Can I Build a Fourplex or Sixplex on My BC Lot? Bill 44's Seven Tests, Explained
Bill 44 says most single-family lots in BC must allow 3, 4 or 6 homes. Whether yours is one of them comes down to seven tests in the Local Government Act, then two measurements. Here is each one, with a checker you can run in a minute.
The short answer
- Bill 44 requires most BC zones that allow only a house or a duplex to permit 3, 4 or 6 homes per lot instead.
- A lot qualifies only if it passes seven tests: a restricted zone, inside the growth area, 4,050 m² or smaller, on municipal water and sewer, no heritage designation, outside a Transit-Oriented Area, and no hazard exemption.
- Then size and transit decide: 3 units at 280 m² or less, 4 above that, and 6 on lots of 281 m² or more within 400 m of a prescribed frequent bus stop.
- These are minimums the zoning must allow. They are not a building permit, and a covenant or building scheme on title can still stop a multiplex.
What Bill 44 actually requires
- 3 units minimum on a qualifying lot of 280 m² or less
- 4 units minimum on a qualifying lot over 280 m²
- 6 units minimum within 400 m of a prescribed frequent bus stop
Bill 44, the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023, added small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) rules to section 481.3 of the Local Government Act. Municipalities had to amend their zoning bylaws to match by June 30, 2024. Vancouver works under the Vancouver Charter, which carries the same requirements.
The rules do not grant anyone a building. They tell the city what its zoning bylaw must allow. In a zone that would otherwise permit only a detached house, a house with a suite, or a duplex (the Act calls this a restricted zone), the bylaw must now allow a minimum number of housing units. The numbers come from B.C. Reg. 262/2023, the Local Government Zoning Bylaw Regulation.
Every restricted lot in the province must allow at least one extra unit: a secondary suite, a detached unit such as a laneway or garden suite, or both. The 3, 4 and 6 unit minimums apply on top of that, but only to lots that pass the tests below.
Check your lot in about a minute
Answer the questions in order. The checker stops at the first test your lot fails, the same way the Act does, and shows the minimum your zoning must allow.
Interactive checker. It asks, in order: whether the zone is a restricted zone; whether the lot is inside an urban containment boundary (or, with none, in a municipality over 5,000 people); whether the lot is 4,050 m² or smaller; whether it is connected to municipal water and sewer; whether it is free of heritage designation; whether it is outside a Transit-Oriented Area; whether it is free of a hazard exemption; whether it is over 280 m²; and whether it is within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop. Results range from 2 units to 6 units.
The seven tests, one by one
A lot must clear all seven to get the 3, 4 or 6 unit minimum. Fail any one and the minimum drops back to the one extra unit every restricted lot gets, though the city is always free to allow more.
All seven must pass
- The zone is a restricted zone The zone would otherwise allow only a single detached house, a house with a suite or detached unit, or a duplex. Manufactured home zones are excluded. If not: A townhouse, apartment, commercial or agricultural zone sets its own count. Bill 44 does not change it.
- The lot is inside the growth area Inside an urban containment boundary drawn in a regional growth strategy or official community plan. Where a municipality has no boundary, its population must be over 5,000. If not: Rural and small-town lots outside the boundary get only the one extra unit.
- The lot is 4,050 m² or smaller About one acre. A zone whose minimum lot size for subdivision is 4,050 m² is exempt too, whatever the size of the lot. If not: Acreage is exempt under s.481.4(1)(d) and (e).
- It is connected to municipal water and sewer Both, provided as a service by a municipality or regional district. A well or a septic field does not count. If not: Unserviced land is exempt under s.481.4(1)(c).
- It has no heritage designation No heritage designation bylaw in place on December 7, 2023, when the section took effect, and no protection under the Heritage Conservation Act. A listing on a heritage register or inventory is not a designation. If not: Designated heritage property is exempt under s.481.4(1)(a) and (b).
- It is outside a Transit-Oriented Area Transit-Oriented Areas surround SkyTrain stations and major bus exchanges. They have their own, much higher, rules under Bill 47. If not: The 4 and 6 unit minimums do not apply. The Transit-Oriented Area rules do instead.
- No hazard exemption applies A city can exempt land where a qualified professional reports that more density would significantly increase a hazard, such as flooding or a slope failure, and the risk cannot practically be mitigated. If not: Exempt under B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.3(1). Ask the city which lots it has exempted.
Sources: Local Government Act s.481.3(4) and (5.1), s.481.4(1); B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.2 and s.3.
Servicing exemption explained · Bill 44 vs Bill 47
Then two measurements decide: 3, 4 or 6
Once a lot passes all seven tests, the count depends on its area and how close it is to frequent transit.
The 6 unit rule is where cities differ most. The regulation defines a qualifying stop by its schedule, but cities decide in practice which stops they treat as prescribed, and not all of them publish a list. Surrey, Richmond, Port Coquitlam and White Rock map their stops. Burnaby and Delta use their own frequent transit areas. Where a city publishes nothing, ZoneScout shows 4 and tells you to confirm the 6 with the city, because overstating a count is worse than understating one.
| Qualifying lot | Minimum units | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 280 m² or less | 3 | B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.2(1)(a) |
| Over 280 m² | 4 | B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.2(1)(b) |
| 281 m² or more, within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop | 6 | B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.2(3); no parking can be required for these units |
How many Metro lots allow 6 units?
How it plays out across 26 BC cities
On paper the rules are uniform. On the ground they are not. We counted every residential lot with a unit figure on ZoneScout's Bill 44 maps. In some cities nearly every lot allows 4 or more homes. In others most lots fail one of the tests, or the city's own bylaw takes a different line.
| Burnaby | 99.5% |
|---|---|
| Port Coquitlam | 98.2% |
| Delta | 95.9% |
| Richmond | 89.9% |
| Surrey | 80.5% |
| Vancouver | 72.6% |
| Kamloops | 59.9% |
| Chilliwack | 53.1% |
| Lake Country | 25.4% |
ZoneScout Bill 44 maps, October 2026. Share of lots that carry a unit figure. Full ranking of 26 cities in the linked article.
Why the number on paper can still be wrong for your lot
Passing the tests tells you what the zoning must allow. Four other things decide what you can actually build.
First, form rules. The city still sets floor space ratio, height, lot coverage and setbacks. A narrow or shallow lot can be zoned for 4 units and still not fit them. Second, the city can allow more than the minimum, and many do: Vancouver allows up to 8 rental units on qualifying R1-1 lots. Third, title. A restrictive covenant or a statutory building scheme registered on title can forbid a multiplex, and the Province has said Bill 44 does not override them. Fourth, timing. A city can be granted a provincial extension for some areas, typically where pipes or roads need upgrading first.
Zoning vs title · Check before you buy
Sources
- Local Government Act, s.481.3 and s.481.4 (BC Laws)
- Local Government Zoning Bylaw Regulation, B.C. Reg. 262/2023
- ZoneScout Bill 44 maps, lot counts as of October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does Bill 44 mean I can build a fourplex without a rezoning?
If your lot passes all seven tests and is over 280 m², your zoning must already allow at least 4 units, so no rezoning is needed for the count. You still need a building permit, and sometimes a development permit, and the design has to meet the city's height, floor area, coverage and setback rules.
What is a prescribed bus stop?
A stop served by at least one bus route every 15 minutes on average between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays and between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, under B.C. Reg. 262/2023 s.2(4). Lots of 281 m² or more within 400 m of one must allow at least 6 units.
Does Bill 44 apply in small towns?
The 3 and 4 unit minimums apply inside urban containment boundaries and, where there is no boundary, in municipalities of more than 5,000 people. Everywhere else a restricted lot must still allow one extra unit, such as a secondary suite or a laneway home.
Does Bill 44 apply to strata lots?
The zoning still applies, but a strata corporation's bylaws and the Strata Property Act govern what an owner can do with their strata lot. A bare land strata lot can carry the zoning's multiplex count on paper, but strata bylaws can restrict it.
Can my city allow more than Bill 44 requires?
Yes. The provincial numbers are minimums. Vancouver allows up to 8 units on qualifying R1-1 lots if all are secured rental, and several cities allow 6 on lots the Province only requires to have 4.