Burnaby consolidated twelve legacy residential districts into one R1 SSMUH zone in June 2024, then trimmed the building envelope in October 2025. Both halves of that story matter for your lot.
Free feasibility check on any Burnaby lot, answered within one business day.
The R1 SSMUH District, adopted June 10, 2024, permits up to 3 units on lots of 280 square metres or smaller, up to 4 on larger lots, and up to 6 on lots of at least 281 square metres within a Frequent Transit Network Area (within 400 metres of 15-minute bus service, mapped on BurnabyMap). No rear lane is required for any housing form, primary units can be stratified, and fee simple rowhouse subdivision exists as an alternative to strata.
Then October 2025 happened: Council reduced maximum height from four storeys to three, capped rear buildings at two storeys, cut buildable floor area by roughly a third or more, and raised parking minimums, though provincial rules block enforcing them on most transit-adjacent lots. A broader zoning bylaw rewrite has continued into 2026, so every project should be checked against the live bylaw.
Pro formas built on the original 2024 rules overstate what fits today. The three-storey cap and reduced floor area change unit sizes, counts, and returns. Start from the amended numbers.
Whether your lot sits inside a Frequent Transit Network Area decides both the 6-unit option and whether parking can be required at all. It is a two-minute BurnabyMap check that reshapes the whole project.
Strata, single-title rental, and fee simple rowhouse each carry different design and subdivision requirements in Burnaby. The exit you want dictates the drawings you commission.
Up to 3 units on lots of 280 square metres or smaller, up to 4 on larger lots, and up to 6 on lots of at least 281 square metres within a Frequent Transit Network Area, meaning within 400 metres of a bus stop with 15-minute service. The FTNA boundaries are viewable as a layer on BurnabyMap, and parking cannot be required inside them.
Burnaby Council tightened the R1 rules in response to resident feedback: maximum height dropped from four storeys to three (a 10 metre cap), rear buildings are limited to two storeys, buildable floor area fell by roughly a third or more, lot coverage dropped, and parking minimums rose to 0.67 to 1 space per unit, though provincial rules prevent enforcing those minimums on roughly 57 percent of R1 lots near transit. Projects should be modelled on the current envelope, not 2024 numbers.
Yes, in two ways. You can keep all units on one title as rentals, or pursue fee simple rowhouse subdivision, where each unit sits on its own lot with no strata council or fees. Burnaby is one of the few Metro Vancouver cities with a defined fee simple rowhouse path, though those units are not themselves eligible for stratification.
The R1 SSMUH District was adopted June 10, 2024, consolidating twelve legacy residential districts, with applications accepted from July 2024. Council then amended the rules in October 2025, and a broader zoning bylaw rewrite has continued into 2026.
The FTNA question for your address, unit count under the current amended envelope rather than the 2024 numbers, the ownership-structure decision, and whether the project still pencils after the October 2025 changes. One business day, straight answer.
Facts on this page are verified against the City of Burnaby's published R1 SSMUH materials. Last reviewed July 2026.
Shortcut: text Dawar directly at 604-808-3797 with your address. He answers his own phone, and he'll tell you straight what your lot allows. No form needed.
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