Legalizing Existing Suites

About the Program 

The City of Saskatoon has developed occupancy standards that make it more cost-effective for property owners to upgrade existing suites and obtain the necessary permits, while ensuring safe and suitable accommodations for tenants.

The initiative to legalize suites in existing one-unit dwellings was identified by residents during the Plan Saskatoon process. In response, the Zoning Bylaw was amended in 1999 to allow greater opportunities to legalize suites. However, most existing suites did not meet the National Building Code requirements, and the cost to upgrade was cost-prohibitive. To address this, the City of Saskatoon adopted revised occupancy standards focused on life and health safety requirements. 

As of January 1, 2002, all existing suites built prior to January 1, 1999, are eligible to comply with these revised occupancy and zoning requirements. Suites installed after January 1, 1999, are not eligible for the program and must fully comply with the National Building Code. 
 

How to Participate in the LES Program

1. Request an Inspection.

   Contact Bylaw Compliance at bylaw@saskatoon.ca to schedule an inspection.

2. If eligible, submit your Application. 

   Provide the application fee and any required documents (outlined in the inspection report) to: 

   Bylaw Compliance
   City Hall - 3rd Floor 
   222 3rd Avenue North
   Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5

Important: The current application fee is $1,750. Applications submitted after December 31, 2025, will be subject to an increased fee of $2,250.

Initial Investigation

After a complaint or referral is submitted, a Bylaw Inspector will: 

• Verify the permitted use under the Zoning Bylaw, No. 9990.
• Review building and plumbing permit records.
• Schedule and conduct an on-site inspection to assess the building construction, including ventilation, stairwell, fire safety, window and door specifications. 

Next Steps 

The Bylaw Inspector will generate a report that will outline what is required to legalize the suite or what needs to be done to remove it. It is then your choice to remove the suite, find an alternate legal use, or upgrade to a legal suite. 
 

Suite Removal 

If you choose to remove the suite: 

• You will be given a deadline to remove all illegal dwelling components.
• A final inspection will be conducted, and the file will be closed once the suite has been fully removed. 

Alternative Legal Use

If you choose to legalize the suite, the Bylaw Inspector will confirm the required work and whether building and/or plumbing permits are needed. 

If improvements are required: 

• Submit plans based on recommendations to the Bylaw Inspector assigned to your file.
• You may need to apply for a building permit through Building Standards and/or hire a plumber to obtain a plumbing permit.
• Separate permits are required for any existing plumbing work done without a permit or for new plumbing work. 
   

Permit Process 

Once your building and/or plumbing permit applications are submitted: 

• Building Standards will review applications and plans based on the initial inspection report prepared by the Development Officer.
• Approve permits and collect the applicable fees.
• Perform inspections during construction.
• Issue an Advisory of Deficiencies for certain minor plumbing issues, if applicable.
• Notify the Bylaw Inspector when all work is satisfactorily completed. 

Final Inspection 

Upon final inspection, once the Bylaw Inspector confirms that all LES requirements have been fully met, an Occupancy Permit for the secondary suite will be issued and the file will be closed.