R5-3 Zoning in Vancouver - Residential High-Rise Apartment

R5-3: Residential High-Rise Apartment is a residential zoning district in the City of Vancouver. The intent of this districts schedule, which contains the regulations for the R5-1, R5-2, R5-3 and R5-4 districts, is to encourage high-rise apartments and mixed-use residential buildings of varied tenures, while also preserving lower density options.

On a typical R5-3-zoned lot you can expect an FSR of roughly 1.45–6.5 and a maximum height of 84 m. Exact figures vary with lot size, frontage, and form of development, so look up your specific address to confirm.

Alongside housing, R5-3 also lists Urban Farm - Class A, Artist Studio - Class A, and Library (with Community Centre) among its permitted uses.

Intent of the R5-3 district

The intent of this districts schedule, which contains the regulations for the R5-1, R5-2, R5-3 and R5-4 districts, is to encourage high-rise apartments and mixed-use residential buildings of varied tenures, while also preserving lower density options.

R5-3 at a glance

Floor space ratio (FSR)	1.45–6.5
Max height	84 m
Zone category	Residential

Density tiers in R5-3

Tier	Applies to	Min frontage (m)	Min lot area	Max units	Base FSR	Conditional FSR	Max height
Residential High-Rise Apartment	Apartment: 6.00 with any tenure if 20% of the residential floor area is social housing, or 6.50 (shown as bonus) with 100% secured rental tenure plus either 20% below-market rental or 100% social housing. Mixed-use residential building (at least 139 m² non-dwelling floor area): 6.30 and 6.80 respectively. 100% secured rental is required outright where the development displaces a rental housing unit on the site (or would have, but for a demolition or change of use in the 3 years before the permit application). Maximum building height 84.0 m (about 26 storeys). Minimum site area 1,532 m² with 45.7 m frontage, or 1,348 m² with 40.0 m frontage on a CORNER site. The corner case is not applied here because corner status is not derivable for Vancouver. Maximum site frontage 60.7 m. The Director of Planning may reduce the minimum frontage to 30.2 m in R5-2, R5-3 and R5-4 and vary the minimum site area with it.	45.7	1532 m²	-	6.0	6.5	84 m
Residential High-Rise Apartment (low-rise tier)	Below the high-rise minimum site area, R5-3 low-rise apartment and low-rise mixed-use residential building are regulated by the R3-3 district. FSR is stepped by site area. Encoded from the "all other sites" column of the R3 schedule: 2.40 at 920 m² or more, 2.20 at 613 m², 1.60 at 460 m². Two uplifts are NOT applied here because neither is testable from the parcel record: a site no deeper than 33.5 m reaches 2.70 at 920 m² or more, and a CORNER site with 40.2 m or more frontage reaches 2.70 at 1,470 m² (2.40 at 920 m²). Confirm depth and corner status before relying on the base figure. The 2.70 shown as bonus needs a site of 920 m² or more with 100% of the residential floor area developed as social housing. A qualifying shallow or corner site instead reaches 3.00 with either 20% below-market rental in a transit-oriented area or 100% social housing (Schedule J applies). Maximum building height 23.0 m for apartment and mixed-use residential building (about 6 storeys), rising to 27.5 m (about 8) with 20% below-market rental in a transit-oriented area or 100% social housing. Townhouse is capped at 10.7 m. Minimum site area 460 m²; the schedule sets no minimum site frontage and no site coverage limit.	-	920 m²	-	2.4	2.7	23 m
Residential High-Rise Apartment (low-rise tier)	Below the high-rise minimum site area, R5-3 low-rise apartment and low-rise mixed-use residential building are regulated by the R3-3 district. FSR is stepped by site area. Encoded from the "all other sites" column of the R3 schedule: 2.40 at 920 m² or more, 2.20 at 613 m², 1.60 at 460 m². Two uplifts are NOT applied here because neither is testable from the parcel record: a site no deeper than 33.5 m reaches 2.70 at 920 m² or more, and a CORNER site with 40.2 m or more frontage reaches 2.70 at 1,470 m² (2.40 at 920 m²). Confirm depth and corner status before relying on the base figure. Maximum building height 23.0 m for apartment and mixed-use residential building (about 6 storeys), rising to 27.5 m (about 8) with 20% below-market rental in a transit-oriented area or 100% social housing. Townhouse is capped at 10.7 m. Minimum site area 460 m²; the schedule sets no minimum site frontage and no site coverage limit.	-	613 m²	-	2.2	-	23 m
Residential High-Rise Apartment (low-rise tier)	Below the high-rise minimum site area, R5-3 low-rise apartment and low-rise mixed-use residential building are regulated by the R3-3 district. FSR is stepped by site area. Encoded from the "all other sites" column of the R3 schedule: 2.40 at 920 m² or more, 2.20 at 613 m², 1.60 at 460 m². Two uplifts are NOT applied here because neither is testable from the parcel record: a site no deeper than 33.5 m reaches 2.70 at 920 m² or more, and a CORNER site with 40.2 m or more frontage reaches 2.70 at 1,470 m² (2.40 at 920 m²). Confirm depth and corner status before relying on the base figure. Maximum building height 23.0 m for apartment and mixed-use residential building (about 6 storeys), rising to 27.5 m (about 8) with 20% below-market rental in a transit-oriented area or 100% social housing. Townhouse is capped at 10.7 m. Minimum site area 460 m²; the schedule sets no minimum site frontage and no site coverage limit.	-	460 m²	-	1.6	-	23 m
Residential High-Rise Apartment (low-rise tier) (Other Uses)	Below the minimum site area for an apartment, the site falls to the schedule’s "Other Uses" regulations: maximum floor space ratio 1.45 and maximum building height 11.5 m. Lower-density forms (duplex, laneway house, multiple dwelling up to 8 units, infill with character-house retention) are permitted but are regulated by the R1-1 district, not by this schedule.	-	-	-	1.45	-	11.5 m

Permitted uses in R5-3

High-Rise Apartment
High-Rise Mixed-Use Residential Building
Mid-Rise Apartment
Mid-Rise Mixed-Use Residential Building
Low-Rise Apartment
Low-Rise Apartment in combination with Townhouse
Low-Rise Mixed-Use Residential Building
Townhouse
Duplex
Duplex with Secondary Suite
Laneway House
Infill with Character House retention
Multiple Conversion Dwelling
Multiple Dwelling (up to 8 units)
Single Detached House
Single Detached House with Secondary Suite
Principal Dwelling Unit with Lock-off Unit
Urban Farm - Class A
Artist Studio - Class A
Community Centre or Neighbourhood House
Library (with Community Centre)
Park or Playground
Plaza
Child Day Care Facility
Church
Group Residence
School
Public Bike Share
Public Utility

R5-3 zoning FAQ

What is R5-3 zoning in Vancouver?

R5-3 (Residential High-Rise Apartment) is a residential zoning district in the City of Vancouver. The intent of this districts schedule, which contains the regulations for the R5-1, R5-2, R5-3 and R5-4 districts, is to encourage high-rise apartments and mixed-use residential buildings of varied tenures, while also preserving lower density options.

What can you build on R5-3-zoned land in Vancouver?

Permitted uses in R5-3 include High-Rise Apartment, High-Rise Mixed-Use Residential Building, Mid-Rise Apartment, Mid-Rise Mixed-Use Residential Building, Low-Rise Apartment, among others. Permitted uses are allowed outright; conditional uses may require Development Permit Board approval.

What is the FSR for R5-3 in Vancouver?

Floor Space Ratio (FSR) in R5-3 generally ranges from about 1.45 up to 6.5. ZoneScout calculates the maximum buildable floor area for your specific lot.

How tall can a building be in R5-3?

R5-3 permits a maximum building height of 84 m. Height can be affected by view corridors, setbacks, and the specific form of development.

Other residential zones in Vancouver

Look up a specific address in Vancouver

Source: official Vancouver zoning bylaw (PDF) · updated October 2026