Essentially there are three types of suites you’ll find in most municipalities in greater Victoria; legal conforming suites (the best scenario); legal non-conforming (zoning for the lot allows for a secondary suite but there are no permits in place for the suite); and final non-legal (the zoning does not allow for a secondary suite which also makes it impossible to be conforming). When purchasing a property with a suite one should familiarize themselves with municipal bylaws and especially the risks that come with having a legal non-conforming or non-legal suite.