BC ends Single Family Zoning

The Province enacted a mandate in summer 2024 to end single family zoning in most communities in British Columbia. This mandate required nearly all municipalities to modify their Zoning By-laws by 30 June 2024. Most did. Some asked for exemptions. I’m not aware of any exemptions that were granted. If you are, please let me know.

The required modifications included allowing four units on a sufficiently large single city lot where the previous zoning restricted any building activity to a Single Family Residence (SFR). In some locations, near frequent transit stops, the required maximum is now six units. There are many more details and the Province describes some here.

Legislation Details

The most significant change within the Provincial legislation is two-fold. First, building 3-6 units on a lot previously zoned for SFR use does not require change a zoning change. Second, public consultations are not allowed when building a multiple unit dwelling in place of a SFR. This last point is very important to the goal of steadily increasing the housing supply in British Columbia,

Replacing existing SFR with 4-plexes or 6-plexes are not the only consequence of this legislation. Housing in-fill can can occur on a lot with a SFR without removing the existing home. What this means is that auxiliary suites, garden suites, laneway suites, and secondary suites can proceed via a single building permit with no zoning change required, and without any public consultation.

These new residential housing options are still subject to other Zoning By-law constraints like set backs, lot coverage, and maximum heights. These vary somewhat from one municipality to another, although there is fairly widespread consistency with notable exemptions. Additionally, the Province has placed restrictions on lot sizes: both minimum and maximum sizes. And there are many other conditions, constraints, and characteristics that will impact how the new legislation affects any individual city lot.