Définition de la maison d'habitation

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Principes généraux

"Dwelling house" is defined in section 2:

2 In this Act,
...
"dwelling-house" means the whole or any part of a building or structure that is kept or occupied as a permanent or temporary residence, and includes

(a) a building within the curtilage of a dwelling-house that is connected to it by a doorway or by a covered and enclosed passage-way, and

(b) a unit that is designed to be mobile and to be used as a permanent or temporary residence and that is being used as such a residence;

...
L.R. (1985), ch. C-46, art. 2; L.R. (1985), ch. 11 (1er suppl.), art. 2, ch. 27 (1er suppl.), art. 2 et 203, ch. 31 (1er suppl.), art. 61, ch. 1 (2e suppl.), art. 213, ch. 27 (2e suppl.), art. 10, ch. 35 (2e suppl.), art. 34, ch. 32 (4e suppl.), art. 55, ch. 40 (4e suppl.), art. 21990, ch. 17, art. 7; 1991, ch. 1, art. 28, ch. 40, art. 1, ch. 43, art. 1 et 9; 1992, ch. 20, art. 216, ch. 51, art. 32; 1993, ch. 28, art. 78, ch. 34, art. 59; 1994, ch. 44, art. 2; 1995, ch. 29, art. 39 et 40, ch. 39, art. 138; 1997, ch. 23, art. 1; 1998, ch. 30, art. 14; 1999, ch. 3, art. 25, ch. 5, art. 1, ch. 25, art. 1(préambule), ch. 28, art. 155; 2000, ch. 12, art. 91, ch. 25, art. 1(F); 2001, ch. 32, art. 1, ch. 41, art. 2 et 131; 2002, ch. 7, art. 137, ch. 22, art. 324; 2003, ch. 21, art. 1; 2004, ch. 3, art. 12005, ch. 10, art. 34, ch. 38, art. 58, ch. 40, art. 1 et 7; 2006, ch. 14, art. 12007, ch. 13, art. 1; 2012, ch. 1, art. 160, ch. 19, art. 371; 2013, ch. 13, art. 2; 2014, ch. 17, art. 1, ch. 23, art. 2, ch. 25, art. 2; 2015, ch. 3, art. 44, ch. 13, art. 3, ch. 20, art. 15; 2018, ch. 21, art. 12; 2019, ch. 13, art. 140; 2019, ch. 25, art. 1; 2022, ch. 17, art. 1.

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Factors

Factors to consider include:

• the intention of the builder;
• the traditional use;
• the type of temporary use;
• the seasonal use;
• the actual use; and
• the character of the building.

Detached Building

Detached building on private property does not usually amount to dwelling.

Empty, Abandoned or Incomplete Building

An incomplete building does not constitute a dwelling. However, an abandoned building however is one.

A house which is not occupied can still retain its character as a dwelling-house.

Certain types places will lose their dwelling-house status from non-use. A house may be abandoned for a period of time, dilapidated, boarded-up, and "not intending to be live[d] in ...again" rendering it a non-dwelling.

A "dwelling-house" for the purpose of a conviction under s. 348 for a break and enter will not include a building under construction that has not been occupied as a residence.

Garage or Driveway

A driveway is not a dwelling house; it is a place where people drive and park their vehicles.

A garage or parkade under the residential building is also a dwelling-house.

Hotel or Motel

A motel room, camp, can be a dwelling.

Moveable Shelters

Living in a truck does not render the vehicle a dwelling house.

Curtilage

"Curtilage" in US law is meant to "include all buildings in close proximity to a dwelling, which are continually used for carrying on domestic employment; or such place as is necessary and convenient to a dwelling and is habitually used for family purposes."

The meaning of curtilage has been defined in domestic courts as "the land or yard adjoining a house, usually within an enclosure."

Relationship with CDSA Definition

The definition of "dwelling-house" in the Code has no interdependence with the definition in the CDSA.