canada real-estate property municipal-bylaws residency
Is it legal to live on commercial property?
<p>I live in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and I noticed that some commercial properties in town are very affordable. I don't plan on starting a business nor do I plan on trying within this year.</p>

<p>I did try researching my city's bylaws, but all I could find was the purposes that I could use my property for based on zoning, none of which were relevant to personal use.</p>

<p>Is it legal to live on commercial property?
And as a partially overlapping question, it legal to own the property without using it for commercial purposes?</p>

<p>The way you describe it makes it sound like sort of neighborhood in transition-meaning the businesses have either closed or left and there's still a few stragglers. I would talk to a realtor in that area and simply ask, that is probably the quickest way to find out.</p>

<p>I did it with one of my commercial properties once. The city was surprised to find me there after they filed an eminent domain action on the property.</p>

<p>Yes, it can be legal. You would have to rent a commercial property, and then make it a motel. Then you can make it residential for you, by not letting anyone else use the motel.</p>
