The City of Surrey says it’s cracking down on illegal construction with two homeowners recently subject to public notices due to unpermitted additions.
Two homes, one in the Strawberry Hill area and another in Bear Creek, have prominent notices that warn potential buyers, financial institutions and other authorities of the illegal construction there.
According to the city, the homeowners constructed multiple illegal dwelling units, decks and even additional buildings — despite stop work orders being issued over the course of multiple years, with one homeowner being flagged for illegal construction since 2020.
A stop work order is seen at a home in Surrey’s Strawberry Hill area. (City of Surrey)
The recent crackdown on the two properties has prompted warnings from homebuilders and the city that any large renovations should have proper permits — and for buyers to do their due diligence and ensure any home they’re buying is properly constructed.
Jas Johal, Surrey’s director of bylaws, says the city’s illegal construction enforcement team has received thousands of complaints since it was set up in April 2022.
The illegal construction activities at the two homes recently flagged by the city included decks, new additions and dwelling units. (City of Surrey)
“Obviously, there’s [a] mindset out there that, ‘Just plaster a wall together, and get it done, and start collecting rent,'” said Johal.
“But I don’t think that’s the best approach, as it’s not safe for our residents and people that are going to be occupying those properties.”
Jas Johal, the City of Surrey’s director of bylaws, says illegal construction can be a risk to people’s safety. (Sohrab Sandhu/CBC)
Johal says that the bylaw department has issued nearly 900 violation tickets related to illegal construction since 2024.
He said the city wants to work with homeowners and get them onside, and that issuing public notices wasn’t a step that was taken lightly.
“Just because it takes a long time doesn’t mean that we don’t have enough teeth,” he said of the investigations.
“We can go from stop work orders to a lot of fines, from $500 to $50,000 in fines. We can take properties all the way up to demolition.”
The official said the city has obtained three demolition orders since the enforcement team was set up in April 2022, and those demolitions were carried out this year.
“I think the motive for most people is to generate revenue … my message to the public is that it’s not always all about money,” he said.
Buyer beware
Wendy McNeil, the CEO of Homebuilders Association Vancouver, said it’s the responsibility of homeowners to ensure that any large renovation or addition has the proper permits.
“If you go under the radar, you’re risking not just the legal work that’s been done, but also whether or not it’s going to be a future issue to your family,” she said.
McNeil also said that anyone in the market for a home should hire a professional building inspector before they pull the trigger, so that any potential illegal construction can be caught before it becomes a problem.
“It’s buyer beware. But it’s also understanding that there are things in place that you can look at to kind of verify what’s been done,” she said.
The City of Surrey has seen its population explode over the last two decades. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)
Surrey’s population has exploded over the last two decades, with the city boasting on Thursday that it had taken a number of steps to boost housing construction — including cutting residential permit timelines and municipal costs.
Ari Goelman, who teaches at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s school of business, said that cities have always had the power to crack down on illegal construction.
“In the past, I think it just didn’t come up because generally people did as they were expected to,” he said.
The professor said the issue is particularly pronounced in Surrey, and is a symptom of a larger problem — the lack of affordable housing, exacerbated by a lack of government-built non-profit homes.
“I think the pressure to build [this] illegal housing would go away if people were having their housing needs met otherwise,” Goelman said.