer an all-inclusive housing option for students. Students that choose a homestay with CHN can become a member of the family they with, and part of the community in which they live.