Canadian Housing Statistics Program (CHSP)

Property use of residential property, category

Property use refers to the use of a residential property by its owners. The property can be occupied by the owner, at least one of the owners or none of the owners on the property title. A property is classified as owner-occupied when at least one owner on the property title declares the property as their usual residence according to tax data or other administrative data. A property is classified as not owner-occupied when none of the owners on the property title declare the property as their usual residence.
When the property is not owner-occupied, it may be rented, used as a secondary property or any other situation where the property is not the usual residence of the owner.
When the property type is vacant land, the property is classified as not applicable, since there is no habitable structure on the property.
Properties owned solely by businesses and governments (such as corporations, governments, sole proprietorships and partnerships, and other legal types) are considered not owner-occupied since, by definition, a business and government cannot occupy a residential property. Properties owned solely by non-residents are also considered not owner-occupied since the owner's usual residence is outside the economic territory of Canada.

Residential property refers to all land and structures intended for private dwelling purposes, whether on a permanent or a temporary basis. A residential property may have more than one owner.

The data for this variable are reported using the following classifications and/or lists:

• Property use of the residential property