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makeste · 4 years

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BnHA Chapter 267: My Name Is

Previously on BnHA: Hawks stabbed Twice in the back of the head. Twice stabbed another guy in the back of the head. Everyone’s just running around stabbing or being stabbed. I should probably clarify that Twice actually died, because this is a shounen manga, so sometimes you have to clarify that this particular stabbing was actually fatal. Not just one of those flesh wound stabbings. Anyway so it was super sad, and now Dabi’s gonna face off with the sexy scarred murderous Hawks, and Toga and Compress are also going to be feeling a bit stabby after all this probably, and so that’s the general mood here I guess. I kind of need a break now so I’m wondering if we’re gonna cut to any of the kids. Because if we stick around Horikoshi may actually have to give us Dabi flashbacks. God forbid.

Today on BnHA: Tokoyami has a flashback to when Hawks told him he’s weak to being set on fire. This terrible thought weighs on his mind as he and the other lads and lasses of U.A.’s child soldier vanguard are escorted away from the battle via Fatgum and his absolute goat of a quirk. Dabi is all “:D you killed Twice, I’m gonna set you on fire repeatedly now” and Hawks is all “ffff no that’s my weakness also WHO ARE YOU” and WE GET SOME HAWKS FLASHBACKS?! and then Dabi is all “:DDDDDD [CENSORED]” and it’s literally fucking censored fuck my life. but also !!! because he actually fucking said it, though?? He really went and revealed it just like that?? And now Hawks knows, and he’s all shocked, and Dabi goes to kill him afterwards but TOKOYAMI IS ALL “ON YOUR LEFT!!!!” and OH SHIT. Also Endeavor saves Miruko so DOUBLE OH SHIT. Oh my god. I’m sorry this summary is all over the place but I can barely type a coherent sentence now so just TAKE THESE EXCLAMATION POINTS AND GO!!! SPREAD THE WORD. BE FREE.

everyone before we begin I would just like to tell you about my discovery this week. I learned that when I type the word “Dabi” on my phone the next word that the keyboard predicts is “flashbacks.” google keyboard is on to me. so now the FBI and the CIA and whoever else google is selling all my data to all know. I can only imagine. “she seems to spend an inordinate amount of time talking about ‘Dabi flashbacks.’ what’s a Dabi.” I’ll tell you what a Dabi is. it’s a guy whose fucking flashbacks we never fucking get that’s what

anyway so let’s read this chapter whose spoiler tags have already been filling up my dashboard, which is always a good sign. who will die this week? Horikoshi please have mercy on us in light of recent real life global events. maybe you can just have everyone abruptly decide that they are all done fighting and want to go home

-- GOD BLESS US EVERYONE

who could have known, years ago when the very first mangaka was drawing the very first color page, that this medium would one day soar to such great heights. who could have imagined that we would one day be witness to this masterwork, this magnificent fucking triumph of a colored manga page. holy shit. I will cherish this always

for real you all think I’m joking but I genuinely don’t want to scroll down lol. let’s just stay with Miruko forever. where it is safe. and sexy. goddammit

OH SURE, THEY GIVE US HAWKS FLASHBACKS

anyways but lol

guys. we’ve been over this. fire is everyone’s weakness. just. I’m not quite sure people like Hawks and Kamui Woods actually grasp that. do they think normal people catch on fire and they’re just “oh, this is actually all right.” also, side note kids, please don’t use this answer if this ever comes up during a job interview

wow

what a gamechanging plan of action. don’t catch on fire. Toko write that down

WOW

you guys. YOU GUYS. IT GOT BETTER

who could have known, years ago when the very first mangaka was drawing the very first gag panel, that this format would one day ascend to such lofty summits. who could have envisaged that we would one day behold such a showpiece, such a grand fucking slam of a joke panel in a shounen manga

anyway Horikoshi sure does love his English portmanteaus. I’m kind of stunned by how great this is you guys. but getting back to more serious observations, all I can say is thank fucking god somebody is actually thinking of the children! nothing terrible had better happen to them or I swear!!

so Fatgum is explaining that the plan was to have them use their respective quirks to help take out a bunch of bad guys at once, and that the grown-ups will now proceed to rope them all in and capture them. and dammit, I was trying to avoid having to post the panel because it takes forever if I post a lot of them, but I just noticed Mt. Lady over there stomping fools in the background and so now I have no choice

A+ chapter so far you guys. 5 stars. keep it up

one-and-a-half year-old Kaminari Denki has already fallen asleep. he wishes he could live there. I wish I had the words to adequately convey how utterly delighted I have been by this entire “everyone rides around in Fatgum’s belly” mini-arc, which is now my favorite part of the entire series (as always with the exception of “Dear Midoriya I’m really sorry”)

and I also just really love the timing of it?? right after the “here’s that angst you ordered” emotional sobfest of the last chapter, we’re taking a quick break to cut back to the Fatgum Express (excuse me, Fataxi) just to keep things from getting too heavy. this is such an important balance to strike. please don’t let this arc get too dark, Horikoshi

oh shit

right, Dabi?? but I’ve had an entire week to process my feelings about it and I’m more or less good now! how are you

not particularly great, then

and also, fuck. so Horikoshi was gracious enough not to show Twice’s murdered body even though he confirmed he was indeed killed (so apologies to anyone who was still holding out hope. it sucks but at least we’ve got closure). first he cuts off the bottom of the panel, and then he has Dabi literally cremate him on the fucking spot. there’s really going to be nothing left at all of him or any of the clones. I’m just gonna sit here and try not to think about that or else I’ll get sad all over again

anyway, so also Hawks’s wings have been totally incinerated now it looks like, and he’s just barely yeeting himself out of the way with whatever he’s got left

boy this is getting rough

love how Horikoshi is avoiding showing Dabi’s face!! that was sarcasm by the way because I don’t love it! he pulls this shit all the time with Bakugou too! show us their emotions dammit!

anyway. how kind of Dabi to stomp out Hawks’s flames for him like that. you see. they’re still friends

HOLY SHIT

APPARENTLY IT IS??? I GUESS WE ALL GRIEVE DIFFERENTLY LMAO. SOME PEOPLE GET SAD AND CRY AND OTHERS JUST GET REALLY SCARY AND CRAZY

like. not to nitpick or anything, but your tear glands are actually located above your eyes. maybe he means his tear ducts. also I’m not a doctor or anything and I can barely name like three bones actually so maybe I should just shut up!

anyways though, out of courtesy let’s just take Dabi at his word that grinning like a deranged lunatic is a perfectly normal response to watching your friend get murdered by your sexy archenemy. who is to say

and what exactly is your dream again? to make Stain’s will a reality or something like that? so purging the world of false heroes I guess?

DAMMIT DABI FIRE IS HIS WEAKNESS

most people would at least scream, wouldn’t they? Hawks??? does that not hurt??!

DSFKJSL:DKGHLSDKGHL

no!! I won’t be fooled!! Horikoshi and Dabi flashbacks is like Wile E. Coyote and painting a fake tunnel onto a cliffside! don’t be conned by his deceitful forced perspective!

LOL YOU SEE

apparently this man really will do anything to keep us from getting a Dabi flashback, even if that means giving us Hawks flashbacks instead lmao. WELL SHOOT. OH DARN. POOR US. WE’LL JUST HAVE TO SETTLE try not to look too happy guys he can sense satisfaction

anyway so here’s baby Hawks

okay, so -- does fandom still hate Hawks. like, I haven’t checked the bnha tag much since this weekend so I don’t know if the general consensus is still “yeah he’s cancelled” or if we’re cooling down at all yet? anyway so I apologize if liking Hawks is still A Wrong Thing To Do, but just fyi he’s still adopted and I haven’t unadopted him and I love him unconditionally even though he’s in timeout. and so now that Baby Hawks has appeared to rival all other Baby Characters (BABY YODA WATCH YOUR SIX!!) with his lil wings and his Endeavor plush and his quiet lil nodding head, I just need you all to know that I would die for him without hesitation and that’s just how it is friends

(ETA: also, jesus christ. “Keigo-kun, you can say goodbye to your name from now on!" I’m surprised they didn’t assign him a fucking number. what the fuck. time for some grueling training, lab rat #184. better get ready. jesus. he’s like 7.)

sdlkfjLSDGHOSIDFOIOOIIO

THE MAN THAT -- WHAT. WELL HOT DAMN, TAKAMI THEORISTS! GO ON AND GIVE YOURSELVES A BIG PAT ON THE BACK. YOU EARNED IT.

snap. gotta calm down. too much hype all of a sudden. easy does it

OH ARE YOU KIDDING ME THAT’S IT??

noooo go back. fuck

and how the hell do you still have eyebrows, Hawks. how are you still even alive, let alone sexy. is fire your weakness?? is it really??! WELCOME TO BNHA THE MANGA WHERE ANYONE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING. EXCEPT FOR BEING KILLED OFF-SCREEN AFTER WEEKS AND WEEKS OF BUILDUP

WHAT THE MONUMENTAL FUCK

HORIKOSHI WHERE ARE YOU I’M READY AND WILLING TO VIOLATE SOCIAL DISTANCING RIGHT NOW TO PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE SO COME ON

what the fuck. is this a Tarantino movie. or an Eminem song. anyway but we all know what he actually said though so let’s just scroll down and see how Hawks is going to take the news

oh my. I suddenly understand Dabi’s “grinning like a lunatic” reaction to witnessing a tragedy now. ohhhhhh that’s the good angst right there

so now Dabi says that if he wasn’t Hawks’s target in the beginning, then Hawks “would’ve been done for from the start”? ...what. lol what. am I just too tired to understand this you guys. I’m so confused

okay well I still have no fucking clue what that all meant but on the next panel he’s saying that Hawks shouldn’t have been focusing on Tomura or the League

is he suggesting that he has the power to bring down the hero system by revealing that he, the son of Endeavor, was made into a villain? am I reading into this right?

holy moses. I can’t believe this is really happening. this plotline is finally on the move oh my god I can’t even I’m getting way too excited I can’t??

HEY WHAT

well it matters to me you big melodramatic jerk!! don’t even pretend like you’re really gonna do it. I have zero fear of Hawks actually dying right now, not after that. there is way too much plot attached to him, gtfo with this fakeout shit

but more importantly, why the fuck are we cutting to Gigantomachia now oh shit. don’t tell me Fatgum got the babies out of there just in time

FUCK ME I NEARLY SCREAMED OUT LOUD

HE CAN BE ACTIVATED BY THE RECORDING OF AFO!! SOMEONE HAS THE FUCKING ON SWITCH IN THEIR HANDS OH SHIT, THERE’S THE DISASTER WE WERE ALL FUCKING WAITING FOR RIGHT THERE

WE’RE CUTTING BACK TO MIRUKO NOW??? CAN THIS CHAPTER GET ANY MORE HYPE MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS

let the bodies hit the floor let the bodies hit the floor let the bodies hit the floor let the bodies hit the [deep breath] FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO --

OH NO!?

okay like any reasonable person I am very concerned by the implications of this. and yet a part of me just wants to focus entirely on the “AM I GETTING TIRED AFTER LOSING AN ARM AND A SHITLOAD OF BLOOD AND FIGHTING FIVE NOUMUS ALL BY MYSELF FOR LIKE AN HOUR? ...NAH.” you’re absolutely right Miruko that would be ridiculous

ARE YOU SERIOUS

either she’s about to die and she knows it, or SHE WAS JUST TOYING WITH THEM WHAAAAT. I genuinely don’t even know which it is?? but it better not be the former and it absolutely is the latter though

GOSH DARN THAT MIRUKO

THERE SHE GOES. MY CZARINA

excuse me did this guy just fucking impale her

SHE ONLY HAS THE ONE GOOD HAND LEFT LIKE CAN YOU PLEASE. can you fucking not, though?! and also I forgot that being impaled through the torso is another thing in this series that’s actually fatal. well fuck

(ETA: also he ripped out her hair!! look here you piece of shit I’m gonna --)

lmao but yeah, somehow

Horikoshi. if you kill off your one cool strong top ten female hero character. just so you know. I will. ...you know what, just don’t do it, how about that. just don’t

ohhhhhh I might be about to get really mad you guys. we’ll see. we’lllllll see

SON OF A BITCH

GODDAMMIT, OBVIOUSLY TOMURA CAN’T FUCKING DIE SO WHY DON’T YOU FUCK OFF WITH THIS ENTIRE SCENARIO YOU’RE PRESENTING TO US RIGHT NOW HORIKOSHI, HOW ABOUT THAT. fuck everything I can’t believe chapter 267 page 16 was the last page of the entire manga you guys. tell me I’m reading way too much into this

ffffff

you literally had the perfect chapter. Fataxi!! Baby Hawks!! censored Touya reveals!! why would you go and. ...

I knew it was a mistake reading past that amazing color page you guys

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOD I DIDN’T SCREAM BUT I SAID “HA HA!” OUT LOUD?!

-- AND AGAIN!!!!!

YOU WANT SOME??? YOU WANT SOME?!?!

FUCK YES. EXCUSE ME WHILE I CRACK OPEN THE WINDOW AND SHOUT SOME EARNEST “WOOOOOOO!!”S DOWN UNTO THE CONFUSED STREETS BELOW

y’all. I was this close to cancelling every damn thing. you don’t even know. my god I think I was grinding my teeth there

“you know what this manga has had quite enough of as of last week? tragic deaths! you know what it has not had nearly enough of? dramatic last minute saves! you know what it hasn’t had any of? TOKOYAMI VERSUS DABI, A.K.A. YOUR NEW FAVORITE MATCH-UP OF ALL TIME, YOU’RE FUCKING WELCOME.” geez. calm down Horikoshi. be cool man be cool

you guys. it was almost perfect, and then it wasn’t, and then it very much was. my god. how did I not see that Tokoyami save coming with all that buildup in hindsight. clearly he saw the fire on page four and was all “oh no! his weakness”

only thing is. it’s yours too, bud. :/ don’t think I’ve forgotten how this all played out during the forest arc. and meanwhile on top of that we’ve got Gigantomachia about to have the rudest of awakenings. goddammit. why is everything so dangerous and so awesome thanks I love it but geez

#bnha 267 #dabi #hawks #tokoyami fumikage #miruko #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste spoiler recap #makeste reads bnha #plot twist he wasn't actually revealing his name in that panel #he was just unleashing a tirade of vicious cursing #that's why hawks looks so shocked afterwards #really touya #this is a kid's manga

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needsmustleap · 3 years

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Tagged by @unremarkablegirl, thanks! I love an opportunity to ramble :P

Name/nickname: uhhhh I often go by some variation of Finn online. Although you could call me something fun like Leapfrog maybe haha

Gender: Female

Star sign: Scorpio

Height: okay I’m either 5′5″ and 3/4 of an inch or 5′6″ and 3/4... either way i wish i was taller :/ Science North lied to me, i had such expectations

Time: 8:02 pm

Birthday: October 28

Favourite bands: MUNA, The Amazing Devil, boygenius, Neon Trees, Dry the River

Favourite solo artists: Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, Sara Bareilles, Maggie Rogers, Luther Vandross. also (but a bit more secondary of late) Jac Ross, Ben Platt, King Princess.

(this doesn’t really capture the full scope of my music taste... for a long time I was really into playlists so there are a bunch of individual songs that I love but still haven’t dug into the discographies of the artists who made them. only more recently have I been on a “everything by so-and-so” kick. also there was a long time where I listened mostly to like. broadway cast recordings and stuff. idk just fyi)

Song stuck in my head: I’ve had Bag of Bones by Mitski running through my head a lot the past few days, but also Shower Day and I Know the End by The Amazing Devil and Phoebe Bridgers respectively

Last movie: Hoodwinked 2 lmao. I recommend the first one a LOT more but this one still has some nice things, especially if you already love the first

Last show: Grey’s Anatomy lol I’m finally watching season 16 and dying it’s the best

When did I create this blog: oufff okay so it was sometime in highschool, I wanna say grade 12, but I only used it off and on until this summer? A few months ago? don’t really remember. No one asked but my first url was fanfreakdeathdomtastic XD i don’t like hate it but i really thought i was doing something lmao good times

How it started: a lot of my friends and my brother had had accounts for a long time, and I kept seeing the overflow posts to like fb and insta and stuff and wanted to try it out

How's it's going: So good! Finally gave up completely on having a robust tagging system lol and am just going with the flow and enjoying things. Fell into the witcher fandom, which led to making an ao3 account, and falling back into fanfiction! all good things

What I post: dear lord. many things with little rhyme and a complete lack of reason. Mostly either atla, spop, and witcher fan content, and whatever memes etc are going round? Don’t really know haha

Aesthetic: honestly not convinced I know the meaning of the word

Last thing I googled: definition of the french verb lasser, I’m currently reading a french translation of the silmarillion

Other blogs: I have a side blog where i go to be angsty lmao

Following: um a fairly eclectic mix of ppl I guess! Some from the witcher fandom, a couple atla/lok blogs, a few ppl who post like quotes and peotry and stuff, and then assorted others lol. For some reason it takes me a while to warm up to the idea of following new ppl so not that many all in all

Followers: 69 heh heh

Average sleep: i honestly don’t know anymore, my sleep schedule is a mess lol. The past few weeks tho I think it’s been generally at least 8 hours so yay me i guess

lucky number: 31, or 9 often for intramurals

Instruments: sort of play piano, used to sort of play the drums

what i am wearing: sweatpants and a zip-up hoodie

Dream job(s) (in no particular order): I don’t know anymore.. animal rehabilitator or something in conversation stuff, but also currently feel incapable of doing bio-related jobs lol so idk

Favourite Animal noise: don’t ask me this... there are so many cool animals who make nice noises and i cannot think of any of them... birds? as a whole??? okay actually lmao I really love the call herons make, because they look so majestic when standing still but then while flying they look super gangly and make this horrendous amazing like, squawking... it’s fantastic I love it lol. Also though loons are very nice, and bard barred owls!! but also moose, just because imitating the noise is a fantasic way to release tension, I’ve found. Wolves are cool too

Random: monkeys

Dream trip: eventually I want to see all the provinces and territories, and there’s that train with a nice view probably. Other than that idk but the world is cool so

Favourite food: there are many foods that taste nice

Nationality: canadian

Favourite song: i mean right now it’s Bag of Bones. Me & my dog by boygenius is always a mood... I’m really bad at picking favourites honestly lol

Last book i read: I think it was On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. very good! very lyrical

Top 3 fictional universes i would like to live in: oooh okay gotta say the pjo/hoo world in solidarity with my younger self who spent MUCH time imagining being a halfblood :P and then I think maybe LOTR bc being a hobbit is the ideal life i think probably, and the witcher universe i guess even though i’d probably be a peasant and die as a child bc I’m blanking on everything else

Tagging @aubreys-posen and @its-sorcery if they want, and anyone else who wants to!

#honestly even i feel annoyed just rereading this so sorry to anyone who tries to get through it :P #also lmk if you'd like to be tagged or never want to be tagged in this kind of thing ever again!#anyway this was fun #as I mentioned love a good ramble #also in retrospect leapfrog is a VERY dumb idea but I'm always willing to accept the consequences of my dumbassery so

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notforconsumption · 6 years

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Yo getcha Gingerbread-facts

The ever-lovely @ijustcantwaittobeme tagged me and I just saw it, having finally got around to checking my notifications like the social gremlin I am.

If anyone wants to know some ☆.｡.:*gingerbread facts☆.｡.:*☆ click the read more, ducks.

(I haven’t tagged anyone because IIIIII think Ariel has tagged a lot of people - if anyone wants to do it, go ahead and I’ll snoop on your facts, too. I want to know all the things.)

Relationship status: Single parent to a very small tortoise

Favourite colours: Hooker green, regal purple - at the risk of sounding thirteen again black is p great

Lipstick or chapstick: :Lipstick my guys. @ijustcantwaittobeme if you can’t find colours that suit just... don’t. I wear whatever colours I like- bright blue clashes with my ginger hair?? who cares. who. Fight the power with pretty colours.

Three favourite foods: I can’t eat it anymore since I’ve sworn off dairy but tiramisu. now I just softly weep whenever I see it.

(Otherwise literally anything Except Devil Fruit (banana))

Last song I listened to: ‘Burn The House Down’ - AJR which is a good ‘I’m pissed off about things but not necessarily in a violent way this morning’ song

Books I’m currently reading: All Of Them now exams are over but mainly-- Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson and The Wood: The Life & Times of Cockshutt Wood - John Lewis-Stempel (which is very charming even if it falls foul of English naming conventions)

Last thing I googled: “Rafiki release date UK” (I just wanna watch the cute lesbian film but?? when?? where???)

Height: About 152cm which is a perfectly respectable height fyi

Time: 15:48pm because it’s Sunday and I’ve been chopping wood all day so my arms wish to rest

Song stuck in my head: ‘I’m Not a Saint’ - Billy Raffoul, this song has such an Eight/Five bittersweet feel pls listen to it (I mean it also really works for Simon but then who hasn’t fuckin lied to Five at this point)

What are you wearing: Green turtleneck because I’m an aspiring villain, black circle skirt for spontaneous twirling, and long socks for the Aesthetic

How many blankets do you sleep with: The same damn duvet I’ve had since I was... four years old, I think? Even when it’s humid enough to kill I’m half under it because I’m a troglodyte who doesn’t like sleeping exposed (the monsters haven’t got me yet so who’s the real fool)

Dream Trip: Off the fucking planet to be quite honest? Just. Another galaxy. Somewhere out of reach with lots of pretty mountains to climb.

Mountains are the thing. I’d love to go to Russia or America for an extended period but I would 300% piss of the wrong person and get murdered within fifteen minutes.

#not ZR #probably the first non-ZR post on my blog tbh #everyone do the thing?#tell me bout yourselves

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rebeccahpedersen · 6 years

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What Makes A Basement Apartment “Legal?”

TorontoRealtyBlog

I know a thing or two about real estate, right?

Fourteen years in the industry, hard-working lad, top agent in the brokerage, and memory like an elephant.

I’ve always maintained that knowledge is the key to this business. Sure, sales is part of it, as is actually finding people who want to work with you, but knowledge is, and always will be key.

So what if I told you that I have absolutely, positively, zero idea what makes a basement apartment legal in the City of Toronto?

It’s true. I’ll admit it.

A client of mine read Friday’s blog post, and on Saturday, said, “Great blog on Friday, that was really eye-opening! But what must you actually do to make a basement apartment ‘legal,’ as you say?”

This was one of those moments where you basically revert back to a child, and do what you saw the cartoons do on TV. Like when you’re embarrassed, and you put your hands in your pockets and kick imaginary pebbles.

So I did what any cat, fox, or bear would do, if it were animated in the 1980’s:

That pretty much sums it up.

If a sound accompanies my “shrug,” it would have been something like “Iaaaaaaaauuuuunoh.”

Well, crap.

What can I say, I don’t know everything.

I don’t know what must take place for a basement apartment to be legal, but I do know the following:

1) It costs a lot. 2) It takes a ton of time. 3) Many areas of government are involved. 4) It rarely goes well on the first attempt. 5) Very few people even bother trying.

This might be the only place in life where we can tell our kids, “It’s not worth even trying.”

Sorry for my cynicism, but if you don’t agree, after reading Friday’s blog, then you’re rich, have found the way to get 38 hours out of a 24-hour day, know people in government, and are the single-most patient man or woman on the earth.

So, since I don’t know what’s involved in making a basement apartment legal, I will provide you with my “go-to” for when a client asks me.

Back in 2012 when Richard Silver, now of Sotheby’s, then of Bosley, was the President of TREB, he sent out a letter to all agents which I immediately printed and kept on file. No, I didn’t think to “copy” and put into a PDF; I actually printed it, and put it in a file called, “Knowledge,” which, no word of a lie, I had. It was full of articles from lawyers, inspectors et a. Things like, “What’s the difference between a Condo and a Co-Op?” And yes, Google had been invented back in 2012, but I remained old-school.

Luckily that is all in the past, right?

So here’s the letter from Mr. Silver in its entirety:

LETTER TO TREB MEMBERS FROM PRESIDENT RICHARD SILVER

March 2, 2012 — As Greater Toronto REALTORS we recognize that in comparison to other world cities, ours is a clean, safe and affordable place to live, and its allure means that we’ll continue to see greater intensification in the years ahead.

Toronto’s popularity is reflected for example, in the condominium market, which currently has more buildings under construction than in any other city in North America. Basement apartments also play an important role in meeting demand for housing throughout the Greater Toronto Area and if you have ever listed a property with one, you’re probably familiar with the “Seller does not warrant retrofit” clause. Second suites can cause confusion for homebuyers and REALTORS alike, but this doesn’t have to be the case.

According to noted home inspectors Carson Dunlop, achieving a “legal” basement apartment involves five areas of consideration: bylaw permissibility; compliance with the building, fire, and electrical safety codes; and registration.

In short, if a listing indicates that a property has a retrofit basement apartment, it must meet municipal bylaw requirements, have a Certificate of Compliance to verify that it has passed fire and electrical inspections, and be registered with Municipal Property Standards. Additionally, if it is newly constructed, it must meet Building Code requirements.

Identifying whether a municipality’s bylaws permit basement apartments and if any special conditions apply is the first step in the process.

Since 1995, municipalities have had the authority to enforce their bylaws with respect to basement apartments; however, units that existed prior to November 1995 are exempt from meeting local bylaw requirements.

The Building and Fire Codes are related in that the Fire Code is a subset of the Building Code. There is, however, an important distinction between them. The Building Code, which prescribes minimum requirements for the construction of buildings, for the most part applies only to the day the house was built, not retroactively. The Fire Code, which prescribes construction and safety issues related to how a building is required to perform should it catch fire, does apply retroactively.

In 1994, the provincial government set new Fire Code rules with which all basement apartments, new and existing, must comply. A unit upgraded to comply with the Fire Code is called a “basement retrofit”. The fire department must inspect all basement apartments, and when any deficiencies have been corrected, as is required, it will issue a certificate to verify compliance.

The Fire Code involves four key areas of compliance: fire containment, means of egress, fire detection and alarms, and electrical safety.

Fire containment refers to a building’s ability to contain a fire in the unit where it started. Walls, floors, ceilings and doors are rated based on how long they will survive a direct fire before burning through.

The typical requirement is a rating that affords a 30-minute separation between the units. Drywall and plaster ceilings for example, are acceptable but they must be continuous so that joists are not exposed in any room. By contrast, suspended ceilings are not acceptable.

Means of egress refers to the occupants’ ability to exit the house. Ideally, units should have their own exits. Units that share a common exit are allowed if the common exit is ‘fire separated’ from both of the units with a 30-minute rating. If it not rated as such, it can still be used provided that there is a second exit from each unit and the fire alarms are interconnected.

To be considered an acceptable second exit, a window must have an opening of at least 600 square inches, with the smallest dimension being 18 inches; the windowsill must be within three feet of grade; and basement window wells must extend three feet out from the house wall, to allow room to crawl out.

The fire detection area of compliance requires that all units have smoke alarms. Smoke alarms do not have to be interconnected unless the fire separation to the common exit area does not have a 30-minute rating. Some municipalities may also require carbon monoxide detectors.

Electrical safety refers to the required inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority.

As with the fire department’s inspection, deficiencies that the Electrical Safety Authority identifies must be addressed. In general, an apartment’s minimum ceiling height must be 6 feet 5 inches; its entrance door must be at least 32 inches by 78 inches; bathrooms require either a window or an exhaust fan; and if there is a parking spot for one of the units, there must also be a parking spot for the other unit.

Once bylaw and code requirements have been met and certified, homeowners can register the basement apartment with Municipal Property Standards.

Bear in mind that if your clients are planning to construct a basement apartment they must also apply for a building permit and comply with today’s Building Code.

Representing a house as a two family property requires that you verify it is registered with Municipal Property Standards. Failure to comply can result in a $25,000 fine and one-year jail term.

For more information on basement apartments contact your client’s municipality.

Yours truly,

Richard Silver, President

Toronto Real Estate Board

Ah, yes!

The “Certificate of Compliance!”

Also known in real estate circles, simply as “The Certificate.”

If you’re touring a 5-plex that’s up for sale, you’ll ask the listing agent, “Is there a certificate?” You needn’t say more. He or she knows what you’re after.

If there’s a 3-bedroom semi-detached with a beautiful 1-bed, 1-bath basement, bringing in $1,800 per month, you’ll undoubtedly want to know how much “the certificate” adds in value to the home.

And that’s the kicker here, folks. Buyers need to consider whether they even want the apartment to be legal.

I know, that sounds odd, but let me explain.

Let’s say that 3-bedroom semi-detached home that I alluded to above, with the $1,800 per month tenant (that covers about $350,000 in monthly mortgage costs, FYI), has a legal basement apartment. What would it cost, compared to the same property with an illegal basement apartment?

It has yet to really be mentioned in either Friday’s blog, or today’s, neither in the blogs or the comments, so let me spell it out here as I think it’s the perfect time to tell those who don’t already know: the City of Toronto is turning a blind eye to illegal basement apartments.

Why?

Because we have a housing crisis.

And if the city were to shut down 100,000 illegal basement apartments tomorrow, we’d all be worse off.

So then really, what do you surmise the difference between and illegal basement apartment, a legal basement apartment is in the city of Toronto?

If that semi-detached was up for $1,200,000 with an illegal apartment, and the exact same unit next door was worth $1,300,000, both with $1,800 coming out of the basement every month, would you choose to pay the extra hundred grand?

Many of you will simply look at the cost involved with turning that illegal basement apartment to a legal one, and that’s fair. But we don’t always know. Despite the figures provided in the Friday blog post (which was for a new unit), it’s always been like trying to hit a moving target.

You might find an illegal unit that could become legal by simply widening the bedroom window (digging out, installing a new sill, affixing a new window), adding a couple of smoke detectors and CO2 detectors, putting a fire extinguisher in the hall closet, and filling out the requisite paperwork.

Or, you could go to all that trouble, only to have the unit inspected, find out you have to spend massive amounts of money, and in the process, have put a target on your back by alerting the City of Toronto to your unit.

Are the illegal basement apartments in the city better left as our collective dirty little secrets?

So let me ask two questions for the readers:

1) For those of you that have illegal basement apartments: would you consider trying to go after “the certificate,” and if not, or if so, why?

2) For the rest of you, which of the four areas of compliance ( fire containment, means of egress, fire detection and alarms, and electrical safety) do you find the most cumbersome?

Fun times on an otherwise uneventful Monday…

The post What Makes A Basement Apartment “Legal?” appeared first on Toronto Realty Blog.

Originated from https://ift.tt/2QBV4k7

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rebeccahpedersen · 6 years

Text

What Makes A Basement Apartment “Legal?”

TorontoRealtyBlog

I know a thing or two about real estate, right?

Fourteen years in the industry, hard-working lad, top agent in the brokerage, and memory like an elephant.

I’ve always maintained that knowledge is the key to this business. Sure, sales is part of it, as is actually finding people who want to work with you, but knowledge is, and always will be key.

So what if I told you that I have absolutely, positively, zero idea what makes a basement apartment legal in the City of Toronto?

It’s true. I’ll admit it.

So I did what any cat, fox, or bear would do, if it were animated in the 1980’s:

That pretty much sums it up.

If a sound accompanies my “shrug,” it would have been something like “Iaaaaaaaauuuuunoh.”

Well, crap.

What can I say, I don’t know everything.

I don’t know what must take place for a basement apartment to be legal, but I do know the following:

1) It costs a lot. 2) It takes a ton of time. 3) Many areas of government are involved. 4) It rarely goes well on the first attempt. 5) Very few people even bother trying.

This might be the only place in life where we can tell our kids, “It’s not worth even trying.”

So, since I don’t know what’s involved in making a basement apartment legal, I will provide you with my “go-to” for when a client asks me.

Luckily that is all in the past, right?

So here’s the letter from Mr. Silver in its entirety:

LETTER TO TREB MEMBERS FROM PRESIDENT RICHARD SILVER

Identifying whether a municipality’s bylaws permit basement apartments and if any special conditions apply is the first step in the process.

The Fire Code involves four key areas of compliance: fire containment, means of egress, fire detection and alarms, and electrical safety.

Electrical safety refers to the required inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority.

Once bylaw and code requirements have been met and certified, homeowners can register the basement apartment with Municipal Property Standards.

Bear in mind that if your clients are planning to construct a basement apartment they must also apply for a building permit and comply with today’s Building Code.

Representing a house as a two family property requires that you verify it is registered with Municipal Property Standards. Failure to comply can result in a $25,000 fine and one-year jail term.

For more information on basement apartments contact your client’s municipality.

Yours truly,

Richard Silver, President

Toronto Real Estate Board

Ah, yes!

The “Certificate of Compliance!”

Also known in real estate circles, simply as “The Certificate.”

If you’re touring a 5-plex that’s up for sale, you’ll ask the listing agent, “Is there a certificate?” You needn’t say more. He or she knows what you’re after.

And that’s the kicker here, folks. Buyers need to consider whether they even want the apartment to be legal.

I know, that sounds odd, but let me explain.

Why?

Because we have a housing crisis.

And if the city were to shut down 100,000 illegal basement apartments tomorrow, we’d all be worse off.

So then really, what do you surmise the difference between and illegal basement apartment, a legal basement apartment is in the city of Toronto?

Are the illegal basement apartments in the city better left as our collective dirty little secrets?

So let me ask two questions for the readers:

1) For those of you that have illegal basement apartments: would you consider trying to go after “the certificate,” and if not, or if so, why?

2) For the rest of you, which of the four areas of compliance ( fire containment, means of egress, fire detection and alarms, and electrical safety) do you find the most cumbersome?

Fun times on an otherwise uneventful Monday…

The post What Makes A Basement Apartment “Legal?” appeared first on Toronto Realty Blog.

Originated from https://ift.tt/2QBV4k7

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