Vancouver folded BC's multiplex mandate into its R1-1 Residential Inclusive zone, the most permissive small-scale framework in the province. Here is what that actually allows on your lot.
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R1-1 replaced Vancouver's old RS single-family zones. It permits multiplexes of up to 6 dwelling units, or up to 8 if all units are secured rental, alongside duplexes with suites, laneway houses, and single detached homes. Unit count steps up with lot size and frontage, with the largest configurations needing lots of roughly 557 square metres and up, and rear lane access is generally required for multiplex forms.
The rules also reward family-sized design and rental tenure: bedroom-mix minimums require two-bedroom units in larger projects, and the secured rental stream unlocks more units and floor area than market strata. City reporting shows the program moving: roughly 518 multiplex applications representing about 2,200 new homes filed through early 2026, and most applicants designing three-storey, no-basement buildings the updated rules enabled.
Lot area, frontage width, and a usable rear lane are what separate a triplex lot from a sixplex lot. This is a measuring-tape question before it is a design question.
Market strata and secured rental follow different rules, with rental earning more buildable area and up to 8 units. The choice shapes financing, design, and exit, so it belongs at the start.
R1-1's district schedule sets bedroom minimums, height, setbacks, and tree requirements in detail. Projects that respect it from day one move through review; projects that fight it get redesigned.
Up to 6 dwelling units as a multiplex, or up to 8 if every unit is secured rental. The larger configurations require bigger lots (roughly 557 square metres and up) and rear lane access is generally required for multiplex forms. Smaller lots step down to 3 to 5 units depending on frontage and area.
Vancouver launched its own multiplex program and folded it into the R1-1 Residential Inclusive zone, which replaced the old RS single-family zones. Because R1-1 already exceeds the provincial SSMUH minimums, it is not classified as a restricted zone under the province's follow-up legislation. It is the most permissive small-scale framework in BC.
No. R1-1 permits multiplexes as-of-right. You need a development and building permit through the city's process, a design that meets the district schedule, and a decision about tenure, since secured rental unlocks more units and floor area than market strata.
Vancouver approved its missing middle multiplex program in 2023 and folded it into the R1-1 Residential Inclusive zone, ahead of and beyond the provincial SSMUH minimums. Because R1-1 already exceeds Bill 44, Vancouver runs on its own framework.
Your R1-1 tier by lot area and frontage, the lane question, a walk-through of the strata-versus-secured-rental decision and what each allows, and an honest viability read within one business day.
Facts on this page are verified against the City of Vancouver's R1-1 district schedule. Last reviewed July 2026.
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