Start with the authority that governs the property, not with how the unit looks or how long it has been used. A basement apartment, converted garage, or backyard cottage can appear complete and still lack the approvals required for its current use. Conversely, an incomplete online record does not by itself prove that a unit is illegal. The result should remain recorded legal, unverified, regularization available, enforcement or correction required, or confirmation needed until the relevant authority record and current unit have been matched.

1. Identify the exact property and decision-makers

Use the full municipal address and, where available, the parcel or lot identifier. Confirm which planning, building, fire, utility, conservation, or other authority has jurisdiction. A city name alone may not identify the authority for every approval. Ask which records are held by the municipality and which require a separate request to a fire service, electrical authority, utility, or other agency.

2. Request the records that match the unit

Depending on the jurisdiction, useful records may include:

  • zoning or land-use decisions and any variance or exception;
  • building and development permits, approved drawings, amendments, and permit scope;
  • required inspection results, completion records, occupancy documents, and open orders or violations;
  • trade permits or separate fire, electrical, plumbing, sewer, or septic approvals; and
  • a property-specific report or approved-use confirmation from the responsible authority.

The document’s title is not enough. Check its address, issuing authority, date, covered work, unit count, approved use, conditions, inspection status, and whether a later alteration changed the property. For example, Toronto’s Property Information Report describes permits on file, inspection status, and certain outstanding orders; the City says that report does not outline permitted use. In Edmonton, a green sticker after a successful final inspection can be the completion evidence for an improvement to an existing home, while an Occupancy Permit serves a different new-home process.

3. Compare the paperwork with what exists now

Compare the approved plans and permit description with the actual unit: where it is located, how it is accessed, the number of dwellings, the rooms and exits, and visible later work. If a plan or permit covers only part of the work, it does not automatically cover later changes. A property report may tell you which records or orders exist without deciding whether the current physical unit matches them.

Listings, tax assessments, utility bills, photographs, old leases, and owner statements can help identify history or support an authority’s application. They are not interchangeable with an approval, certificate, or passed inspection. Seattle, for example, says ADU legal status is established through its permit process. In Toronto, a permitted garage or ancillary building can qualify for limited setback and separation relief when converted into a garden suite; if it was built without a building permit, the City treats it as a new building for current zoning regardless of age. That zoning rule does not establish the structure’s overall legal or code status; see the Toronto conversion guide.

4. Ask what an unresolved result means

If records are missing, inconsistent, or silent, record the status as unverified rather than treating silence as proof either way. Ask the authority for a search of record, written confirmation, or the next application route. If the unit was built or converted without required approval, see retrospective approval and regularization. If an order or notice exists, read its exact scope, deadline, remedy, and appeal process with the issuing authority.

Zoning permission, building and fire-code compliance, utility capacity, occupancy, rental permission, title restrictions, insurance, and mortgage eligibility may be governed by different records or decision-makers. Ottawa’s guidance, for instance, separates its zoning treatment of some existing secondary dwelling units from Building and Fire Code compliance. A positive answer to one question does not resolve the others.

Before relying on a status conclusion

Have the responsible authority confirm that the address and current physical scope match the records. For safety, structural, fire, or concealed-work questions, use the inspections and qualified professionals required by that jurisdiction. This guide explains a records process; it cannot determine an individual property’s status.