PlaceDossier / Zoning / City of Burnaby
Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 2026, No. 14815
The City of Burnaby's zoning bylaw, which applies in Burnaby. Our summary of its 15 residential districts R1 to R5, the rental sub-districts R2r to R5r, and the neighbourhood commercial (C1), employment (E1), industrial (I1), parks and natural areas (P1, P1a) and institutional (P2) districts zones, read from the consolidation to 2026-06-09 and checked 2026-10-05. Its other zones aren't summarised here.
The zones side by side
| Zone | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing | Small-scale multi-unit housing: 1 to 6 homes on a lot counting secondary suites, as a house, duplex or multiplex. Up to 4 on a lot of 281 m² or more (lots of 280 m² or less: at most 3); 5 or 6 only in a Frequent Transit Network Area (within 400 m of a bus stop with frequent service as the Province's regulation defines it). Or rowhouses, each on its own lot of at most 280 m², with 1 to 3 homes on each lot counting suites (ss. 1.1.4, 1.1.5; Part 2). Which transit map a lot is on we don't check: ask the City | Small-scale housing: 281 m², 10 m wide (interior or corner lot). Rowhouse lots: at most 280 m² (more only under a covenant capping them at 3 homes), 5 m wide (6.2 m for an end unit or a corner on a lane, 8 m for a corner on a street). Panhandle lots only for heritage lots or where the site leaves no choice; a pie-shaped lot may be narrower at the front if its average width over the first 30 m meets the minimum (s. 1.1.4) | 1 or 2 homes: 40% on a lot under 567 m², 30% on a lot over 567 m² (the table doesn't say which applies at exactly 567 m²); 3 or 4 homes: 40%; 5 or 6 homes: 45%; rowhouses: 55%. At least 40% of the lot left permeable (30% with 5 or 6 homes or rowhouses) (s. 1.1.5, Part 4-4.3) | Buildings at the front: 10 m with a sloping roof, 9.5 m with a flat roof; 2.5 storeys with 1 or 2 homes, 3 storeys with 3 to 6 homes or rowhouses. Buildings at the rear: 7.5 m sloping, 7.0 m flat, 2 storeys. Accessory buildings 4.0 m, one storey. Storeys count a basement or cellar; height is measured to the middle of a sloping roof (ss. 1.1.5, 1.1.5.2, 1.1.7.1) |
| R2 Townhouse | Townhouses and rowhouses up to 4 storeys, with no number of homes set (one secondary suite allowed in each townhouse); and whatever the R1 district allows (s. 1.2.2). Whether R1's limits on homes, coverage and height also bind small-scale housing built here is unclear: ask the City | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 4 storeys (s. 1.2.4); storeys are counted through the part of the building with the most of them (Part 4-2.2) |
| R3 Low-Rise Apartment 1 | Apartments and townhouses up to 4 storeys (6 where the homes are non-market rental run by a government, non-profit or housing body the City approves), with no number of homes set (s. 1.3.4). Small-scale multi-unit housing and secondary suites aren't listed here | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 4 storeys; 6 storeys with non-market rental as above; at most 6 with every increase Part 4-2.3 allows (s. 1.3.4.2, Table 4-2.3) |
| R4 Low-Rise Apartment 2 | Apartments and townhouses up to 6 storeys (8 in a Transit-Oriented Area), with no number of homes set (s. 1.4.4). Small-scale multi-unit housing and secondary suites aren't listed here | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 6 storeys; 8 in a Transit-Oriented Area; up to 12 with a community benefit bonus at the City's discretion (s. 1.4.4, Table 4-2.3) |
| R5 Mid-Rise Apartment 1 | Apartments and townhouses up to 12 storeys, with no number of homes set (s. 1.5.4), and a share of rental homes required (Part 5-1.0). Small-scale multi-unit housing and secondary suites aren't listed here | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 12 storeys; up to 20 with height averaging across buildings (+4), extra commercial storeys where the lot's base district is commercial (+8) or a community benefit bonus at the City's discretion, together at most +8 (s. 1.5.4.2, Table 4-2.3) |
| R2r Townhouse (rental) | As R2, with every home purpose-built rental housing. Townhouses and rowhouses up to 4 storeys, with no number of homes set (one secondary suite allowed in each townhouse); and whatever the R1 district allows (s. 1.2.2). Whether R1's limits on homes, coverage and height also bind small-scale housing built here is unclear: ask the City | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 4 storeys (s. 1.2.4); storeys are counted through the part of the building with the most of them (Part 4-2.2) |
| R3r Low-Rise Apartment 1 (rental) | As R3, with every home purpose-built rental housing. Apartments and townhouses up to 4 storeys (6 where the homes are non-market rental run by a government, non-profit or housing body the City approves), with no number of homes set (s. 1.3.4). Small-scale multi-unit housing and secondary suites aren't listed here | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 4 storeys; 6 storeys with non-market rental as above; at most 6 with every increase Part 4-2.3 allows (s. 1.3.4.2, Table 4-2.3) |
| R4r Low-Rise Apartment 2 (rental) | As R4, with every home purpose-built rental housing. Apartments and townhouses up to 6 storeys (8 in a Transit-Oriented Area), with no number of homes set (s. 1.4.4). Small-scale multi-unit housing and secondary suites aren't listed here | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 6 storeys; 8 in a Transit-Oriented Area; up to 12 with a community benefit bonus at the City's discretion (s. 1.4.4, Table 4-2.3) |
| R5r Mid-Rise Apartment 1 (rental) | As R5, with every home purpose-built rental housing. Apartments and townhouses up to 12 storeys, with no number of homes set (s. 1.5.4), and a share of rental homes required (Part 5-1.0). Small-scale multi-unit housing and secondary suites aren't listed here | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 30% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 12 storeys; up to 20 with height averaging across buildings (+4), extra commercial storeys where the lot's base district is commercial (+8) or a community benefit bonus at the City's discretion, together at most +8 (s. 1.5.4.2, Table 4-2.3) |
| C1 Neighbourhood Commercial | Live-work units only: the home part at most 112 m² a unit, only alongside another C1 principal use, and not in the storey the district requires to be commercial (the ground storey, our reading) (s. 2.1.3). Apartments only where an R overlay district is also zoned on the lot (Part 6-2.0) | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 20% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 4 storeys, at least 1 (no minimum for uses outside a building); more where a residential overlay district is zoned on the lot (s. 2.1.4) |
| E1 Employment | Rental apartments only on lots within 200 m of a SkyTrain station, above a principal use and never on the ground floor, with a share of non-market rental homes (10% in the Northwest and Southwest quadrants of the city, 5% in the Northeast and Southeast, rented below the market homes). Live-work units: the home part at most 112 m² a unit, above the work use, never on the ground floor (s. 3.1.3, Part 5 Table 5-1.3) | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 10% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 8 storeys; more where a residential overlay district is zoned on the lot (s. 3.1.4) |
| I1 Industrial | None: the district lists no homes (s. 4.1.2) | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 10% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 4 storeys (s. 4.1.4) |
| P1 Parks, Open Spaces and Natural Areas | No homes are listed as a use (s. 5.1.2.1). Only a building on the Community Heritage Register, on public land, may hold homes (for an artist in residence, housing or a caretaker, by the bylaw's definition of heritage adaptive use) or small visitor accommodation (a bed and breakfast, guest house or boutique hotel for at most 10 people) (s. 5.1.3, Part 2) | None set in the district | None set in the district, nor a share of permeable surface (Part 4-4.3) | Not limited (s. 5.1.4) |
| P1a Parks, Open Spaces and Natural Areas (natural areas) | None: the sub-district lists no homes (s. 5.1.2.2) | None set in the district | None set in the district, nor a share of permeable surface (Part 4-4.3) | Not limited (s. 5.1.4; the table names P1, which we read as covering its sub-district too) |
| P2 Institutional | Institutional homes: non-market rental housing, supportive and transitional housing, congregate housing, dormitories and aftercare and rehabilitation centres, up to 6 storeys; home occupations in them. No houses, townhouses or market apartments unless an R overlay district is zoned on the lot (ss. 5.2.2, 5.2.4) | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 20% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 8 storeys; a cemetery 4, institutional homes 6, a post-secondary campus 12 (on all its land), a hospital 20; more where a residential overlay district is zoned on the lot (s. 5.2.4) |
"Not set" means the zone itself sets no figure; general rules elsewhere in the bylaw may still apply. Each zone's page has its uses, setbacks and the general rules that apply to it.
Where the bylaw is unclear
Points we couldn't settle from the bylaw's text. Ask before you rely on them.
- C1: A lot can be zoned with an overlay district on top of this one (Part 6-2.0): the overlay's uses are added, height follows the R district where there is one (else the taller district), and setbacks follow the district each use belongs to; on a C district lot with an R overlay, at least 60% of the ground floor of buildings on a street must be commercial. The City's open zoning layer gives only the base code, so whether a lot has an overlay is unclear from it: ask the City (our reading).
- E1: A lot can be zoned with an overlay district on top of this one (Part 6-2.0): the overlay's uses are added, height follows the R district where there is one (else the taller district), and setbacks follow the district each use belongs to; with an R overlay, homes must be purpose-built rental and at least 80% of the ground floor non-residential; with a C1 overlay, at least 60% of the ground floor on a street commercial and an E1 principal use on the lot. The City's open zoning layer gives only the base code, so whether a lot has an overlay is unclear from it: ask the City (our reading).
- P2: A lot can be zoned with an overlay district on top of this one (Part 6-2.0): the overlay's uses are added, height follows the R district where there is one (else the taller district), and setbacks follow the district each use belongs to; with an R overlay, at least 5% of the floor area must be P2 uses and a share of the homes non-market rental (10% or 5% by quadrant, as Part 5 Table 5-1.3 sets). The City's open zoning layer gives only the base code, so whether a lot has an overlay is unclear from it: ask the City (our reading).
Site-specific exceptions listed in the bylaw by legal description can add or change uses for one property, and development permit areas, the ALR and building rules apply on top. Confirm with the City of Burnaby's planning department before you buy or build.
Source: Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 2026, No. 14815 (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Burnaby.