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R5 zoning in BC
R5 (also written R-5, R.5) means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial R5 zone. 9 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 9 local governments. It goes by 8 names: Residential 5 (2 bylaws), Compact Residential, Medium Density Multiple Family Residential, Mid-Rise Apartment 1 and 4 more. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
R5 in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional District of East Kootenay Multiple Family Residential – Community (Cluster) · Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 3255, 2023 | Cluster housing, up to 18 homes per hectare of usable land; a secondary suite inside a home | 0.5 ha | Not set | Main building 9 m, accessory buildings 5 m |
| Regional District of North Okanagan Residential Manufactured Home Community · Regional District of North Okanagan Zoning Bylaw No. 3000, 2023 | One manufactured or modular home per rented site, and one home for the owner, operator or an employee | 2 ha, with community water and community sewer; frontage 10% of the lot's perimeter. Sites: 320 m² for a single-wide and 400 m² for a double-wide (380 m² and 425 m² on a corner), 560 m² for the operator's home | 50% of each site | Homes 8 m; accessory buildings 5 m; other buildings 12 m |
| City of Burnaby Mid-Rise Apartment 1 · Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 2026, No. 14815 | 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) |
| City of Cranbrook Medium Density Multiple Family Residential · City of Cranbrook Zoning Bylaw No. 3977, 2019 | Townhouses, apartments (five or more homes off a shared entrance) and congregate care apartments for seniors, at up to 60 homes per gross hectare, up to 80 with one more home for each extra 18 m² of recreational space or each 2.5 hidden parking spaces (s. 7.10.5; s. 3.04); a secondary suite only within a townhouse (s. 7.10.2(b)). The zone lists no house or duplex | No area set; at least 12.0 m along the street, 6.0 m for each townhouse lot split along a shared wall (s. 7.10.3) | 40% for buildings (a parking structure aside), 70% for buildings and parking together; floor area ratio at most 0.85 (ss. 7.10.5(d), 7.10.7(c), (d)) | 12.0 m; accessory buildings 4.5 m (s. 7.10.7(a), (b)) |
| City of Kamloops Residential 5 · City of Kamloops Zoning Bylaw No. 55, 2021 | Up to 2 homes: a house (which may be a manufactured home) with a residential suite, or a duplex; 1 in the Silt Bluff Red Zone or Foreset Area or the Rayleigh Waterworks District service area (s. 8.5.4) | 790 m², 18 m wide; frontage 18 m (15 m on a cul-de-sac) | 40% of the lot for all buildings; accessory buildings and an accessory home together 12% of the lot up to 112 m²; hard (impermeable) surfaces 60% | Main buildings 2 storeys; structures 12 m; accessory buildings 5 m (3 m under 10 m²) |
| City of Merritt Mobile Home Park · City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 | Mobile homes in a rental park, one per space, up to 55 per hectare | 2,500 m², 50 m wide and deep; spaces of 180 m² (single-wide, 9 m wide) or 280 m² (double-wide, 14 m wide) | 70% | 7.6 m or 1 storey |
| City of Nanaimo Three and Four Unit Residential · City of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 4500 | Up to 3 homes, 4 on a lot of 280 m² or more (s. 7.3.1), as houses, a duplex or a small multi-family building, at most two main buildings on the lot (s. 7.2.1). A secondary suite only where the lot has no more than two main homes (s. 7.2.3.1); whether a suite counts toward the 3 or 4 is unclear, so ask the City | 600 m², 15 m wide, 30 m deep (550 m² and 26.5 m deep with a lane) | 50%; a lot with one house only, 40% (s. 7.6.4) | 10.5 m with a sloped roof (4 in 12 or steeper), 9 m with a flat one; a lot with one house only, as R1: 9 m and 7 m, perimeter walls 7.32 m (s. 7.6.4) |
| District of Squamish Residential 5 · District of Squamish Zoning Bylaw No. 2200, 2011 | A house, a duplex, or a triplex or fourplex (three or more attached homes). At most 5 homes on a lot in all, counting secondary suites, accessory dwelling units and flex units, and no more than 4 on strata titles (ss. 9.5(b), 9.5(c)); the frequent bus route rule that raises the count covers R-1 and R-4 only (s. 4.55). A house or each half of a duplex can have one secondary suite, and an accessory dwelling unit (a detached or garage suite) can be added (ss. 4.5, 4.38). The lot needs community water and sewer to build (s. 9.13) | 690 m², 18.4 m wide, 27.4 m deepExceptions (1)
Listed in s. 9.2(b) of the bylaw. | 33% (s. 9.4) | House or duplex 9.0 m; triplex or fourplex 11.0 m or three storeys, whichever is less (s. 9.3); accessory dwelling unit 8 m or three storeys; other accessory buildings 4.58 m (ss. 4.38, 4.4) |
| City of Surrey Compact Residential · Surrey Zoning By-law, 1993, No. 12000 | On a lot under 4,050 m²: up to 4 homes as a house or a duplex, with secondary suites, a coach house or a garden suite (3 homes, as a house, on a lot under 280 m²), or up to 6 on an eligible lot in a Frequent Bus Stop Area; inside a Transit-Oriented Area, up to 2. On 4,050 m² or more, up to 2: a house with a suite, coach house or garden suite. At most 2 on heritage-protected land or land not connected to community water or sewer (s. B.1) | 291 m², 9.7 m wide, 30 m deep (a wide, shallow lot 270 m², 12.3 m by 22 m; a narrow, deep one 324 m², 9 m by 36 m; on a corner or flanking lane 293 to 369 m²); at most 37 lots per hectare | House 52% (60% on a narrow, deep lot); duplex 60% (65%); a coach house or garden suite counted in | House 9.5 m, 7.3 m with a flatter roof (10.5 m in a floodplain); duplex 3 storeys and 11 m, 9.3 m with a flatter roof (12 m); coach house or garden suite 2 storeys and 7 m, roof peak 8.3 m, 6.5 m with a flatter roof (8.5 m); accessory buildings 3 m (5 m where roof and materials match the house) |
Listed by local government, not ranked. "Not set" means the zone itself sets no figure; general rules elsewhere in its bylaw may still apply. Each zone's page has its uses, setbacks and the bylaw's sections.
Two lots both zoned R5 under different bylaws can allow quite different things, and provincial law sets a floor of homes on most house zones in towns (how many homes can I build?). Site-specific exceptions, development permit areas and the ALR apply on top. Find the lot's own zone with the search above, then confirm with the local government before you buy or build.
Sources: each zone's bylaw, linked from its page, summarised in our words. Other councils' zones aren't here: the zoning we cover.