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RM3 zoning in BC
RM3 (also written RM-3) means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial RM3 zone. 7 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 7 local governments. It goes by 7 names: Medium Density Multiple Housing, Multi-Family Residential (Medium Density), Multi-Unit 3 - Medium Density, Multiple Dwelling and 3 more. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
RM3 in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional District of Nanaimo Resource Management 3 · Regional District of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 2500, 2024 | One home on a lot of 8 ha or less, two on a larger lot, and a secondary suite with each house up to two a lot (s. 4.32(c)) | Set by the lot's subdivision district on the RDN's map, from 400 m² to 50 ha by district and servicing (Part 5); a report on a lot names its district and size. | 10% | 9 m |
| City of Kamloops Multi-Unit 3 - Medium Density · City of Kamloops Zoning Bylaw No. 55, 2021 | Multi-unit housing and row houses, up to 75 homes per hectare (95 with the density bonus) and a floor area ratio of 1.2 (1.5 with the bonus); no cap per hectare in a transit-oriented area; rooming houses of up to eight rooms | 836 m², 22 m wide and 22 m of frontage; row houses 557 m², 18 m wide (19.5 m on a corner) | 40% of the parent parcel, accessory buildings included; on a fee simple row house or bare land strata lot, accessory buildings 12% up to 80 m² | 4 storeys and 15 m (row houses with an interior side setback under 4.5 m, 2 storeys); in a transit-oriented area 10 storeys within 200 m of a transit exchange, 6 at 201 to 400 m; structures 18 m; accessory buildings 4 m (3 m under 10 m²) |
| City of Penticton Medium Density Multiple Housing · City of Penticton Zoning Bylaw No. 2024-22 | Apartments and townhouses up to 1.6 FAR; congregate housing and extended care; secondary suites | 1,400 m², 25 m wide | 50%; hard surfaces, buildings included, 60% | Main buildings 24 m (6 storeys per the zone's purpose); accessory buildings 4.5 m |
| City of Prince George Multiple Residential · City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 | Apartments, row and stacked row houses, fourplexes, two-unit housing, houses and congregate housing, up to 60 homes a hectare; at least 4 homes are allowed on a lot over 280 m², at most 3 on a lot of 280 m² or less (s. 10.11.5); a secondary suite (s. 10.11.3) | 750 m², 18.0 m wide; 500 m² and 15.0 m wide for a house (s. 10.11.4) | 55% (s. 10.11.5) | 12.0 m and 3 storeys; 11.0 m for a house or two-unit housing; accessory buildings 5.0 m (ss. 10.11.5, 10.11.6) |
| Town of Princeton Multi-Family Residential (Medium Density) · Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2013 | Apartments, townhouses and duplexes up to 112 two-bedroom homes a hectare (smaller homes count less, larger more, s. 16.6) and 0.80 floor area ratio; congregate care; secondary suites | 669 m² fully serviced; 18 m of frontage with a lane, 21.3 m without | 45% | 18 m or 4 storeys; accessory buildings 7.5 m |
| Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality Residential Multiple Three · Sun Peaks Resort Area Zoning Bylaw No. 1400 | Apartments and townhouses, homes of 50 m² or more with up to 4 bedrooms, at least 150 m² of usable lot per home; one auxiliary home (up to 100 m²) per 38 homes | 150 m² of usable area per home | 35% | 10.7 m |
| City of Vancouver Multiple Dwelling · Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 | Apartments, high-rises included, and other multiple dwellings (conditional) on a lot of 550 m² or more; a single detached house or duplex (outright), a house with a secondary suite (conditional); a 2-home conversion of an existing building (outright, no additions), larger conversions of buildings that stood on June 18, 1956 (conditional); a rooming house (outright). No laneway houses or lock-off units are listed (ss. 1.1, 2.1, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 3.1.2.1) | 550 m² for apartments, seniors housing and rooming houses (500 m² for a lot on title before September 7, 1965); none set for a house or duplex (ss. 3.1.2.1, 3.1.2.6, 3.3.2.1, 3.3.2.6) | None set, but parking at most 30% of the lot. Floor space ratio 1.00 for apartments, seniors housing and other uses, plus 0.012 for each point of site coverage under 50%, up to 0.25 more on a lot over 837 m² with 22.8 m of frontage, and 0.20 with parking inside or under the building; 0.60 for a house or duplex (ss. 3.1.1.1, 3.2.1.1, 3.3.1.1, 4.2.1) | 36.6 m for apartments and other uses, inside daylight angles from the street's centre line and the rear line (25°) and the side lines (30°); the parts over 10.7 m at most a quarter of the lot's average depth plus width wide. Houses and duplexes 10.7 m. Accessory buildings 3.7 m (4.6 m at the peak) (ss. 2.2.8, 3.1.2.2, 3.1.2.7 to 3.1.2.10, 3.2.2.1) |
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 RM3 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.