Best and cost-effective ways to rent-by-the-room or rent basement legally in Canada

[Semilore Lawal]

Hi All,

I found that single family in Canada is only profitable if I rent by the room or rent the house as two dwelling units (basement and upper floor).

The problem is a lot of cities in Canada have strict regulations and processes for renting-by-bedroom. I really don't want to take the risk of doing this illegally, although I know some investors get away with it. Is there anyone here with experience in renting-by-the-bedroom or basement LEGALLY that can enlighten me on a cost-effective way of doing it or cities in Canada that have more relaxed laws that won't need you to break the bank to be according to the building code of the city.

[Anthony Therrien-Bernard]

Quote from @Vincent A.:

I know someone that does this through Airbnb and his own leases in Calgary and he is quite profitable. 

One of the things he does is incentivizes one of his tenants by offering them a portion off of their rent to be the one responsible for cleaning common areas, washrooms, maintenance and reporting any issues.

 That's technically not legal in Calgary to do this on Airbnb as you need 1 legal unit per listing unless you have a lodging house license.