Those renting basement apartments may have been reassured when the City of Mississauga in Ontario announced that they would be introducing mandatory permits for the properties from January this year.
It would, after all, ensure that the homes met with building and fire regulations. Unfortunately, landlords appear to be less keen; probably due to the $1,000 fee for the permits; and applications have been slow.
In fact, slow is an understatement; despite an estimated 3,500 basement apartments in the city, only one permit has been issued.
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