What to expect during a Development Compliance Investigation
We receive inquiries from a wide variety of people, including trades inspectors, neighbours, postal workers, and pedestrians.
Anyone can make an inquiry. When an inquiry is made and a Development Compliance Officer has confirmed that it is valid and requires inspection, the following steps may occur:
Notice of Entry
If entry to the property is required for an inspection, a Notice of Entry will be sent stating a date, time, and reason for the inspection.
Inspection
An inspection will be done by a Development Compliance (DC) Officer who will be dressed in plain clothes. The DC Officer will show City of Edmonton identification at the inspection.
During the inspection, the DC Officer will check to ensure that the property complies with the Zoning Bylaw.
After the Inspection
If the DC Officer finds that the property complies with the Zoning Bylaw after the inspection, the inquiry will be closed. There will be no enforcement action taken.
If the DC Officer finds that the property does not comply with the Zoning Bylaw, the following steps may be taken:
Compliance Options
Following the inspection, the DC Officer will discuss actions that must be taken to comply with the Zoning Bylaw.
We recommend that these actions are done before the follow-up inspection date.
Follow-up Inspection
A follow-up inspection will be scheduled to confirm that the corrective actions have been taken and the property complies with the Zoning Bylaw.
The DC Officer has the ability to issue Municipal Tickets, Violation Tickets, and/or Municipal Government Act (MGA) Orders at any time during the investigation process.
Further Action Required
In the rare case that there is still failure to comply, further enforcement action, including Municipal Government Act (MGA) orders, with fines up to $10,000 or court orders, may apply.
Checking for Compliance
Finding Your Property and Zoning Regulations
You can find your property’s zone by visiting maps.edmonton.ca. Select ‘Zoning’ and search by your property address.
*Disclaimer: While this will give you an indication of your property's zone, some inaccuracies may occur. To get the confirmation of your zone, please submit a zoning confirmation application form.
Search for your address
Under the 'General' information tab, you will find your current zone, which is linked to the section of the Zoning Bylaw that applies to your property.
You may also have overlays that apply additional regulations to your property. These overlays can also be found under the 'General' information tab and are linked to the applicable sections of the Zoning Bylaw.
For any questions you may have about the Zoning Bylaw, please contact the City of Edmonton.
Licences and Permits You May Need
In order to comply with the Zoning Bylaw, you may be required to have additional licences and permits. Here are some common licences and permits which may apply to you and your property.
Definitions
Notice of Entry
- A document required under Section 542 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) to provide reasonable notice to enter a private property
Municipal Ticket/Violation Ticket
- Penalty fines that may be issued for Zoning Bylaw infractions
Violation Notice
- A warning notice indicating a violation of the Zoning Bylaw and the actions that must be taken in order to correct the contravention
MGA Order
- A legal document issued in accordance with Section 645 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA)
- Identifies the zoning violation and the actions that must taken to resolve the contravention
- Defines a timeline in which corrective actions must be taken in order to avoid further enforcement action
