Last week I had a call from Jon Hernandez, a video journalist with CBC. He was doing a story about a developer who had decided to include 8 lock-off suites in a new Surrey highrise. Jon was told by SFU's Andy Yan to talk to me since the concept was my 'brainchild' when I was president of the SFU Community Trust overseeing the development of UniverCity on Burnaby Mountain two decades ago.
Lock-off suites are essentially a portion of a larger apartment similar to a second or third ensuite bedroom. However, what makes them special is an additional door to the corridor, a small kitchenette area, and other small features.
I got the idea after being criticized by SFU students for building primarily condos in the new UniverCity community. They wanted student housing. I asked where they were living at the time, and it was often in a basement suite in a house in Burnaby or elsewhere in the region. This got me thinking.
Why couldn't you create the equivalent of a basement suite in an apartment?
After all, units with interlocking doors were often included in resort developments to accommodate different households.
At UniverCity, I expected the unit would be rented out like a basement suite and also become a 'mortgage helper' for buyers. Tyee journalist, the late Monte Paulson, called them 'Mortgage Helpers in the Sky!
Alternatively, this suite layout might suit a grandparent or an adult child, or even a future caregiver. A key consideration was that it would make it easier for developers to sell larger 3-bedroom units that are otherwise difficult to pre-sell.
What I didn't expect was a great deal of interest from investors attracted by Intergulf's ad in a Korean newspaper marketing "Two suites for the price of one!"
During our meeting, Jon asked an interesting question. Could the lock-off unit become a short term rental unit? A good question. I suspect it could be subject to certain conditions, as set out in this AI answer (below).
Jon's news video can be found here.
After our Burnaby Mountain meeting, Jon asked for some additional information. While I was aware of several developments incorporating lock-off suites, including two projects in the British Properties and North Vancouver, I discovered a considerable number of units have been built in Vancouver and elsewhere around the world. I also found a lengthy Masters Thesis dissertation prepared by Linda Gillian, an SFU student following Vancouver's approval of lock-off suites.
https://summit.sfu.ca/_flysystem/fedora/sfu_migrate/17630/etd10456_LGillan.pdf
Below is some additional information and images.
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| This unit is included in a building with an exterior corridor |
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| A 3-D image of the floor plan above. |
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| One of the original units in Novo at UniverCity. While I assumed developers would make a third bedroom the secondary suite, in this plan it was a second bedroom |
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In addition to including suites in apartments, UniverCity included some suites in two storey townhouse units. This has become increasingly popular in Vancouver and elsewhere. For more information check out these media stories from CTV, the Globe and Mail, and an earlier blog post. |
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