Power of Sale Homes

  Fixer Upper Homes 

  Estate Sale Homes

  Toronto Real Estate

   Scarborough Real Estate

  North York Real Estate

  East York Real Estate

  Unionville Homes

  Homes for Sale Mississauga

  Brampton Real Estate

  Richmond Hill Real Estate

  Ajax Real Estate

  Pickering Homes 

  Vaughan Homes

  Whitby Homes for Sale

  Oshawa Real Estate

  Markham Real Estate

  Thornhill Homes

   Stouffville Homes

      Govt-Programs

           Homes with

      Swimming Pool

BRAMPTON HISTORY

People have been living in this general area for centuries. Archaeological evidence found within our borders confirms that native peoples had hunting camps and small villages along the Credit and Humber river valleys from about 8000 B.C.

Settlers began arriving in Ontario by the early 1780s. But even into the early 1800s Brampton was still wilderness, largely untouched by European settlement. To prepare for the eventual influx lands in Chinguacousy and Gore Townships were surveyed in 1818. Surveyors described the region as low, swampy and covered with dense hardwood forest. Slowly land was cleared, cabins built and fields were ploughed for farming.

The historical heart of the modern City of Brampton has always been the intersection of Queen and Main Streets, later known as the "four corners". This urban focal point has existed since the 1820s. Martin Salisbury opened a tavern on Main Street in 1822 and in the early 1830s William Buffy opened a tavern at the "four corners". The area quickly became a crossroads settlement known to many as "Buffy's Corners". Only a handful of people lived in the community at this time.

By 1846 the village had two stores, a tavern, tannery, cabinetmaker, two blacksmiths and two tailors and the population had reached 150 people.

The Grand Trunk Railway constructed a rail line and a station in Brampton in 1856. In the mid Victorian era the arrival of a railway line usually triggered an economic boom. Brampton was no different. By the 1860s the village was growing fast. In 1867 Brampton was selected as the Peel County seat. The County Courthouse, Jail and other public buildings were constructed. Kenneth Chisholm built Alderlea, a massive estate in the heart of the Village. Large homes were built near the Courthouse. Brampton was incorporated as a town in 1873 and John Haggert was elected the first Mayor.

A new industry was emerging in Brampton by the mid Victorian era. In 1860 Edward Dale established a flower nursery. Within a few short years Brampton became known as the “Flowertown of Canada” and soon Dale's Nursery was Brampton's largest employer. By the turn of the century hundreds of acres of land were filled with greenhouses growing prize orchids, hybrid roses and many other quality flowers. Most of these flowers were grown for export around the world.

The 20th century brought new industries to the town, mostly along the railway line, including the Williams Shoe factory, the Copeland-Chatterson Loose-Leaf Binder
company and the Hewetson Shoe factory. Major banks established branches on the four-corners. In 1907 American industrialist Andrew Carnegie established a library in the downtown and the population reached 4,000 people by 1910.

Brampton's citizens endured two world wars and the Great Depression during the first half of the 20th century. These major world events did take their toll on the local economy. Some factories closed and the flower industry began a slow but steady decline.

The City slowly transformed after World War Two. In the late 1940s and 1950s the automobile began to change the landscape, as did rapid urban growth around Toronto. New subdivisions began to develop. In the late 1950s Bramalea was created and touted as "Canada's first satellite city". 

Springdale-Brampton Homes for Sale

Springdale Brampton has become one of the most hot communities in the recent past ,largely due to lot of new construction ,opening  of Willian Osler Health Centre Hospital at Bramlea/Bovaird ,and easy access to Toronto .Most of the houses are detach and semi with a few sprinkle of freehold townhouses.Major streets are Sandalwood Pkwy,Mountainash,Sunny MeadowFernforest,Humberwest Pkwy,Father Tobin,Ocean ridge,Peter Robertson.

Hwy50-The Gore-Brampton Homes for Sale

Homes near Gore rd & Hwy 50 have become the hot spot for commuters to Toronto ,Etobicoke,Vaughan and Bolton.The area offers access to Hwy 27 ,Woodbridge,Gurudwara,Hindu temples and churches , It has a whole range of homes from Town Houses,Semidetach and Detach .Prices start from 300,000$ and up .It has become a home of a big south east asian community in the last couple of years.

Brampton West

Brampton West has an amazing availabilty of homes from bunglows to town houses to detach ,fitting every budget.There is lot of new construction towards the Chingcousy & Bovaird and also James Potter and Williams Parkway area near the new GO station .

Bramlea-Brampton Homes for Sale 

In Bramlea - a village within a city  was built with progressing first letters of street names. Development started with the "A" section, with street names like Argyle, Avondale, and Aloma. Developer then created a "B" section, "C" section, and so forth. Children on the boundaries of these divisions would regularly compete in street hockey games, pitting, for example, the "D" section versus the "N" section.I can assist you in finding home in the ever popular M-Section and N-Section .North Park,MacKay ,Massey are some major arteries.

Professors Lake-Brampton Homes for Sale

Professor's Lake is classified as special, city-wide parkland in the City of Brampton, Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This is an outstanding example of sequential land use. Don Gordon, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the City of Brampton, called Professor's Lake a "showcase" of extraction followed by rehabilitation. He says "people love water" and Professor's Lake is a significant water resource away from Lake Ontario. The lake is surrounded by lighted walkways and it is attractively encompassed by gardens, trees and shrubs."All the residential streets around Professors Lake start with the letter "P" , like Philosopher's Tr,Princeton Ter and so on.

The major crossing streets are Torbaram/Bovaird and North Park/Bramlee . Most of the properties here are semidetach and detach , starting from low 300,000$ to highs of 900,000$

Raylawson McLaughlin Brampton Homes for Sale

Raylawson and McLaughlin Intersection has an amazing array of homes available and has a great appeal being close to 407 , and easy access to Mississauga . There is great number of South east Asian community living , which providea great availability of finished basemnt rentable properties . It also offers ethnic stores ,library,Longos ,Nanaksar Temple , Brampton Courts ,Peel police station etc.

Castlemore-Brampton Homes for Sale

Castlemore the Crown Jewel of Brampton is a suburban community that is located 14 km northeast of Brampton, about 45 km NW of Toronto, Canada, southwest of Bolton and southeast of Caledon and Orangeville. Castlemore is accessed with the superhighways (Highway 427) via Highway 7 and The Gore and the Highway 407 (ETR) at the Goreway interchange or at Airport Road interchange. Castlemore is located in the northern part of Brampton. The population is presently about 5,000. Housing developments presently continues in the southeastern portion. The West Humber flows in the western portion of Castlemore. The population live in all parts of Castlemore except for the eastern parts. The majority of the population between the 1960s and the late-1990s live in luxury homes with large minimum 2-acre (8,100 m²) lots - over 24 m (80 ft). Castlemore Road runs through part of what is known as the "Castlemore" region. Other roads includes Airport, Goreway,The Gore and Coleraine Roads and Conservation and Mayfield Roads.

Heart lake -Brampton Homes for Sale

Heart Lake is a community in Northwest Brampton, named for the conservation area of the same name; roughly bound to the north by Mayfield Rd, to the South by Bovaird, to the West by Hurontario and to the East by Heart Lake Road.Heart Lake Conservation Area is the largest natural greenspace in the City of Brampton. It is managed by the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority. For more information about Heart Lake, visit the TRCA website. Heart Lake is a great area to live. We encourage all area residents to take pride in their city.

Lakelands-Brampton Homes for Sale

Lakelands Village, Brampton, Ontario is a residential development in the suburban Canadian city of Brampton, Ontario. Built by partnering developers Paradise Homes and Arista Homes , the development is located on Bovaird Drive West and Highway 410 .

One of the main selling points of this development is the artificially enhanced lakes at its center. Beginning at the most southernly area is a large pond, followed by a small lake with a fountain at the center, and most northernly is another large pond, divided up into two smaller sections by a bridge. Around the perimeter of the lake is what the developers have dubbed "a sanctuary", a landscapes trailway.

Before the development the lake was smaller, and spring-fed; the developers "expanded and enhanced" the water area.

The developer's promotional materials claim that the development has over 100 unique house designs.

History of basement apartments in Brampton

In 1994 the Bob Rae N.D.P. government (October 1, 1990 to June 26, 1995).proclaimed Bill 120 the Residents Rights Act which amended the Landlord/Tenant Act, the Rent Control Act, the Rental Housing Protection Act, the Planning Act and the Municipal Act.  This Bill permitted second units in houses, regardless of Brampton’s Municipal Zoning, provided that Health and Fire safety standards were met. 

On November 26, 1995 the new Conservative government introduced Bill 20, restoring back to municipalities the right to outlaw basement apartments, which became effective on May 22, 1996.

The effect of Bill 20 is to prohibit new apartments in houses created after May 22, 1996, while existing apartments in houses that were used or occupied on or before November 16, 1995 will be permitted (“grandfathered”) provided they conform with the requirements of the original Bill 120.  Apartments created between November 16, 1995 and May 22, 1996 are also permitted if a Building Permit was issued.

What is a basement apartment / Secondary Suite?

A basement apartment is a self-contained apartment consisting of a room or rooms in a singe or semidetached house and can be located in any part of the house, not necessarily in the basement. They have also been called granny flats, nanny suites, accessory apartments and second suites.  In the City’s bylaw, they are referred to as a “residential unit”. 

A self-contained apartment shall have a separate means of entry (which may be through another unit) a kitchen (or cooking area) and bathroom facilities. A self-contained apartment may be as small as a single room that contains all of the features listed.

However, if you rent a room in a house or a flat with a shared entrance, kitchen and bathroom facilities, this bylaw does not apply to you.

Are basement apartments legal in Brampton?

There are approximately 3,000 homes with legal basement apartments in Brampton which were created as a result of the NDP’s Bill 120.  In order for these units to be legal, they had to exist prior to November 16, 1995 and they had to be registered with the City of Brampton prior to January 31, 2006 and/or have legal non-conforming status.

Any basement apartments built since November 16, 1995 are illegal in the City of Brampton. 

A single or semidetached registered home can only have one basement apartment.  Homes that have been subdivided into more than two units are strictly prohibited unless the property has been specifically zoned to permit multiple units. There are very few exceptions where properties are zoned as a triplex.

How safe are legally registered basement apartments in Brampton?

All legal registered basement apartments in Brampton were required to comply with the Building Code and Fire Code at the time of approval. If the home has been subsequently modified or additional units added, building permits and the completion of mandatory inspections would have been required prior to any construction.

What should I know before buying a home with a basement apartment?

Homebuyers should have their Real Estate Agent or lawyer confirm with the City that the home being offered for sale has a legally registered basement apartment or is legal non-conforming and complies with the Building and Fire Code.

Real Estate Agents are bound by code of conduct guidelines and must fully and fairly disclose all information about a property for sale.  Homes with doubtful legal status are typically listed with the caution “Vendor does not warrant retrofit status” and consumers should seek further legal advice before proceeding with a purchase offer. 

Benefits of a legal basement apartment:

Peace of Mind – By having a second suite authorized you will know you did all that you could to make a safe healthy home for you and your tenant.

Reduced Liability – Adequate insurance coverage can be obtained.

Improved Relationships – A legal and safe second suite is likely to improve relationships with your tenants, your neighbours and with the City.

Risks of an illegal or unsafe basement apartment:

• Increased Liability – The onus is on a homeowner to meet established standards for a second suite.  If anything should happen, such as a fire, the homeowner would be held liable due to failure to meet requirements.
  
   
• Loss of Insurance Coverage – Having a rental unit in your home is a material change to your home.  Non-disclosure of this change of use may in fact make your coverage null and void.
  
   
• Limited recover of damage – An insurance policy is not responsible for rebuilding costs related to meeting current established standards.  Your insurance company is only required to cover the costs of fixing your home back to the state that existed at the time your policy was made prior to any damage.
  
   
• Prosecution - If you do not meet City codes it means that you are breaking the law.  You run the risk of being charged and can face fines with a maximum penalty of $50,000 and/or a year of imprisonment on each count.
  
   
• Financing – Income from an unauthorized basement apartment is generally not considered when qualifying for a mortgage loan.
  
   
• Tenants – You are a landlord.  You are obliged to maintain your basement apartment in good operating order and you must follow all fire safety laws.  Tenants may apply for rent reduction where the unit fails to meet the prescribed municipal health, safety, maintenance and property standards.
  
   
• Tenant Insurance – Your homeowner’s policy will not cover property owned by a tenant. 

Can I legally convert vacant space in my home into a basement apartment?

No. The City’s zoning by-law does not permit new basement apartments. If the basement apartment did not exist in your home prior to November 16, 1995, a home in Brampton cannot be legally converted.  Furthermore, any home built after 1995 can never have an existing legal basement apartment.

In order to permit a new basement apartment, the Zoning By-law would have to be changed.  Changing the Zoning By-law requires the submission of a Zoning Amendment application and fee ($7759.00) to the City’s Planning, Design and Development Department.  The application is processed by the Planning, Design and Development Department and a recommendation is made by the Department to City Council. 

Part of the re-zoning process includes:

1. Holding a public meeting to allow for comments and input from anyone living within 800 metres of the property or any other person expressing an interest in the application, 
2. A sign detailing the nature of the application is required to be posted on the property. 
3. City Council makes the decision to approve or refuse the proposed zoning change. 

Zoning application decisions can be appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board by the applicant or any person who attended the public meeting and expressed a view or made a written submission with respect to the application.  The Zoning Amendment process can take about six months to a year to complete.

For further information on how to apply for a zoning amendment, contact:

The Planning, Design and Development Department at 905-874-2050.

Can I still register an older home with a basement apartment that existed prior to November 16, 1995?

If you are buying a home with a basement apartment that is not legally registered with the City of Brampton, it may still have legal non-conforming status. In order to determine the status of the home, you will need to contact Enforcement and By-Law Services to conduct an investigation.  If there is sufficient evidence to prove that the basement apartment existed prior to November 16, 1995, your unit can be added to the City’s Registration List provided you have complied with the requirements under the  Building Code and Fire Code and you have clearance from the Electrical Safety Authority.  Conversions and upgrades can cost in excess of $15,000. Grants for conversions may be available through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

If there is insufficient evidence that the basement apartment existed prior to November 16, 1995, the homeowner will be required to dismantle the unit and/or face prosecution.

Where can homebuyers get more information?:

Where can tenants get more information?:

Enforcement of illegal and unsafe basement apartments

Illegal units:

The Enforcement and By-Law Services Division at the City of Brampton investigates zoning violations regarding basement apartments.  Residents who suspect an illegal basement apartment can report their concerns to (905) 458-3424 or by email to enforcement@brampton.ca.  Residents will be required to provide detailed information to support their allegations before an investigation is initiated.

Unsafe Units:

The Brampton Fire Department investigates all fire safety issues.  Tenants and homeowners can report fire safety concerns to Fire Prevention at (905) 874-2740 and request a Fire Safety Complaint Inspection.  Typical fire safety issues include:

• Inadequate fire separations between dwelling units (i.e., walls, doors etc.)
• Inadequate means of escape
• Absence of and/or defective smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• Faulty home wiring

Additional Resources

City of Brampton Media Release – Conviction of homeowner

http://www.city.brampton.on.ca/press/07-017.tml

News Article – Brampton Guardian – Apartment Fire / Death 2007

http://www.northpeel.com/brampton/news/article/31736

Provincial Legislation

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/index.html

1. Building Code
2. Fire Code
3. The Residential Tenancies Act
4. Real Estate and Business Brokers Act

Special note to realtors & homeowners

Real Estate agents are licensed by the province under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act and hold an obligation to ensure all sale transactions reflect a homebuyer’s awareness of the risks associated with the purchase of a home containing a basement apartment.  The public will rely on the realtor for accurate information.  Realtors can reduce their own risk, and that of their clients, by telling clients about the rules for basement apartments / secondary suites.  If this does not occur, the realtor may be held liable or face punishment.