How Many Metro Vancouver Lots Can Take Six Homes? We Counted: 51,471
Bill 44's sixplex rule is the one most buyers ask about and the one cities apply most differently. Across 16 Metro Vancouver municipalities, 51,471 residential lots are zoned for 6 or more homes. Three cities hold 74% of them.
The short answer
- 51,471 of 372,062 residential lots in 16 Metro Vancouver municipalities (13.8%) are zoned for 6 or more homes.
- Vancouver (13,186), Burnaby (12,808) and Surrey (12,278) together hold 74% of them.
- About 69% come from transit rules: a lot over 280 m² near frequent buses. The rest come from cities' own zones, led by Vancouver's R1-1.
- Five municipalities show no six-unit lots on our maps, mostly because they publish no list of the bus stops that qualify.
The count
- 51,471 Metro Vancouver lots zoned for 6 or more homes
- 13.8% of 372,062 residential lots with a unit figure
- 74% are in Vancouver, Burnaby or Surrey
Under Bill 44, a lot of 281 m² or more within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop must be zoned for at least 6 homes, and the city cannot require parking for them. A prescribed stop is one served by at least one route every 15 minutes on average, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
The rule is simple on paper and uneven in practice, because every city decides which stops it treats as prescribed, and some also give 6 or more through their own zones. We counted the lots at 6 or more on ZoneScout's Bill 44 maps for every Metro Vancouver municipality we cover.
| Vancouver (17.4% of lots) | 13,186 |
|---|---|
| Burnaby (42.0% of lots) | 12,808 |
| Surrey (14.7% of lots) | 12,278 |
| Richmond (22.0% of lots) | 6,244 |
| Maple Ridge (9.5% of lots) | 1,992 |
| New Westminster (16.7% of lots) | 1,309 |
| Delta (5.0% of lots) | 1,214 |
| Port Coquitlam (7.4% of lots) | 715 |
| White Rock (15.6% of lots) | 635 |
| City of North Vancouver (11.5% of lots) | 601 |
| Port Moody (10.8% of lots) | 487 |
| City of Langley (0.1% of lots) | 2 |
Dark bars: transit-based rules (prescribed stops or frequent transit areas). Light bars: the city's own zones or area maps. ZoneScout Bill 44 maps, October 2026.
Vancouver map · Burnaby map · Surrey map
Two ways a lot gets to six
Burnaby took the broadest transit approach. Instead of drawing 400 m circles around individual stops, it designated Frequent Transit Network Areas and gave every lot over 280 m² inside them 6 units. That is why 42% of Burnaby's residential lots are in the top band, the highest share in BC.
Vancouver got to six by a different road. Its R1-1 zone allows a multiplex on lots that meet size and frontage thresholds: up to 8 units if all are secured rental, or 6 as strata. On our map 11,672 R1-1 lots qualify for that top option. Transit plays no part in the count.
Transit rules
- How it works
- A lot over 280 m² near frequent bus service gets 6
- Cities
- Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, Maple Ridge, Delta, Port Coquitlam, White Rock
- What decides it
- Which stops or areas the city has mapped as qualifying
City zones
- How it works
- The zone itself allows 6 or more, whatever the transit
- Cities
- Vancouver (R1-1 and RT), New Westminster, City of North Vancouver, Port Moody, plus multi-family zones
- What decides it
- Lot size and frontage, or the city's own area map
Counts by the reason recorded for each lot on ZoneScout's maps.
City by city
| Municipality | Lots at 6+ | Share | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 13,186 | 17.4% | R1-1 multiplex rules by lot size and frontage (8 rental or 6 strata), plus RT and multi-family zones |
| Burnaby | 12,808 | 42.0% | Every lot over 280 m² in a Frequent Transit Network Area |
| Surrey | 12,278 | 14.7% | Lots over 280 m² within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop, from the City's stop schedule |
| Richmond | 6,244 | 22.0% | Lots over 280 m² within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop |
| Maple Ridge | 1,992 | 9.5% | Lots over 280 m² inside the urban containment boundary and within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop |
| New Westminster | 1,309 | 16.7% | The City's RGO-B infill district, plus multi-family zones |
| Delta | 1,214 | 5.0% | Lots over 280 m² in the City's frequent transit area |
| Port Coquitlam | 715 | 7.4% | Lots over 280 m² within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop, from the City's Schedule D map |
| White Rock | 635 | 15.6% | Lots over 280 m² within 400 m of a prescribed bus stop (432), plus RM zones (203) |
| City of North Vancouver | 601 | 11.5% | Ground Oriented Zone lots over 280 m² with a Low Rise or Residential Level OCP designation |
| Port Moody | 487 | 10.8% | The 6 unit area of the City's small-scale housing map |
| City of Langley | 2 | 0.1% | No published prescribed-stop list; the map shows 4 and flags the 6 |
| Coquitlam | 0 | 0.0% | None shown on our map; confirm any lot near a frequent route with the City |
| Township of Langley | 0 | 0.0% | No published prescribed-stop list; the map shows 4 and flags the 6 |
| West Vancouver | 0 | 0.0% | Most RS lots allow 3; the 6 unit transit rule cannot be verified without a stop list |
| District of North Vancouver | 0 | 0.0% | Detached zones stop at 3 units |
Why some cities show none
Five municipalities show no six-unit lots, or almost none, on our maps. They are not all the same case.
Coquitlam, the Township of Langley and the City of Langley publish no list of which stops they treat as prescribed. We do not work it out ourselves from bus schedules, because the designation is the city's to make, and overstating a count is worse than understating one. Our maps show those lots at 4 with a note that 6 may apply near frequent service. West Vancouver is in a similar position for its transit rule, and most of its RS lots allow 3 in any case. The District of North Vancouver's detached zones stop at 3 units.
So treat the zeros as unconfirmed, not as a no. If you are looking at a lot within a few minutes' walk of a frequent bus route in one of these municipalities, ask the city directly.
Zoning vs title · Check before you buy
Sources
- ZoneScout Bill 44 maps, decoded October 8, 2026
- Local Government Zoning Bylaw Regulation, B.C. Reg. 262/2023, s.2(3) and (4)
Frequently asked questions
How many lots in Metro Vancouver allow 6 units?
On ZoneScout's Bill 44 maps of 16 Metro Vancouver municipalities, 51,471 residential lots are zoned for 6 or more homes, 13.8% of the 372,062 lots with a unit figure. Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey hold about three quarters of them.
How do I know if my lot qualifies for 6 units under Bill 44?
It must pass Bill 44's seven tests, be at least 281 m², and sit within 400 m of a bus stop served at least every 15 minutes on average during the prescribed hours. Some cities also give 6 or more through their own zones regardless of transit, such as Vancouver's R1-1 and Burnaby's Frequent Transit Network Areas.
Can I build a sixplex in Vancouver?
On qualifying R1-1 lots, yes: Vancouver allows up to 6 strata units, or 8 if all are secured rental, on lots that meet its size and frontage thresholds. About 11,672 R1-1 lots qualify for that top option on our map.
Why does my city's map show 4 when I am near a frequent bus?
Where a city publishes no list of prescribed bus stops, ZoneScout shows 4 and flags that 6 may apply, rather than designating stops itself. Ask the city whether your nearest stop is treated as prescribed.