Calgary bungalow with 13 bedrooms listed for half a million dollars

A house in Calgary with 13 occupied bedrooms for half a million dollars sounds like a steal, but a current listing for one in the city is far from a palatial estate.

The MLS listing for an unassuming 1,108-square-foot bungalow on Whitaker Crescent N.E. boasts 13 bedrooms – six on the main floor and seven in the basement.

Only 12 are presently used as bedrooms – one is used as a storage room.

Neighbours are uncomfortable living beside the property.

"There's a lot of rooms. It's strange and scary because you don't know the people and all the time, they change tenants here. It's a bit scary," said neighbour Marionne Woo.

"A year and a half ago, they (the residents) were a family of three – four, if you count the dog – but they sold the house and after three months, they were just doing construction here. We were surprised there were so many rooms."

The construction included installing egress windows around the perimeter of the basement, with each of the seven basement bedrooms having one.

Renters living in the home told CTV News Calgary they pay $500 a month for a bedroom.

Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC), which lobbies for more affordable housing, says people are often forced into such accommodations.

"While it's good that these individuals who are in an overcrowded situation are staying out of shelter, for example, that is still not a very sustainable approach," said Meaghon Reid, VCC's executive director.

"It would be very crowded, very difficult to have your own space, so this is an example of why we need more affordable housing in Calgary."

Reid says there are likely many more houses like the one on Whitaker Crescent N.E. around Calgary.

"It's happening in houses around the city, so there could be that big beautiful three-bedroom bungalow in a quiet neighbourhood, and you can have a lot of people living there because housing is simply unavailable or unaffordable," she said.

In a statement to CTV News Calgary, a spokesperson for the city wrote, "The City of Calgary and the Calgary Fire Department are aware of this property and are reviewing it for land use bylaw compliance, as well as fire and building code compliance."

Mayor Jyoti Gondek stated, "If there are situations in the city where people are living in less than great circumstances, it is absolutely something we will look at."

The Realtor listing the house told CTV News Calgary he was not allowed to speak to the media.

However, one of the tenants allowed CTV News Calgary into the home.

While the quarters are tight, the home appears clean and well-maintained.

All the people CTV News Calgary staff met in the home were Ukrainian immigrants.

Bedrooms in the basement had exit windows, and there were smoke alarms in place, but their functionality could not be verified.

City building, bylaw and fire inspectors have visited the house many times – most recently on Tuesday – to check for compliance.

The result of that latest inspection is still pending.