British Columbia | Bill 44
Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) Expert Guide
SSMUH is BC's set of rules for 3 to 6 homes on lots that used to allow one house. We turn the provincial rules and each city's bylaw into multiplex projects that homeowners and investors can build.
What Is SSMUH?
SSMUH (small-scale, multi-unit housing) is the Province of British Columbia's name for secondary suites, garden suites, laneway homes, triplexes, townhomes and house-plexes built on lots that used to allow only one house or a duplex. Since Bill 44 (2023), most BC municipalities must allow at least 3 or 4 homes on each of those lots, and 6 on lots near a frequent bus stop.
The rules reach every municipality with more than 5,000 people, and any lot inside the urban containment boundary of a regional growth strategy (the line a regional plan draws around the land meant for urban growth). VanPlex uses SSMUH to plan forms from a 3-home cottage court to a 6-home stacked multiplex with strata ownership.
SSMUH fast facts
- Unit count: at least 3 homes on lots of 280 m² or less, 4 on larger lots, 6 on lots over 281 m² within 400 m of a frequent bus stop.
- Height & massing: set by each city's zoning bylaw; Vancouver's R1-1 zone allows 11.5 m and 3 storeys.
- Ownership: Stratified multiplex and fee-simple rowhouse options emerging.
- Parking: none may be required for the homes on a six-home lot; other lots follow the city's bylaw.
- Timeline: Expect 12-18 months from feasibility to occupancy with coordinated execution.
How Many Homes Does SSMUH Allow on a Lot?
The Province sets the smallest number of homes a city must allow on a lot zoned for a house or a duplex. A city can allow more. These are the four levels in the Province's policy manual.
| Lot | Homes the city must allow |
|---|---|
| Any lot zoned for a single house, in every municipality and regional district electoral area | 1 secondary suite and/or 1 detached unit (such as a laneway home) |
| 280 m² or smaller, in a municipality of more than 5,000 people or inside a regional growth strategy's urban containment boundary | 3 |
| Larger than 280 m², same areas | 4 |
| Larger than 281 m², in the same areas, and wholly or partly within 400 m of a bus stop served at least every 15 minutes on average (7 am to 7 pm on weekdays, 10 am to 6 pm on weekends) | 6, and no off-street parking may be required for them |
Which lots are left out?
- Lots larger than 4,050 m², and zones where the smallest lot a subdivision may create is 4,050 m².
- Land not connected to both a water system and a sewer system run by a municipality or regional district.
- Land protected under the Heritage Conservation Act, land under a heritage designation bylaw given first reading before the rules began, and land under a heritage revitalization agreement signed before then.
- Land in a Transit-Oriented Area, which has its own provincial rules.
- Land with a hazard, when a qualified professional reports that more homes would raise the risk and the risk cannot be practically reduced.
- The Islands Trust area and areas under a rural land use bylaw, which are outside every SSMUH rule, suites included.
A city may not hold a public hearing on a zoning change made only to meet these rules, and may not use density bonuses to reach the minimum, except for one of the six homes on a six-home lot, which it may tie to affordable housing. Height, setbacks, floor area and lot sizes stay in each city's own bylaw, which is why the same lot allows different buildings in Vancouver and Burnaby. For what changed in the law, see Bill 44 explained: 3, 4 or 6 homes per lot, and for how to read the manual for your own lot, see how many homes you can build on your BC lot.
Sources, read October 23, 2026: Province of BC, Small-scale, multi-unit housing (page updated January 20, 2026); Provincial Policy Manual & Site Standards, January 20, 2026 edition, pages 8 to 13. City rows below: the City of Vancouver R1-1 District Schedule (June 2026), the City of Burnaby R1 District, section 101 of the Zoning Bylaw, and the small-scale housing pages of the Cities of Surrey, Coquitlam and New Westminster.
SSMUH zone names and unit counts by city
Each municipality gave its SSMUH zone a different name. Use this to confirm you are reading the right bylaw before you check your specific address below.
| City | Zone Name | Max Units | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | R1-1 | 3 to 6 (8 if all rental) | Floor area 1.00 times the lot; 306 m² and 10.0 m frontage for 3 or 4 homes, 557 m² and 15.1 m for 6 |
| Burnaby | R1 | 3 to 6 | 4 homes on lots of 281 m² or more; 5 or 6 only inside the Frequent Transit Network Area |
| Surrey | RA, R1 to R6 | 3 to 6 | 3 homes under 280 m², 4 over; 6 on lots of 281 m² or more within 400 m of a 15-minute bus stop |
| Coquitlam | R-1 to R-4 | 3 to 4 | No bus stop meets the Province's frequent service test, so the 6-home rule does not apply yet |
| New Westminster | RGO-A, RGO-B | 4 (RGO-A), 6 (RGO-B) | Infill Housing Program adopted June 2026; at most 2 homes stacked on top of each other |
SSMUH adoption across Metro Vancouver & Fraser Valley
| Municipality | Status | Highlights | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | Active | R1-1 zone: a multiplex of up to 6 homes, or 8 when all are secured rental; multiplex is a conditional approval use. | Explore details |
| Burnaby | Active | R1 district: 3 homes on any lot, 4 on lots of 281 m² or more, 5 or 6 in the Frequent Transit Network Area. | Explore details |
| Surrey | Active | Replacement zones R1 to R6 in force since July 8, 2024; houseplexes of 3 or 4 homes, 6 near a frequent bus stop. | Explore details |
| Coquitlam | Active | R-1 to R-4 small-scale zones adopted June 9, 2025; up to 4 homes, since no bus stop meets the frequent service test. | Explore details |
| Port Coquitlam | Under Review | Implementing Bill 44 SSMUH with incremental rezonings; monitor 2026 adoption timeline. | Explore details |
| Maple Ridge | Under Review | SSMUH consultations active; rural servicing updates pending. | Explore details |
| Langley | Active | Township + City aligning policies; transit oriented SSMUH focus areas. | Explore details |
| New Westminster | Active | Infill Housing Program adopted June 2026: RGO-A zone allows up to 4 homes, RGO-B up to 6. | Explore details |
| North Vancouver (City & District) | Active | SSMUH adoption confirmed; hillside design & wildfire interface considerations. | Explore details |
| Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission) | Staggered | Agricultural + ALR considerations; SSMUH status varies per city. | Explore details |
| Sea-to-Sky (Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton) | Emerging | SSMUH infrastructure and servicing studies in-flight; early multiplex pilots. | Explore details |
VanPlex SSMUH program pillars
Policy Intelligence
We track Bill 44 updates, municipal bylaws, and council minutes weekly. Our team maintains a living requirements matrix for every city we serve.
Feasibility & Pro Forma
We underwrite SSMUH projects with construction hard + soft costs, absorption timelines, and financing paths to prove viability before design spend.
Design & Permitting
Architect, structural, mechanical, arborist, and geotech scopes coordinated under one roof to submit compliant drawing packages.
Finance & Delivery
We arrange construction financing, pre-sale strategy, and build execution using SSMUH-experienced trades so owners only deal with one team.
SSMUH implementation timeline
December 7, 2023
The Province issues the Bill 44 regulations and the SSMUH policy manual.
June 30, 2024
Deadline for local governments to update their zoning bylaws for Bill 44, unless granted an extension.
July 8, 2024
Surrey's replacement zones R1 to R6 come into effect.
June 9, 2025
Coquitlam adopts its small-scale housing zoning changes.
November 27, 2025
Bill 25 receives Royal Assent: a zone that allows a house with a secondary suite and a detached unit such as a laneway home now counts as a Restricted Zone too.
June 2026
New Westminster adopts its Infill Housing Program (RGO-A and RGO-B). June 30, 2026 is the deadline to update bylaws for Bill 25.
New analysis
2026 municipal scorecard
We track how every Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley municipality is progressing through SSMUH adoption: timelines, permitting expectations, and the VanPlex projects already underway.
Read the latest SSMUH status update →How to use this report
- • Decide where to prioritize multiplex feasibility based on adoption speed.
- • Align consultant scheduling with projected intake windows.
- • Share with lenders and partners to demonstrate due diligence.
Navigating SSMUH with confidence
Bill 44 gave most BC homeowners the right to build more homes on their lot. The hard part is building one: designing a multiplex that sells, securing financing, keeping consultants aligned, and protecting margins while meeting climate and building code requirements.
We have already guided dozens of multiplex projects from Vancouver to Burnaby and across the Fraser Valley. Our team builds pro formas, secures survey + servicing data, manages drawing coordination, and keeps the permitting queue moving so you can hit the ground running once bylaws change.
Read case studies to see SSMUH in actionSSMUH readiness checklist
- ✓ Confirm lot eligibility, frontage, and slope conditions.
- ✓ Run pro forma with multiplex unit mix + financing assumptions.
- ✓ Coordinate survey, arborist, servicing, and energy modelling.
- ✓ Plan pre-sale strategy or rental stabilization path.
- ✓ Align build partner with SSMUH construction experience.
We can deliver this end-to-end or plug into your team where the gaps are biggest.
Check your property's SSMUH potential
See how many units you can deliver, the build envelope, and the pro forma range before you commit to design and financing fees. You can also estimate DCLs, DCCs, and permit fees for your lot.