Secondary suites & safety standards

Secondary suites, also know as basement suites or granny suites, are usually listed by Realtors as non conforming. We know what it means and it is a fair description.

The government of Alberta, Municipal Affairs section, has tried to make these suites safer. You can check out some of their safety standards for secondary suites here.

Some stuff is common sense though.

Make sure there are working smoke alarms and CO2 testers.

Double check - at least one window in the bedroom can be exited easily. No locked bars or obstacles blocking the window on the outside.

Next, make sure there is a fire extinguisher beside the exit.

This list is not exhaustive. There is a lot more that can be done to make sure people are not needlessly injured or killed.