The CAO Wants a Licence for Your Mortgage Helper

Rental Licensing

He's already positioned the Bylaw Officers to do it.

If you own a basement suite, rent one, or live next door to one, this concerns you.

Saanich's Financial Plan has listed the same priority three years running: a review of "the potential of business licenses for secondary suites." The next line commits staff to seeking out unlicensed businesses and raising more licence revenue.

The department that would do it works under the direction of the Chief Administrative Officer, Brent Reems, the District's top unelected official. In 2022, Council directed staff to report on regular performance reviews of the CAO. He has never been reviewed. The department's budget has grown 42 per cent since 2023, from $3.33 million to $4.75 million.

The officers are already in place. In 2021, as Saanich's bylaw and licensing director, Reems brought Council a parking plan that added a licensing manager and three new bylaw officers. His report said it would let Saanich pursue "a licensing program for rental housing." That's a lot more than parking tickets.

The target is large. On April 27, 2026, staff told Council that more than 75 per cent of Saanich's long-term rental stock is in the secondary market, and that eight to nine thousand rented secondary suites hold no licence. Staff gave the reason: "We don't have licenses for long-term rental for secondary suites."

It is already moving. On the same night, staff described a licensing and enforcement regime for short-term rentals, with applications expected in January.

What a licence would cost you

Saanich's own website says a legal suite needs an Occupancy Permit from the Building Inspections Division, based on the BC Building Code, plus one additional onsite parking space with an energized outlet for Level 2 electric vehicle charging. That means outside designers, licensed electricians and plumbers, and Saanich permit fees that are doubled, up to $20,000 over the standard fee, when work starts before a permit is issued. One owner told Council his designer alone charged $30,000. Another told Council the work to satisfy the building and bylaw departments would cost $300,000. Legalizing an existing suite starts at about $100,000.

What the Building Code work costs

To get the occupancy permit, the Building Code requires a fire separation between the suite and the rest of the house: fire-rated drywall on the shared walls and ceiling, a fire-rated door at the shared stair, sealed openings, and interconnected smoke alarms. The permit needs drawings from an outside designer, and some suites need an engineer. These are contractors' published 2026 prices for the main items:

Item	Published range
Fire separation, materials and labour	$3,000 to $8,000
Tearing out and replacing shared walls built with ordinary drywall	$4,000 to $8,000
Interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms	$1,000 to $2,500
Designer or architect drawings	$2,000 to $15,000
Engineer	$1,500 to $6,000
Electrical: panel upgrade, plus suite sub-panel and wiring	$9,000 to $18,000
Plumbing: suite bathroom and kitchen	$20,000 to $40,000
Egress window cut into a concrete wall, with window well	$3,500 to $8,000 each
These items alone	$44,000 to $105,500

That total leaves out the third on-site parking space with its EV outlet, Saanich's permit fees, structural work, and putting the walls, ceilings and finishes back after the trades are done. That is why legalizing an existing suite starts at about $100,000.

What would it cost to make your suite legal?

Suite size (sq ft)
Year house was built
Bedrooms in suite

Your compliance estimate

Council says: $500.

▶ See everything it takes: itemsFire separation, two heating systems, new electrical service, a suite kitchen and bathroom, a new sewer line, three Saanich street connections, a parking pad, designers, asbestos work, permits

Sewer line to property line (ft)

Ticked items are what every legal suite needs. Untick what yours already has.

Fire separation and safety

Fire-rated drywall on the suite ceiling ($2 to $5 per sq ft; source) Shared walls, fire-rated door and sealing ($4,000 to $8,000; source) Interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, both units ($1,000 to $2,500; source) Egress window with window well, one per bedroom ($3,500 to $8,000 each; source)

Sound and heat

Sound separation of the suite ceiling ($3,000 to $8,000; source) Replace the central heating so the main house has its own system ($4,000 to $7,500; source) Independent heating system for the suite ($6,000 to $12,000; source)

Electrical for two suites

Service upgrade to 200 amps ($3,000 to $6,000; source) Suite sub-panel and wiring ($6,000 to $12,000; source) Technical Safety BC electrical permit, service upgrade ($332; source)

Plumbing for two suites

Suite kitchen plumbing and fixtures ($12,000 to $25,000; source) Suite bathroom ($8,000 to $15,000; source) Hot water tank for the suite ($599 to $2,985; source)

Underground and street connections

Replace the sewer line from the house to the property line ($100 to $250 per foot; source) Saanich sanitary sewer connection at the street, 100 mm ($8,000; source) Saanich storm drain connection at the street, 100 mm ($8,000; source) Saanich water service with meter, 25 mm ($6,000; source)

Parking

Concrete parking pad, 2.6 m by 5.5 m (154 sq ft at $10 to $17) ($1,540 to $2,620; source) Energized Level 2 EV outlet at the suite's space ($800 to $2,500; source)

Design and asbestos

Designer or architect drawings ($2,000 to $15,000; source) Asbestos survey, required by WorkSafeBC for houses built before 1990 ($500 to $950; source) Asbestos abatement of the existing suite ceiling ($20 to $45 per sq ft; source)

Only if your house needs it

Lower the floor for ceiling height: benching ($25,000 to $40,000; source) Lower the floor for ceiling height: full underpinning ($40,000 to $65,000; source) Separate exterior entrance: door, steps, landing, lighting ($2,500 to $7,500; source) Engineer ($1,500 to $6,000; source) Section 57 notice removal fee ($500; source)

Your costs beyond construction

The work was done before a permit: Saanich doubles the permit fee Contingency of 15 to 20 per cent on the work (source) Financing: borrow the total at per cent a year for years (simple interest)

Your own quotes (no published price)

Laundry for the suite $Stairs, handrails and guards $Restoring walls, ceilings, paint and flooring after the trades $Water shut-off valve for each unit, and suite ventilation $Anything else: structural work, more asbestos removal, plumbing fixture fees $

To calculate lost rent and tenant compensation

Monthly rent ($)
Months of work
The tenant has to leave

Lost rent is monthly rent × months the suite cannot be lived in; most basement projects take 12 to 30 weeks (source). A tenant who has to leave is owed one month's rent (Residential Tenancy Act s.51(1)).

Not in the total

Saanich's $1,000 surety deposit, paid up front and refunded after final inspection.
Higher property tax and insurance every year once the suite is legal.
The licence fee itself: Saanich has not set one.

Requirements: Saanich's Secondary Suite Checklist and Secondary Suites page; WorkSafeBC requires a hazardous materials survey before renovating any building built before 1990 (OHS Regulation s.20.112). Canada banned new asbestos products from December 30, 2018; the ban does not cover asbestos already in buildings. Saanich says a major renovation must "install or upgrade your water, sewer and drain service to meet current municipal standards." Permit fee: Saanich's application fee ($300 for work valued $15,001 to $100,000; $1,000 for $100,001 to $500,000) plus $100 for the first $1,000 and $13 per $1,000 after, on the value of the work. Sources: Vancouver General Contractors, drywall installation per square foot (2026); Vancouver General Contractors, fire separation requirements (March 2026); Vancouver General Contractors, legal basement suite requirements and costs (March 2026); Vancouver General Contractors, basement renovation budgeting guide (July 2026): 12 to 30 weeks; Canadoo, secondary suite renovation cost (2026); Reno Stars, basement suite conversion cost (2026); PlumbingCosts.ca, BC sewer line replacement rates (September 2026); District of Saanich, Building Permit Fees (September 2025); Green Building Canada, concrete driveway cost (May 2026); ThinkEV, EV charger installation in BC (May 2026); HomeStars, asbestos testing cost (August 2026); RenoQuotes, asbestos abatement cost per square foot (July 2026); HomeStars, furnace replacement cost (August 2026); HomeStars, basement development cost (August 2026); HomeStars, hot water tank replacement cost; Technical Safety BC, Electrical Fee Schedule (January 2026); Baeumler Approved, renovation budget (June 2026): 15 to 20 per cent contingency; Residential Tenancy Act, s.51(1); WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation s.20.112, as summarized by the City of Courtenay; District of Saanich, Secondary Suite Checklist (September 2024); District of Saanich, Secondary Suites; Council minutes and recordings; the $500 figure staff and councillors gave Council.

In Saanich, owners told Council what it actually cost them: one owner's designer alone charged $30,000, twice the top of the published design range.

For the house next door, licensing means inspections. In 2020, Saanich's bylaw and licensing director told Council: "A business license could be used as an additional enforcement tool."

Sources: Canadoo, Secondary Suite Renovation Cost (2026) (fire separation, alarms, drawings, electrical); Vancouver General Contractors, Secondary Suite Fire Separation Requirements (March 2026) (replacing shared walls, drawings, engineer); Reno Stars, Basement Suite Conversion Cost (2026) (plumbing, egress). Ranges are the published low and high for each item; where two items are combined, their published ranges are added.

Work out the permit fee

Enter the value of the work. This uses Saanich's published building permit formula: $100 for the first $1,000, then $13 for each $1,000 or part up to $500,000, and $10 for each $1,000 or part above that. Work that started before a permit was issued pays the fee twice, up to $20,000 extra.

Value of work ($)

Building permit fee only. It does not include design, trades, plumbing fixture fees, electrical permits, the $1,000 refundable surety deposit or the work itself. Source: District of Saanich, Permit Q & As.

If you own the suite, that is your bill. If you rent it, it is your home. An owner who can't pay has two choices: close the suite or raise the rent. Nobody is against safe suites. The question is who pays, and who decides.

What owners told Council

5390 Old West Saanich Road, July 4, 2022. Harry Bains, 67, said inspectors invited him to the municipal hall for a meeting and served him with papers for criminal court. He said nobody told him of the meeting that put the notice on his title, and that he read about it on the front page of the Saanich News. His sale collapsed. Finishing the work would cost $300,000. Council kept the notice unanimously, on Councillor Plant's motion.
4573 Prospect Lake Road, November 20, 2023. The owner said he had paid his fines, gone to court, paid double permit fees and hired engineers; the stair predated his purchase, and a District inspector approved it in February 2023 before the Manager of Inspection Services overruled him. Council voted for the notice. Councillor Harper voted against.
1845 Fairburn Drive, June 9, 2025. The owner said he had paid a designer $10,000 of a $30,000 fee. About two minutes later Councillor Plant called the notice "essentially a $500 removal charge." Council voted for the notice.
1299 Camrose Crescent, September 28, 2020. The deck had been permitted in 1969 and approved by the Board of Variance. The owner asked Council to cancel the notice. Council refused; Councillor Chambers seconded the refusal.

Sources: Council minutes and recordings for each date, as cited in the Councillor Reviews and Meet the Man Who Really Runs Saanich.

How it got on the list

January 20, 2020. The Director of Building, Bylaw, Licensing and Legal Services told Council: "A business license could be used as an additional enforcement tool." The same minutes record that the two-complaint rule "applies to secondary suites only."
June 20, 2020. Moved by Councillor de Vries, seconded by Councillor Chambers, carried: "the regulation and licensing of single family dwelling units that contain long term rentals" was referred to the next Strategic Plan check-in.
January 22, 2021. Brent Reems, then Director of Building, Bylaw, Licensing and Legal Services, brought Council Report 1970-20, "Bylaw and Parking Enforcement - Service Delivery Model." Page 8 says the new structure would let Saanich "consider, pursue and plan for future opportunities," including "a licensing program for rental housing."
February 1, 2021. Moved by Councillor Harper, seconded by Councillor Mersereau, carried: Council endorsed "the following model for parking enforcement," including a new Manager of Bylaw and Licensing Services and three new Level 1 Bylaw Enforcement Officers. Councillors Brice, Brownoff, Chambers, de Vries and Plant were present.
May 2, 2022. Moved by Councillor Plant, seconded by Councillor Harper, carried: "the topic of short term rentals, long term rentals and licensing of short term and long term rentals" was referred to the Mayor's Standing Committee on Housing Affordability and Supply. Brent Reems attended as Chief Administrative Officer.
2024, 2025 and 2026. "The potential of business licenses for secondary suites" appears in each adopted Financial Plan.

Before October 17, ask every candidate at your door: will you hold a public review of the CAO, and will you take licensing of secondary suites off the list?

Sources

District of Saanich, Financial Plan 2024-2028 (adopted), Financial Plan 2025-2029 (adopted) and Financial Plan 2026-2030 (adopted), Legislative and Protective Services, Priority Departmental Initiatives, Business Licensing.
Officers and Administrative Structure Bylaw, 2017, No. 9424, section 2, as amended by Bylaw No. 9894.
Finance and Governance Standing Committee minutes, July 13, 2026 (staff present: Brent Reems, Chief Administrative Officer).
Council meeting recording, April 27, 2026, short-term rental regulations.
District of Saanich, Secondary Suites and Permit Q & As (permit fees; doubled fee where construction starts before a permit is issued).
Designer fee: the owner of 1845 Fairburn Drive to Council, recorded in Susan Brice: You Stopped Listening. The $300,000: the owner of 5390 Old West Saanich Road to Council, July 4, 2022, recorded in Colin Plant: You Didn't Do the Work.
CAO performance reviews: Council direction of September 2022, recorded in Susan Brice: You Stopped Listening.
Council minutes, January 20, 2020; Special Council minutes, June 20, 2020, page 17; Special Council minutes, May 2, 2022, page 1.
Report 1970-20, January 22, 2021, pages 1 and 8; Special Council minutes, February 1, 2021, pages 1 and 8.

Own a suite

Your Suite Is on Their List

Saanich has your suite on its list. For three years running, the Financial Plan has listed a review of "the potential of business licenses for secondary suites." Staff count eight to nine thousand rented suites with no licence.

A legal suite needs a Building Code occupancy permit: outside designers, licensed trades, a third on-site parking space with an EV outlet, and permit fees that double when the work came first. One owner told Council his designer alone charged $30,000. Legalizing an existing suite starts at about $100,000.

What would it cost to make your suite legal? · What owners told Council · See how the incumbents voted

If bylaw knocks: what the law says

Officers must come at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, and take reasonable steps to tell you before entering (Community Charter s.16(4)).
Inside an occupied home, entry is allowed only if you consent; Saanich gave you at least 24 hours' written notice with the reasons; they have a warrant; they have reasonable grounds to believe that not entering may create a significant risk to health or safety; or they are inspecting compliance with rules that apply to your home (s.16(5)).
Saanich's bylaws make obstructing an officer an offence, with fines up to $10,000 and each day a separate offence (Building Bylaw 9529 s.4.7).
Ask for the written notice and the reasons. Ask which part of section 16(5) they rely on. Write down names, times and what was said. Speak to a lawyer before you answer questions.

Source: Community Charter, section 16; Building Bylaw No. 9529.

Rent a suite

Your Home Is on Their List

If you rent a basement suite, this is about your home. Saanich counts eight to nine thousand rented suites with no licence. An owner who can't pay to legalize has two choices: close the suite or raise the rent.

If your landlord ends your tenancy to demolish the suite or convert it to non-residential use

The landlord must already have the permits and approvals, and intend in good faith to do it (Residential Tenancy Act s.49(6)).
At least four months' notice, unless regulations set a different period (s.49(2)).
One month's rent from the landlord, on or before the move-out date (s.51(1)).
Twelve months' rent if the landlord does not carry out the stated purpose within a reasonable time (s.51(2)).
You can dispute the notice at the Residential Tenancy Branch within 30 days, unless regulations set a different period (s.49(8)).
You can leave early on 10 days' written notice and keep the compensation (s.50).

Source: Residential Tenancy Act, ss.49 to 51.

Why rents go up: what it costs your landlord to legalize · What every candidate answered

You can vote even if you rent. Bring two pieces of ID. How and where to vote

Live next door

The Man Who Runs Saanich Has Never Been Reviewed

You don't have a suite. This still concerns you. The Chief Administrative Officer runs every department at Saanich. In 2022, Council directed staff to report on regular reviews of his performance. He has never been reviewed. The department that runs bylaw enforcement and licensing has a budget 42 per cent larger than in 2023.

For the house next door, licensing means inspections. In 2020, Saanich's bylaw and licensing director told Council: "A business license could be used as an additional enforcement tool."

Nobody is against safe suites. The question is who pays, and who decides.

How each candidate voted, on one card · What owners told Council

Ask every candidate at your door:

Will you hold a public review of the CAO?
Will you take licensing of secondary suites off the list?