Hey guys I'm a second year civil engineer student have some of my architect buddies have shown some concern with my current living conditions. I'd really like some professional opinion and insight into the matter.
I am currently renting a basement bedroom in a townhouse like complex. My room is 10x12x10 ft and I live in London, Ontario
I'll get straight to the point and start with the major concerns:
1. Absolutely no emergency escape in case of fire. (Two windows in the basement, neither big enough for me to ever fit through.)
2. Only access out of basement is one set of stairs on the other side of the basement.
3. Bed is located approximately 6.5 ft away from the electric hot water tank with only a 1 1/4" piece of drywall in between. The same can be said but approximately 4 ft away from the fuse box.
4. No apparent fire wall, or any other form of fire protection.
I don't want to start trouble with my landlord, however I do feel rather unsafe. Would these be costly to fix ? Is any of this even legal ? More dimensions can be taken if needed.
Not sure what the local codes are in Canada, but you can't have apartments on the basement floor of a building unless more than 50% is above ground. If it is more than 50% below ground it is classified as a cellar which is uninhabitable.
I am guessing that you are in a cellar since you described your windows as small. I lived in one of these illegal apartments for a while. While I didn't feel unsafe, I missed the sun.
The best solution, imo, is to look for another place. If your landlord gives you grief about breaking the lease, you can kindly point out the apartment is illegal.
Not compliant to current codes in the use of a bedroom, but it probably was compliant when built, as the building passed inspection. Meaning that your "room" was probably walled off after or not listed as a bedroom. Just to check, is your room sprinklered? I seem, to recall Ontario having some silly proviso for a bedroom without egress windows if it was sprinklered.
The "apartment" or whatever you'd call it is probably bootlegged in without the authorities' knowledge. Probably why it's being rented cheap to students. If you think it's unsafe for you in the real world, then move. Or buy yourself a good smoke/CO detector and fire extinguisher to keep near your bed. Most of the housing units that most people live in today don't meet the current code by definition, since the codes change and the buildings were built in the past. Some code revisions are worthwhile additions to safety, and some are just silly. A '58 Buick in restored condition wouldn't meet current NTSB standards, but would you be afraid of riding in one? You need to apply a little practical common sense to every situation.
For fire access, replace the window with a door ... after you first excavate outside the wall for a recessed stair up to grade. Or at least put a bigger window in that you can crawl out of. This isn't rocket science. Nor would it be expensive if you do the work; it's probably about 80% labor to install. Cutting the concrete foundation wall is likely your hardest task. But if that is too hard for you, then abandon all hope of ever becoming a civil engineer.
Sounds likely illegal; I agree with others that cellar units are almost always illegal and sounds like that's what this is. I'd be willing to bet you don't have required minimum ceiling height in there either... This kind of thing is pretty common. Many of the buildings I've lived in over the years have had illegal units in there, or are least pretty serious code violations. Although tenant's right's laws vary by municipality, it's probably a pretty fair assertion that a non-compliant (and non-grandfathered - although codes do change over time, they also tend to be pretty specific about what allowance they'll make for grandfathered buildings) unit is grounds for a lease termination without $$ forfeiture. If you think it's fairly likely that a fire might occur (do you have an idiot landlord? Is the clothes dryer in the basement, and can you check if it's properly vented and the lint build-up has been cleaned? Do you have drunken idiotic upstairs neighbors who might light up a cigarette in bed one night?) and/or if you are the type to be kept awake at night by this issue, then yeah I'd move right away.
In terms of "is it fixable", the answer is Yes, but No, not for the amount your (likely shady) landlord is going to be willing to spend on it. He'll probably be able to find another sucker to move in and replace you without changing a thing, so that's what he'll want to do. So I wouldn't hold out hope of it getting fixed. If it bothers you, you're going to need to move. If it doesn't really bother you, then I suggest arming yourself with lots of smoke alarms and fire extinguishers just in case, because it sounds like that might be your only recourse if anything DOES happen. Good luck!
Well You cannot extend the room right so you cannot change the place of hot water tub anywhere else right. If emergency exit is concerned why don't you make a emergency escape form the house ask your landlord and why don't you guys make a emergency door out you can also check here about the different types doors that can be used.
If you think that's bad, try moving to Toronto. Then you get to pay $1100 (plus utilities!) for the privilege of living in an illegal cellar. At least appreciate that you are saving money.
Jan 22, 14 9:33 am ·
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My "Not Up To Code" Room
Hey guys I'm a second year civil engineer student have some of my architect buddies have shown some concern with my current living conditions. I'd really like some professional opinion and insight into the matter.
I am currently renting a basement bedroom in a townhouse like complex. My room is 10x12x10 ft and I live in London, Ontario
I'll get straight to the point and start with the major concerns:
1. Absolutely no emergency escape in case of fire. (Two windows in the basement, neither big enough for me to ever fit through.)
2. Only access out of basement is one set of stairs on the other side of the basement.
3. Bed is located approximately 6.5 ft away from the electric hot water tank with only a 1 1/4" piece of drywall in between. The same can be said but approximately 4 ft away from the fuse box.
4. No apparent fire wall, or any other form of fire protection.
I don't want to start trouble with my landlord, however I do feel rather unsafe. Would these be costly to fix ? Is any of this even legal ? More dimensions can be taken if needed.
Any help at all would be great.
Thanks,
Pyro
Not sure what the local codes are in Canada, but you can't have apartments on the basement floor of a building unless more than 50% is above ground. If it is more than 50% below ground it is classified as a cellar which is uninhabitable.
I am guessing that you are in a cellar since you described your windows as small. I lived in one of these illegal apartments for a while. While I didn't feel unsafe, I missed the sun.
The best solution, imo, is to look for another place. If your landlord gives you grief about breaking the lease, you can kindly point out the apartment is illegal.
Code-compliant? Not code-compliant? Who cares? Get out now, while you can.
Not compliant to current codes in the use of a bedroom, but it probably was compliant when built, as the building passed inspection. Meaning that your "room" was probably walled off after or not listed as a bedroom. Just to check, is your room sprinklered? I seem, to recall Ontario having some silly proviso for a bedroom without egress windows if it was sprinklered.
The "apartment" or whatever you'd call it is probably bootlegged in without the authorities' knowledge. Probably why it's being rented cheap to students. If you think it's unsafe for you in the real world, then move. Or buy yourself a good smoke/CO detector and fire extinguisher to keep near your bed. Most of the housing units that most people live in today don't meet the current code by definition, since the codes change and the buildings were built in the past. Some code revisions are worthwhile additions to safety, and some are just silly. A '58 Buick in restored condition wouldn't meet current NTSB standards, but would you be afraid of riding in one? You need to apply a little practical common sense to every situation.
You sound like you're in a cellar, and cellar apartments are almost always illegal unless they are designed with courts or skylights.
No hot plate or mini fridge? What about cable?
For fire access, replace the window with a door ... after you first excavate outside the wall for a recessed stair up to grade. Or at least put a bigger window in that you can crawl out of. This isn't rocket science. Nor would it be expensive if you do the work; it's probably about 80% labor to install. Cutting the concrete foundation wall is likely your hardest task. But if that is too hard for you, then abandon all hope of ever becoming a civil engineer.
Sounds likely illegal; I agree with others that cellar units are almost always illegal and sounds like that's what this is. I'd be willing to bet you don't have required minimum ceiling height in there either... This kind of thing is pretty common. Many of the buildings I've lived in over the years have had illegal units in there, or are least pretty serious code violations. Although tenant's right's laws vary by municipality, it's probably a pretty fair assertion that a non-compliant (and non-grandfathered - although codes do change over time, they also tend to be pretty specific about what allowance they'll make for grandfathered buildings) unit is grounds for a lease termination without $$ forfeiture. If you think it's fairly likely that a fire might occur (do you have an idiot landlord? Is the clothes dryer in the basement, and can you check if it's properly vented and the lint build-up has been cleaned? Do you have drunken idiotic upstairs neighbors who might light up a cigarette in bed one night?) and/or if you are the type to be kept awake at night by this issue, then yeah I'd move right away.
In terms of "is it fixable", the answer is Yes, but No, not for the amount your (likely shady) landlord is going to be willing to spend on it. He'll probably be able to find another sucker to move in and replace you without changing a thing, so that's what he'll want to do. So I wouldn't hold out hope of it getting fixed. If it bothers you, you're going to need to move. If it doesn't really bother you, then I suggest arming yourself with lots of smoke alarms and fire extinguishers just in case, because it sounds like that might be your only recourse if anything DOES happen. Good luck!
Well You cannot extend the room right so you cannot change the place of hot water tub anywhere else right. If emergency exit is concerned why don't you make a emergency escape form the house ask your landlord and why don't you guys make a emergency door out you can also check here about the different types doors that can be used.
If you think that's bad, try moving to Toronto. Then you get to pay $1100 (plus utilities!) for the privilege of living in an illegal cellar. At least appreciate that you are saving money.
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