In 2023, the Government of British Columbia announced a range of new housing rules to increase housing supply across the province. One of those rules requires cities to allow small-scale multi-unit housing of up to 3, 4, or 6 units to be built on certain properties.
Small-scale housing refers to a range of housing types—such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, secondary suites, or coach homes--designed to fit within existing neighborhoods.
Every city in BC must rezone impacted properties. For the City of North Vancouver, the deadline for these changes is June 1, 2025.
New Small-Scale Housing Zone
These new Provincial rules apply to properties that are zoned for duplex use. Roughly 900 properties in the City are impacted by the new small-scale housing zone, as shown on the map below.
The changes include increasing the number of units allowed, as follows:
>> Open map in new window
- YELLOW AREAS: Lots 280 m2 and under: up to 3 units will be allowed.
- BLUE AREAS: Lots over 280 m2: up to 4 units will be allowed.
- PINK AREAS: Lots over 280 m2 AND near frequent transit stops (along the R2 and 240 transit routes): up to 6 units will be allowed.
You can find the zone of any property in the City by using our mapping service CityMap.
Please note: The City has estimated lot sizes based on the best available information. Property owners may choose to verify lot areas by hiring a qualified land surveyor.
What this means for your property
Notices explaining these proposed changes have been mailed to all property owners.
These changes allow impacted property owners the opportunity to add more units to their property, should they want to. They do not set a minimum number of units that must be built.
Next Steps
The draft zone is now available for review. If you have any questions please email the Planning Team at zoningupdate@cnv.org.
Later in the spring, the proposed zone will go to City Council for approval. Due to changes in Provincial legislation, public hearings are not permitted for this rezoning, but residents can send their feedback to Council during the notification period between April 23 and May 5 (12 p.m.), 2025 via email at citycouncil@cnv.org.