Stratify Your Plex | Suites and Laneways
Can a Suite or Laneway Home Be Its Own Strata Lot?
No city whose rules we read on the point lets a secondary suite become its own strata lot, and Vancouver, the City and District of North Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam and Nanaimo also bar laneway homes and coach houses from their own strata title. Strata lots go to principal units: each half of a duplex, each unit of a fourplex. This page explains the terms cities use, lists each city's rule with its source, and shows what owners can do instead, including how to give each owner their own parking and storage.
The short answer
- 01Strata lots go to principal units, such as each half of a duplex or each unit of a fourplex. A secondary suite stays part of the principal unit it is in, in every city whose rules we read on the point.
- 02Vancouver says a secondary suite "cannot be defined as a separate strata lot under any circumstances", and the City will not consider converting a house with a suite or a laneway house into strata lots.
- 03Laneway homes, coach houses and carriage houses cannot be stratified in Vancouver, the City and District of North Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam or Nanaimo. You sell one only with the main house.
- 04Lock-off units cannot be separate strata lots in Vancouver or the City of North Vancouver.
- 05Parking stalls and storage spaces cannot be separate strata lots under the Strata Property Act (s.244(2)). Give each owner their own as limited common property instead.
Principal unit, suite, accessory home, lock-off
Under the Strata Property Act, a strata lot is a lot shown on a strata plan (s.1). Cities decide which homes may be drawn that way, through zoning, covenants and their approval of conversions. They use these terms. The definitions below are quoted or summarized from the bylaw named in each row.
| Term | What it is | Its own strata lot? |
|---|---|---|
| Principal unit | A main home on the lot. Vancouver's strata policy names a duplex, two single detached houses, a house with infill and a multiple conversion dwelling as buildings with two or more principal dwelling units. Burnaby's guide says any property that contains a "primary dwelling unit" can be stratified. | Yes. In Vancouver the number of strata lots must match the number of approved principal units. |
| Secondary suite | The City of North Vancouver Zoning Bylaw defines it as an attached, non-stratified home that belongs to a house, and that may have a bathroom, sleeping and living areas and cooking facilities. | No, in every city whose rules we read on the point. Burnaby says a suite must stay registered under the same title as the primary unit it is in. |
| Coach house, laneway house, carriage house, garden suite | A separate small building on the same lot. The City of North Vancouver defines an accessory coach house as a detached, non-stratified home that belongs to a house, with a bathroom, sleeping and living area and cooking facilities, allowed where the owner lives on the property. | No in Vancouver, the City and District of North Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam and Nanaimo. Not confirmed elsewhere. |
| Accessory dwelling unit in a duplex | In the City of North Vancouver, a separate area inside one half of a duplex, with its own bathroom, sleeping, living and cooking areas, 37.16 to 90 square metres or 40% of the floor area, whichever is less. One per principal unit, and only where the owner lives on the property. | No. It "shall not be stratified as a separate unit" (s.507(14)(f)). |
| Lock-off unit | The City of North Vancouver defines it as a separate area with a bathroom, cooking, sleeping and living areas that is part of a home, reached both through a lockable door from the rest of the home and through its own outside door. | No in Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver. Vancouver registers a covenant that limits strata lots to the number of principal units. |
City by city
From each city's own bylaw, policy, guide or web page, read on October 29, 2026. "Not confirmed" records one thing: we could not find the rule in that city's documents. Ask the city in writing before you plan on it.
| City | Secondary suite as its own strata lot | Laneway, coach, carriage house or garden suite |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | Never. A secondary suite cannot be a separate strata lot under any circumstances (Strata Title Policies for R1-1, R3, R4, R5, RT and RM Zones, s.2). | No. The City will not consider converting a house with a suite or laneway house, and a new house with a laneway house gets a covenant at development permit that blocks a strata plan. |
| Burnaby | No. Secondary suites cannot be stratified. | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. |
| Surrey | The City's small-scale housing page treats a house and its suite as a single real estate entity. | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. |
| Richmond | No. The secondary suite is not permitted to be stratified (Zoning Bylaw 8500, s.5.4, added by Bylaw 9865 in 2018), and the bylaw defines a secondary suite as un-stratified. | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. |
| Coquitlam | No. Secondary suites and accessory dwelling units cannot be stratified or subdivided; duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and multiplexes can be stratified and sold (City FAQ). | No, per the same City FAQ on accessory dwelling units. |
| City of North Vancouver | No. An accessory dwelling unit in a duplex and a lock-off unit shall not be stratified as a separate unit (Zoning Bylaw No. 6700, s.507). | No. An accessory coach house shall not be stratified (s.507(13)). |
| New Westminster | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. | No. Laneway and carriage houses cannot be strata-titled, sold or used for short-term rentals. |
| Victoria | No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a secondary suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions). | No. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw defines a garden suite as one that does not include a strata lot (Schedule A, Definitions, Bylaw 17-001, April 13, 2017). |
| Saanich | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. | Yes, since Bylaw 10185 (2025). The Zoning Bylaw now lets a garden suite sit on the same fee simple parcel or on the same strata plan as the house, and the City's notice said the change enables strata subdivision when both homes meet the zoning rules. |
| Kelowna | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. | No. A carriage house may not be stratified (Carriage House bulletin 14-01, updated August 4, 2023). |
| Abbotsford | No. The Zoning Bylaw defines a secondary suite as part of the same real estate entity as the main home. | No. The Zoning Bylaw defines coach houses and garden suites as part of the same real estate entity as the house or duplex on the lot. |
| Nanaimo | No. Only principal units can be stratified, not suites (small-scale housing subdivision FAQ, January 2025). | No. Carriage houses and accessory dwelling units cannot be stratified (same FAQ). |
| Port Coquitlam | No. The Zoning Bylaw says a secondary suite forms a single real estate entity with the main home and cannot be subdivided separately under the Strata Property Act. | No. A lot holding an accessory dwelling unit and a principal dwelling cannot be subdivided under the Strata Property Act (Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630). Lots with several principal dwellings can be. |
| Port Moody | No. A secondary suite cannot be stratified because it counts as part of its primary unit (A Guide to SSMUH, July 4, 2025). | Yes under the Zoning Bylaw. The 2024 small-scale housing amendment (Bylaw 3460) replaced the detached accessory dwelling unit with an additional dwelling unit, defined as a building or part of one with a single self-contained home that may be stratified. |
| Maple Ridge | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. |
| Delta | No. Secondary suites cannot be strata-titled or sold (City Secondary Suites page). | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. |
| District of North Vancouver | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. | No. "A coach house cannot be stratified or sold separately" (Coach House How-To Guide, December 2023). The guide calls a coach house an accessory dwelling unit, like a secondary suite. |
| Nanaimo | No. Only principal units can be stratified: "not suites, carriage houses, accessory dwelling units" (small-scale housing subdivision FAQ, January 2025). | No. Carriage houses and accessory dwelling units are named in the same FAQ answer. |
| Port Coquitlam | A duplex strata conversion carries a restrictive covenant to prevent a duplex unit from being developed with a secondary suite (City strata title conversion page). | Not confirmed in the city documents we read. |
Two more details from the City of North Vancouver bylaw: a coach house is allowed only where the owner lives on the property (s.507(13)(b)), and so is an accessory dwelling unit in a duplex (s.507(14)(a)). Burnaby adds a different rule for rowhouses: a rowhouse on its own fee simple lot cannot be stratified, and neither can a suite inside it.
Vancouver's rules in detail
Vancouver's "Strata Title Policies for R1-1, R3, R4, R5, RT and RM Zones", last amended October 21, 2025, sets three rules.
- Occupied buildings (s.6.1): Council or the Approving Officer will not consider converting a single detached house with a secondary suite, with a laneway house, or with both. An exception can be made for buildings with two or more principal units (a house with infill, two single detached houses, a duplex or a multiple conversion dwelling), with the number of strata lots matching the number of principal units.
- New house with a suite or laneway house (s.6.2(a)): a covenant registered before the development permit prohibits registering a strata plan. The City releases it on the owner's request no sooner than 12 months after the occupancy permit. Once the house is occupied, s.6.1 applies, so the laneway house still cannot become a strata lot.
- New duplex or plex with suites or lock-offs (s.6.2(b) and s.4): a covenant limits the strata lots to the number of approved principal units.
The R1-1 District Schedule adds the limits on what can be built: a duplex with secondary suite may have no more than 1 suite for each dwelling unit (s.2.2.3), and a lock-off is allowed only in a duplex, at most 1 per dwelling unit. In a duplex with a secondary suite, only 1 suite and 1 lock-off are allowed, and the lock-off goes in the unit without the suite (s.2.2.10). A character house kept as a multiple conversion dwelling or with infill can be converted to strata lots, again one per principal unit (policy s.5).
Parking and storage cannot be strata lots
The Act settles this for every city: a strata plan cannot show a parking stall or a storage space as a separate strata lot (s.244(2)). Owners who want their own stall, locker or yard get it as limited common property, which is common property set aside for the exclusive use of one or more lots (s.1).
Three ways to set it up:
- The owner developer designates it on the strata plan before deposit (s.73(a)).
- Parking can be designated by plan amendment before the first annual general meeting (AGM) (s.258).
- After that: a unanimous vote with a plan amendment (s.257), or a 3/4 vote with a sketch plan, which takes effect only when filed at the Land Title Office (s.74).
In a 2 or 3 lot strata, one owner can block that 3/4 vote, so draw every stall and locker on the plan before the first sale. The Form B a buyer receives lists the parking stalls and storage lockers that go with the lot. The limited common property page covers repairs and costs.
What owners can do instead
Keep the suite with its unit. In a duplex with two suites, each half becomes a strata lot that includes its suite. The buyer of that lot owns the suite too. Burnaby states this directly: a suite stays registered under the same title as the primary unit it is in.
Build principal units instead of accessory ones where zoning allows. Coquitlam's FAQ says duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and multiplexes can be stratified and sold. A house with a suite and a laneway house also has three homes, but in Vancouver it stays on one title. If separate ownership is the goal, design for it from the start.
If a family member will live in the suite or laneway home, ownership stays with the owner of the main title. The family plex page covers splitting titles among relatives, and an owner builder can include a secondary suite in a house they build (Homeowner Protection Act Regulation s.19).
Best For
- ✓ A duplex or plex where each principal unit becomes a strata lot and keeps its own suite or lock-off.
- ✓ Owners who want their own parking or storage: designate it as limited common property on the strata plan.
- ✓ Families who want an extra home on the lot under one owner, with no plan to sell it on its own.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The plan counts on selling a laneway home or coach house as its own unit.
- ✕ The plan counts on a secondary suite or lock-off becoming its own strata lot.
- ✕ A house with a suite or laneway house in Vancouver is meant to be stratified later: the City will not consider it.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → Your city's current policy on suites and accessory homes, in writing, before you design.
- → Any covenant registered at development permit that limits strata lots.
- → That parking, storage and yards are drawn as limited common property on the plan before the first sale.
Common questions
Can a secondary suite be stratified in BC? +
No, in every city whose rules we read on the point. Vancouver says a suite cannot be a separate strata lot under any circumstances, Burnaby says suites must stay on the same title as the primary unit, and Coquitlam, Nanaimo and the City of North Vancouver say the same in their own words. The suite stays part of the strata lot of the principal unit it is in.
Can a laneway house be strata titled in Vancouver? +
No. A new house with a laneway house gets a covenant at development permit that prohibits a strata plan. The City will release that covenant on request no sooner than 12 months after the occupancy permit, but its policy also says it will not consider converting an occupied house with a laneway house to strata. Together, a laneway house never becomes its own strata lot.
Can you sell your laneway home separately? +
Not in the cities whose rules we read on the point. The District of North Vancouver says a coach house cannot be sold separately, New Westminster says laneway and carriage houses cannot be strata-titled or sold, and Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver bar their own strata title. A laneway home is sold with the main house, on the same title.
Can a coach house be stratified? +
No in the City of North Vancouver (Zoning Bylaw s.507(13)) and the District of North Vancouver (Coach House How-To Guide). Coquitlam and Nanaimo also exclude accessory dwelling units and carriage houses. Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond and Saanich rules on this were not confirmed in our research.
Can I stratify a house with a suite in Vancouver? +
No. Vancouver's strata policy says Council or the Approving Officer will not entertain an application to convert a single detached house with a secondary suite, a laneway house, or both. A new house with a suite or laneway house gets a covenant that blocks a strata plan.
Can a duplex with secondary suites be stratified? +
Yes, into one strata lot per principal unit. In Vancouver a duplex with suites or lock-offs gets a covenant at development permit that limits strata lots to the number of principal units, so a duplex with 2 suites becomes 2 strata lots, each keeping its suite.
Can a lock-off unit be its own strata lot? +
No in Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver. In Vancouver R1-1 a lock-off is allowed only in a duplex, at most 1 per dwelling unit, and a covenant limits strata lots to the number of principal units.
Can a carriage house in New Westminster get its own title? +
No. New Westminster says laneway and carriage houses cannot be strata-titled, sold or used for short-term rentals.
Can a garden suite be stratified in Victoria? +
Not confirmed. Search results say Victoria garden suites cannot be strata-titled, but the City page would not open for us, so we could not check the wording. Ask the City before you plan on it.
Can a parking stall be its own strata lot? +
No. Section 244(2) of the Strata Property Act says parking stalls and storage spaces cannot be separate strata lots. A stall can be limited common property for one lot instead.
How do I give each owner their own parking space or storage locker? +
Designate it as limited common property for that lot. The owner developer can do it on the strata plan, and parking can be added by plan amendment before the first AGM (s.258). After that it takes a unanimous vote with a plan amendment (s.257), or a 3/4 vote with a sketch plan that takes effect only when filed (s.74).
What is a principal unit? +
A main home on the lot, as opposed to a suite or accessory home that belongs to it. Vancouver's policy lists a duplex, two single detached houses, a house with infill and a multiple conversion dwelling as having two or more principal units, and only principal units can become strata lots there and in Nanaimo.
Can I add a secondary suite to my strata lot later? +
The Standard Bylaws require the strata's written approval before you change the structure or exterior of the building, and the strata must not refuse without good reason. City zoning and building permits also apply. Our sources do not cover each city's suite rules inside an existing strata.
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