Policy & Zoning | Zoning Changes

Zoning Changes: From R1 to Multi-Unit

Bill 44 set the floor. Each municipality wrote its own zone names, FSR caps, setbacks, and height limits to match. The result is a patchwork of new R1 variants — R1-1 in Vancouver, R1-SSMUH in Burnaby, RF-overlay in Surrey — that all permit similar unit counts but produce very different building shapes.

Key Takeaways

✓FSR — not unit count — is the binding constraint on most BC SSMUH lots.
✓Vancouver's R1-1 sits at 0.7 FSR base, 1.0 with secured-rental bonus.
✓Burnaby cut its SSMUH height from 11 m to 9 m in October 2025.
✓Public hearings on compliant projects are gone, but Development Permits and design guidelines remain.

The Five Dimensions That Decide What Fits

FSR (Floor Space Ratio)

The ratio of building floor area to lot area. A 4,000 sq ft lot at 0.7 FSR yields 2,800 sq ft of allowable building. Vancouver's R1-1 base is 0.7; the secured-rental bonus path takes it to 1.0.

Lot coverage

The maximum footprint of all buildings on the lot, expressed as a percentage. Most SSMUH bylaws sit between 40% and 50%. Coverage and FSR together set the height pressure.

Setbacks

The minimum distance from buildings to property lines. Front setbacks tend to match the existing pre-Bill 44 zone. Rear and side setbacks typically tighten under SSMUH to fit the four-unit footprint.

Height

Most BC municipalities cap SSMUH buildings at 9 to 11 metres (roughly three storeys). Burnaby cut its allowance from 11 m to 9 m in October 2025.

Off-street parking

Parking minima are reduced or eliminated under Bill 47 in Transit-Oriented Areas. Vancouver removed parking minimums citywide in 2022, before Bill 44.

City-By-City Zone Names

City	Old zone	New zone	Units	FSR	Notes
Vancouver	RS-1, RS-5, RT	R1-1	3–6 by right; up to 8 secured rental	0.7 base, up to 1.0 with rental	Citywide replacement of single-family zones; adopted Sep 2023, refined 2024.
Burnaby	R1, R4, R5	R1-SSMUH district overlay	3–4 base, 6 transit	0.7 base	Height cut from 11 m to 9 m in Oct 2025 amendment.
Surrey	RF, RH	RF + SSMUH overlay	3–4 base, 6 transit	0.7 base, lot coverage 50%	Lower land basis means six-unit lots near 96 B-Line have penciled.
Richmond	RS1/A through RS2/E	Pre-zoned multi-unit	3–6 by right	0.6 base	ALR boundaries constrain about a third of the city.
Coquitlam	RS-1, RS-5	RS-SSMUH	3–4 base, 6 transit	0.6 base	Conservative interpretation; SkyTrain corridor maps drive the six-unit zone.

How OCP Harmonization Works

The Local Government Act requires zoning bylaws to be consistent with the Official Community Plan (OCP). Bill 44 forced cities to update both. An OCP that designates an area "single-family residential" cannot coexist with a zoning bylaw that permits four units. Most BC municipalities passed concurrent OCP and zoning amendments in early 2024 to keep the two documents aligned.

For a lot to qualify for the no-public-hearing rule under section 464 of the Local Government Act, the proposed development must conform with both the OCP and the SSMUH framework. Inconsistency forces a public hearing back into the process.

What Stays the Same

Bill 44 did not touch the BC Building Code. Fire separation rules, egress requirements, energy step code, and accessibility standards apply as before. Tree retention rules, riparian setbacks, and protected view cones remain. Heritage districts retained their controls. The legislation reshaped what land use the zoning bylaw could prohibit; everything else stayed put.

See our pages on single-stair reform and parking reform for the related code and bylaw changes that arrived around the same time.

Best For

✓ Owners checking whether their lot is in R1-1, R1-SSMUH, or another compliant zone.
✓ Builders comparing FSR yields across Metro Vancouver cities.
✓ Anyone reading a Development Permit application that cites a new zone name.

Usually Fails When

✕ You assume the FSR is the same in every BC city.
✕ You expect the new zone to override BC Building Code requirements.
✕ You believe a public hearing is automatic — for SSMUH-compliant projects, it is not.

What To Verify Before Spending Money

→ Your lot's exact zone designation on your municipality's zoning map.
→ The FSR and lot coverage cap that applies to your specific zone variant.
→ Whether any Development Permit Area or design guideline affects your lot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does R1-1 actually mean in Vancouver?+

R1-1 is the new residential zone the City of Vancouver adopted in September 2023 to replace RS-1, RS-5, and most other single-family designations. It permits three to six units by right on a standard lot, with up to eight units allowed on a secured-rental track. The official rules sit in the Zoning and Development By-law section 11.27 and on vancouver.ca/multiplex.

Is FSR or unit count the binding constraint?+

Usually FSR. Most BC SSMUH lots can fit three to six units inside the building code, but at 0.7 FSR a 4,000 sq ft lot only gives 2,800 sq ft of building — about four small units of 700 sq ft each. The unit-count permission only matters once the FSR allows that much building.

Did every BC city replace its R1 zones?+

Most large municipalities did. Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, and Coquitlam all passed compliant bylaws by mid-2024. The District of North Vancouver did not — see the North Shore page for the dispute.

What happens if my lot is on a corner or odd-shaped?+

The site standards in the Provincial Policy Manual do not exempt corner or irregular lots, but municipal bylaws often add design relief — for example, increased setbacks on the flanking street. Check your city's SSMUH design guidelines.

Can a city require a Development Permit?+

Yes. Bill 44 eliminated public hearings for SSMUH-compliant rezoning, but cities still control design through Development Permit Areas, design guidelines, and tree retention rules.