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Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Bylaw No. 355)
The Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee's land use bylaw, which applies in Saltspring Island. Our summary of its 11 rural, residential, agricultural and Forestry 1 zones, read from the consolidation to 2026-04-09 and checked 2026-10-11. Its other zones aren't summarised here.
The zones side by side
| Zone | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R Rural | One house (s. 3.11.1); a seasonal cottage on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 3.14); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16); a duplex only if built before July 31, 1990 (s. 3.11.2) | 2 ha on average across a subdivision; each lot at least 0.6 ha with a well and septic, 0.4 ha on community water (s. 9.10.3) | 33%; farm buildings up to 465 m² in all (s. 9.10.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
| RU1 Rural Uplands 1 | One house (s. 3.11.1); a seasonal cottage on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 3.14); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16); a duplex only if built before July 31, 1990 (s. 3.11.2) | 8 ha on average across a subdivision; each lot at least 0.6 ha (s. 9.10.3) | 33%; farm buildings up to 465 m² in all (s. 9.10.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
| RW1 Rural Watershed 1 | One house (s. 3.11.1) and a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16); the zone doesn't list a seasonal cottage | 4 ha, and 4 ha on average (s. 9.10.3) | 33%; farm buildings up to 465 m² in all (s. 9.10.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
| R6 Residential 6 | One house, or a duplex on a lot of 0.16 ha or more, never two separate houses (s. 9.9.2); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16); the zone doesn't list a seasonal cottage | Only with community water: 0.4 ha with septic, 0.11 ha on community sewer, the same on average (s. 9.9.3) | 33% (s. 9.9.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2) |
| R6(a) Residential 6 (variant a) | One home per lot and no duplexes (s. 9.9.4 (23), (25)), with no more than 268 homes on all the land in this variant (s. 9.9.4 (26)); a secondary suite inside the house where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16; whether the one-home limit leaves room for it is unclear, though s. 3.16.2 lets a home contain one); the zone doesn't list a seasonal cottage | Set by block on the bylaw's Schedule C map (s. 9.9.4 (27)): blocks A and B 0.2 ha on community water (0.46 and 0.4 ha on average); blocks C to G with a well and septic, C 1.2 ha (2 ha on average), D 250 ha, E 0.2 ha (0.57 ha on average), F 0.4 ha (0.85 ha on average), G 0.5 ha (1.4 ha on average); every lot on its own septic | 33% (s. 9.9.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2) |
| R7 Residential 7 | One house (s. 9.9.2); a duplex only if built before July 31, 1990; a seasonal cottage on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 3.14); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16) | 0.6 ha with a well and septic, 0.4 ha on community water; 1 ha on average either way (s. 9.9.3) | 33%; farm buildings up to 465 m² in all (s. 9.9.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
| R8 Residential 8 | One house (s. 9.9.2); a duplex only if built before July 31, 1990; a seasonal cottage on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 3.14); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16) | 0.6 ha with a well and septic (0.6 ha on average); 0.2 ha on community water (0.4 ha on average) (s. 9.9.3) | 33%; farm buildings up to 465 m² in all (s. 9.9.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
| R9 Residential 9 | One house (s. 9.9.2); a duplex only if built before July 31, 1990; a seasonal cottage on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 3.14); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16) | 0.6 ha with a well and septic (0.6 ha on average); 0.4 ha on community water (0.4 ha on average) (s. 9.9.3) | 33%; farm buildings up to 465 m² in all (s. 9.9.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
| A1 Agriculture 1 | One house and a secondary suite (s. 9.1.1, s. 3.16); on a lot classified as a farm, a second home: one built before February 22, 2019, a manufactured home built from July 4, 2019 to the end of 2021, or a farmworker's home up to 56 m² on 1.2 to 2 ha, 90 m² over 2 ha and 186 m² over 40 ha (s. 9.1.1); the zone doesn't list a seasonal cottage | 8 ha, with a well and septic (s. 9.1.4); in the ALR only where the Agricultural Land Commission approves or exempts it (s. 5.1.2) | 35% leaving out greenhouses, 75% counting them; a campground 5% (s. 9.1.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m (s. 3.8.3) |
| A2 Agriculture 2 | One house and a secondary suite (s. 9.1.1, s. 3.16); on a lot classified as a farm, a second home: one built before February 22, 2019, a manufactured home built from July 4, 2019 to the end of 2021, or a farmworker's home up to 56 m² on 1.2 to 2 ha, 90 m² over 2 ha and 186 m² over 40 ha (s. 9.1.1); the zone doesn't list a seasonal cottage | 8 ha, with a well and septic (s. 9.1.4); in the ALR only where the Agricultural Land Commission approves or exempts it (s. 5.1.2) | 35% leaving out greenhouses, 75% counting them (s. 9.1.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m (s. 3.8.3) |
| F1 Forestry 1 | One house (s. 3.11.1); a seasonal cottage on a lot of 1.2 ha or more (s. 3.14); a secondary suite where the lot is in the Schedule I area (s. 3.16); a duplex only if built before July 31, 1990 (s. 3.11.2) | 8 ha, with its own septic system and enough drinking water (s. 9.6.3) | 10% (s. 9.6.2) | 7.6 m and two storeys (s. 3.8.1); accessory buildings 6 m on a lot of 1.2 ha or less, 7 m on a larger one (s. 3.8.2); farm buildings 10.7 m where agriculture is a principal use (s. 3.8.3) |
"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.
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 Islands Trust's office for the island before you buy or build.
Source: Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw, 1999 (Bylaw No. 355) (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Islands Trust.