Owners (landlords) of rooming houses intended as permanent accommodation for the occupants may apply if:

• Rental rates for the bed units are at or below established levels for the market area, and
• The property must lack basic facilities, or require major repair in one or more of five categories:
  • Structural 
  • Electrical 
  • Plumbing 
  • Heating 
  • Fire safety
• tenants are not family relatives of the owner
• The maximum amount per bed-unit varies according to three geographic zones:

  Zone 1: Southern areas of Canada = $16,000/bed-unit
  Zone 2: Northern areas of Canada = $19,000/bed-unit *
  Zone 3: Far northern areas, Yukon and Northwest Territories, Labrador and northern Quebec = $24,000/bed-unit *
  
  

  *Additional assistance may be available in areas defined as remote.
  
  
• The owner must cover the cost of mandatory repairs in excess of the maximum loan available. Eligible repairs are limited to mandatory repairs required to bring rooming houses up to minimum levels of health and safety.

Eligible clients must meet the following criteria:

• Homeowners,
• Private entrepreneurs, and
• First Nations owning residential properties that could create a bona fide affordable self-contained rental accommodation.
• Eligibility is limited to existing family housing residential properties where self-contained secondary or garden suite is being created.
• The property must meet the requirements of the authority having jurisdiction including zoning and building requirements.
• Selected clients must enter into an Operating Agreement which establishes the rent that can be charged during the term of the Agreement.
• A ceiling is also placed on the income of households who will occupy the newly created self-contained unit.

The assistance is in the form of a fully forgivable loan which does not have to be repaid provided the owner adheres to the conditions of the program. The maximum loan available varies in accordance to the geographic zone in which the property is located:

Zone 1: Southern areas of Canada - $24,000/unit
Zone 2: Northern areas of Canada - $28,000/unit *
Zone 3: Far northern areas of Canada - $36,000/unit *

* A 25% supplement in assistance is available in remote areas.

• Eligible costs include all costs related to the creation of a self-contained secondary or garden suite. Additional assistance is also available under RRAP for Persons with Disabilities to undertake accessibility modifications for low-income persons with disabilities.
• The cost of creating and upgrading common areas and elements will be prorated between the existing unit and the newly created unit. Homeowners may be eligible for assistance under Homeowner RRAP to cover their share of the prorated costs subject to the program criteria being met.
• Please note that any work carried out before the RRAP loan in approved in NOT eligible.

To qualify, you need to make renovations recommended by an ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes evaluation of your home. These renovations must achieve at least a five-point improvement in your home’s energy efficiency rating. Book a home energy assessment today!

Eligible projects include building envelope improvements, lighting upgrades, HVAC system improvements, water heating systems, and more.

Eligible building types include:

• Commercial or institutional buildings such as retail stores, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, schools (including portables), stand-alone warehouses, health care facilities, places of worship (churches, synagogues, mosques, temples), and college and university buildings;
• Provincial, territorial or municipal buildings;
• Multi-unit residential buildings and mixed-use commercial/residential buildings that are not eligible for the residential grant described in Part B below.

Please do not start the retrofit project or incur eligible costs until you receive written approval from Natural Resources Canada.