Legal Side Entrance

2/19/2024 at 9:26:03 PM

Not 100% sure but I believe as long as it has a seperate entrance that has a seperate lock set then that's ok. Like for example if it's on the back entrance to the house then the upstairs would need a lockable door that would be different then the actual rear entrance which should be a different key to open them the front door to make it so the basement can't access the main floor. So the upstairs would have 2 potential exits and the basement would have one

2/19/2024 at 9:44:52 PM

Hi, As you have the stairs going down to basement you just need to open a door on the ground to get down the stairs. As far as I see many houses are like this.

2/20/2024 at 3:03:38 AM

You can have a ground level entrance/landing for personal use. For a secondary suite fire code states that both suites need to be separated by "fire rated" and locked private doors, you will need to have a door as well to exterior. As well you have to allow for door swings & have a 3ft clear space from front of any stairs

2/20/2024 at 5:35:10 PM

An entrance at ground level is permitted as you can see in the illustration in the attached Ontario secondary suite guide. https://www.ontario.ca/page/add-second-unit-your-house

Whenever you are modifying the exterior by adding a window or door you will probably require development approval for this exterior alteration so make sure it is allowed to begin. Also, as the previous respondent mentioned, doors cannot swing over a stair (likely this isn't a problem). If the main floor suite will have a door leading into the common space leading to the basement suite (I assume this is the case) the door will need to be rated 20-minutes (solid core wood) to meet code and another similar door will be required at the suite entrance. Confirm these and any other requirements with your local authority.