Rooming houses? Officials and people who lived there say so

These properties have been called rooming houses by officials and tenants, but they aren't on the city's register.

That means they're not subject to annual inspections

• 337 Portland Street, Dartmouth: Fire officials called this a rooming house on February 2014. City officials say the case is still open. The property management company for the building says it's two residential units and an office.
• 5278 South Street, Halifax: This house was the site of a murder in March 2014. Someone who has lived in the house says it's a rooming house. The owner says it is not a rooming house.
• 3201 Agricola Street, Halifax: Fire officials called this property a rooming house on March 10, 2013 after a fire that originated in a bedroom started by "careless use of smoking materials" left five people homeless. The owner says it was a rooming house and it was never registered because "nobody asked me to make a registered rooming house out of it."
• 2179 Gottingen Street, Halifax: Advocates say this building where Christina Murray lived was a rooming house. The house has since been shut down by the city because it was unsafe. Prior to it being shuttered police were frequently called to the premises.  The owner refused to answer questions from CBC News about the property.
• 6257 Seaforth Street, Halifax: Neighbours and someone who has lived there told CBC it's a rooming house.  City officials say the case is still open.  The owner says it's an apartment building.

Halifax's manager of building standards admits there's confusion about what a rooming house is so the city is coming up with a new definition to help make sure tenants are warm, dry and safe.