Addressing Unpermitted & Illegal Construction in Surrey

Surrey, BC. Today Surrey Council approved a Corporate Report to make changes to addressing unpermitted and illegal Construction in the city by way of a unanimous vote.

All members of Council spoke in favor of Cllr. Hundial’s motion to modernize the enforcement of illegal and unpermitted construction by way of increasing the fines and providing a dedicated team to investigate this growing problem.

“This has been an ongoing issue in the city for decades, but in recent years the problem has become increasingly dangerous and disruptive to neighbourhoods” said Cllr. Hundial. “Even minor modifications must be done safely and within the guidelines. Home buyers should do their due diligence when purchasing properties and look for stop work orders on the property file at city hall. We have seen tragedies such as collapsing decks and fires. This past winter as the temperature we saw frozen pipes and unheated residential housing. Residents deserve better.”

In the coming weeks the City of Surrey will be initiating an educational program to inform homeowners about these changes which include a dedicated enforcement unit. Fines will be increased to $1,000 per day of infraction.