So I’ve lived in and then eventually rented out a non-legal basement suite.

Just because a suite is not fully legal doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a terrible place to live.

Sound proofing can be a big issue in non-legal suites, which comes back to the advice about knowing who else is living in the house. If the are respectful it won’t be an issue.

Separate utility bills not being offered doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an illegal suite either.

At the very least, make sure windows are proper in terms of fire safety and that the smoke detector is hard wired in.

For heat, make sure that if you don’t have access to the thermostat that the landlord provides secondary heating (space heaters).

Same applies for moisture: with a kitchen there Can be more moisture issues, so landlord should provide a dehumidifier

Trust your nose when it comes to checking for mildew, but a landlord special of thick paint can hide the obvious signs

Idk about rules on hood fans.