Key changes to Vancouver's residential zoning rules since the R1-1 rezoning, newest first. See what changed, which zones are affected, and when the rules took effect.
September 30, 2026: Amenity Cost Charges take effect
· Amenity Cost Charge By-law
The City's Amenity Cost Charge By-law came into effect on September 30, 2026. It is not a zoning change: it does not change what a lot can hold. It is a citywide charge on the floor area of most new development, and it applies to applications submitted after September 30, 2026.
For a multiplex owner it is the other half of the June 30 change below. The amenity share payment to reach 1.00 FSR is gone, and this charge now applies to new floor area instead. Check the City's Amenity Cost Charges bulletin for current rates before pricing a project.
June 30, 2026: Density bonus payments removed: 1.00 FSR outright for multiplexes
· By-law No. 14747 (enacted June 3, 2026)
51,876 R1-1 lots on our map that qualify for a multiplex
6,268 of those meet the 623 m² and 17.1 m tests for the 5% social housing rule
803 RT-7 and RT-9 lots of 317 m² or more that gain 1.00 FSR outright
By-law 14747 repealed the amenity share schedules. Before it, a strata multiplex in R1-1 had a base FSR of 0.70 and had to buy amenity shares, go 100% rental or include a below-market ownership unit to reach 1.00. Now 1.00 FSR is the outright limit for any tenure, with the unit caps unchanged at 6 strata or 8 rental.
The same switch happened in RT-7 and RT-9, where the 317 m² lot-size split is gone, and in eight RM zones, where the former bonus figures became the outright maximum. One new condition cuts the other way: a strata multiplex on a site of 623 m² or more with 17.1 m or more of frontage, west of Ontario or Carrall Street, must provide 5% of its floor area as social housing or pay cash in lieu.
Zone
Before June 30, 2026
From June 30, 2026
R1-1 multiplex
0.70 FSR; 1.00 with amenity shares or all rental
1.00 FSR outright
RT-7, RT-9 (317 m²+)
0.70 FSR; 1.00 with amenity shares or all rental
1.00 FSR outright
RM-8 / RM-8A townhouse
0.75, up to 1.20
1.20
RM-9 / RM-9B
0.75 (RM-9B 0.70), up to 2.00
1.20 / 1.50 / 2.00 by frontage
RM-9A
0.70, up to 2.00
1.50 at 15.2 m, 2.00 at 27.4 m
RM-10
0.90, up to 2.60
2.40 / 2.60 by site size
RM-11 apartment
0.75, up to 1.70
1.70 at 36.6 m frontage
RM-12 apartment
0.75, up to 1.70
1.70
Source: By-law 14747 compared with the February 2026 consolidation of each district schedule. The full article has every site-size and frontage condition.
· Zoning and Development By-law amendments, May 2024
Bill 44, the provincial small-scale multi-unit housing law, received Royal Assent on November 30, 2023, with a municipal deadline of June 30, 2024. Because R1-1 already allowed multiplexes, the City treated its main residential zone as compliant.
In May 2024 it amended a handful of other zones to meet the provincial rules, including the RT-7 and RT-9 two-family zones and two CD-1 sites. The RT zones stayed separate districts rather than being folded into R1-1.
October 17, 2023: R1-1 replaces all nine RS single-family zones
· R1-1 Residential Inclusive District (approved at public hearing September 14, 2023)
9 RS zones retired in one rezoning
63,104 R1-1 lots on our Vancouver map today
On October 17, 2023, Vancouver replaced RS-1, RS-1A, RS-1B, RS-2, RS-3, RS-3A, RS-5, RS-6 and RS-7 with a single new district, R1-1 Residential Inclusive. Every lot that carried one of those codes now carries R1-1. Owners did not have to apply for anything.
R1-1 allows a multiplex of up to 6 units, or 8 if all are secured rental, on lots that meet its size and frontage tests. Old listings and surveys that still say RS-1 are out of date.
We compare the municipality's consolidated zoning bylaw and its published updates against our stored copies. Each entry links to the municipality's published record. This timeline highlights selected residential changes; use the official bylaw and amendment records to confirm the rules for your lot.
Lot counts come from our Vancouver map, which classifies every parcel in the city by zone.
Frequently asked questions
What changed in Vancouver zoning in 2026?
On June 30, 2026, By-law 14747 removed the amenity share payments that strata multiplexes needed to reach 1.00 FSR. 1.00 is now the outright limit in R1-1, RT-7 and RT-9, and the former bonus FSR became the outright maximum in eight RM zones. On September 30, 2026, a separate Amenity Cost Charge started applying to new floor area.
Is RS-1 still a zone in Vancouver?
No. RS-1 and eight other RS zones were replaced by R1-1 on October 17, 2023. Any lot that was RS-1 is now R1-1.
How do I know which rules apply to my lot today?
Find your address on the Vancouver zoning map to identify its zone, then check the linked district schedule for the rules in force. Lot size, frontage, building form and site constraints can change what is permitted. Confirm your proposal with the City of Vancouver.
How does ZoneScout track Vancouver zoning changes?
We compare the City's consolidated district schedules and amendments page against our stored copies, then confirm each change against the amending by-law before updating our zoning tables, the map and this page. The City publishes consolidations after council adopts an amendment, so a change can appear here a few weeks after it takes effect.
Want alerts on how these changes affect your own lots?