City-by-City | Vancouver

Vancouver: The Most Aggressive Multiplex Bylaw in BC

Vancouver R1-1 went further than the Bill 44 floor. The zone permits up to six units by right, up to eight on the secured-rental track, and replaced almost every single-family zone in the city in one bylaw amendment in September 2023.

Key Takeaways

✓R1-1 replaces RS-1, RS-5, and most other single-family zones citywide.
✓Up to 6 units by right; up to 8 with a secured-rental Section 219 covenant.
✓Citywide parking minimum removal (June 2022) set the precondition.
✓Multiplex Development Permit is administered through a streamlined intake, not Council hearings.

Where Vancouver Multiplex Works Best

Mount Pleasant / Riley Park

Standard 33 ft and 41 ft lots, full transit coverage along Main Street, established walkable retail. The strongest fourplex demand in the city. R1-1 with secured-rental bonus available.

Hastings-Sunrise

Wider lots, lower land basis than the west side, frequent transit on Hastings Street. Good fourplex math with sixplex viability inside the 99 B-Line walking radius.

Kensington-Cedar Cottage

Mix of 33 ft and 50 ft lots, Knight Street corridor, R1-1 zoning. Good for both fourplex and townhouse-row layouts.

Killarney / Renfrew-Collingwood

Within the SkyTrain Expo Line walking radius near Joyce-Collingwood and 29th Avenue stations. Sixplex viable on transit-proximate lots.

Marpole

Mixed lot sizes, Cambie Street corridor, partial Canada Line proximity. R1-1 plus Marpole Community Plan adds local design controls.

Dunbar / Point Grey / West Side

Larger lots, higher land basis. R1-1 applies but per-unit economics are tighter because the secured-rental bonus does less to offset the high acquisition cost.

The R1-1 Numbers

Base FSR sits at 0.7. The secured-rental bonus lifts it to 1.0. Lot coverage caps at 50% on most lots. Maximum height is 11 metres at the standard track and slightly higher with the rental bonus on certain lot configurations. Setbacks generally match the prior single-family zone with minor tightening on the rear and side yards. Specifics are in the Vancouver Zoning and Development By-law section 11.27.

Tree retention rules under the Vancouver Tree Protection By-law remain. Heritage and view-cone protections remain. Coastal flood construction levels apply on lots in flood-prone areas.

The Permit Path

Vancouver introduced a Multiplex Development Permit stream specifically for compliant SSMUH projects. The application intake takes drawings, an arborist report, a survey, and the standard energy and acoustic compliance documents. Public hearings are eliminated for compliant applications under Bill 44. The Development Permit is followed by a Building Permit before construction.

Tracking actual permit volumes — what the City has approved, what is in process, where geographically — is best done through Vancouver's Open Data Portal.

Vancouver vs the Rest of Metro Vancouver

Vancouver's R1-1 is the strongest SSMUH bylaw in the region. The eight-unit secured-rental track is unique to Vancouver. Burnaby cut its standard SSMUH height to 9 metres in October 2025. Surrey kept its standard at the Bill 44 floor. The District of North Vancouver refused to comply.

Compare with our pages on Burnaby, Surrey, and the North Shore.

Best For

✓ Vancouver standard 33 ft lots in transit-rich neighbourhoods.
✓ Builders pursuing the secured-rental track for the eight-unit allowance.
✓ Owners on east-side lots where land basis is moderate and rental demand is strong.

Usually Fails When

✕ West-side lots above $4M where high land basis crowds out the secured-rental bonus benefit.
✕ Heritage-protected properties with controls that supersede R1-1.
✕ Lots inside view cones with reduced height envelopes.

What To Verify Before Spending Money

→ Your lot's exact zone — most former single-family zones rolled to R1-1 but exceptions exist.
→ Whether the lot is inside any Development Permit Area with additional design controls.
→ The current Section 219 covenant template if pursuing the secured-rental track.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Vancouver R1-1?+

R1-1 is the city's post-Bill 44 multiplex zone, replacing RS-1, RS-5, and most other single-family zones. It permits three to six units by right and up to eight units when the project is registered as secured rental. The official zoning text sits in section 11.27 of the Vancouver Zoning and Development By-law.

How long do permits take in Vancouver?+

Vancouver's Multiplex Development Permit pathway is administered through a streamlined intake, distinct from the conventional rezoning process. The City publishes processing time data in its Building Permit and Development Permit dashboards. Times vary by application completeness and review tier.

What is the secured-rental bonus?+

The R1-1 zone offers additional unit count (up to 8) and FSR uplift (to 1.0) when the project commits to long-term rental tenure. The commitment is registered as a Section 219 covenant on title. The covenant binds successor owners.

Can I keep my existing house and add units?+

Yes, in principle. The R1-1 zone permits retention of an existing house plus addition of new units up to the unit-count and FSR caps. Practical feasibility depends on the lot, the existing house condition, and whether the math works versus a full redevelopment.

Are heritage houses excluded from R1-1?+

Heritage-protected properties retain their existing development controls. Properties on the Heritage Register but not formally protected can still pursue R1-1 development with specific design considerations.

Where can I see Vancouver multiplex permit data?+

The City publishes issued building permit data on Vancouver's open data portal at opendata.vancouver.ca. Filtering for multiplex permits requires a query against the building-type and zone fields.