Victoria aims to outlaw mini-suites

July 19, 2018

The City of Victoria is considering a ban on mini-apartments in the downtown core.
Mayor Lisa Helps said the review is more about livability than unit size—ensuring, for example, that a tiny condo unit has an opening window or access to open space.
Victoria allows apartments as small as 355 square feet, but it has been found that many of these are being used for short-term rentals not for affordable housing.
The Urban Development Institute (UDI) is opposed to the limitation on size. The group, which lobbies for the development industry, said a minimum-unit size in the downtown would detract from the ability to provide more affordable housing.
“This type of requirement will limit the ability of developers to bring a diverse housing supply to market and limit the ability of developers to respond to market conditions,” UDI executive director Kathy Hogan said.