R8: Medium Density Residential

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Multi-family buildings, a house or a rooming house; the zone sets no count of homes, only floor area: at most 1.25 times the lot area, more for parking under the building and for Schedule D's amenities (ss. 7.2.1, 7.3.1). A secondary suite per home under Part 6 (s. 6.15)

Main uses

A multi-family building, a house, a rooming house; a secondary suite, boarders, a convenience store of up to 46 m², daycare, a home-based business, short-term rental; a hotel or personal care facility only on lots the bylaw names (ss. 7.2.1, 7.2.3, 7.2.4)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

1,800 m², 15 m wide, 30 m deep (s. 7.4.1)

Lot coverage

40%; floor area 1.25 times the lot area, plus 0.25 times the share of parking under the building (its roof no more than 0.8 m above finished grade), plus 0.1 or 0.25 for meeting Schedule D's Tier 1 or Tier 2 amenities (ss. 7.3.1, 7.6.1); a lot with one house only, as R1: 40% (s. 7.6.4)

Height limit

14 m, flat or sloped roof (s. 7.6.1); a lot with one house only, as R1: 9 m with a sloped roof, 7 m with a flat one, perimeter walls 7.32 m (s. 7.6.4); accessory buildings up to 7 m (s. 6.6.5.1)

Exceptions (1)

• 22.5 m on one lot the bylaw names, where at least half the required parking is under the building

Listed in s. 7.6.7 of the bylaw.

Setbacks

Front 6.0 m, sides 3.0 m, flanking side 4.0 m, rear 10.5 m; a lot with one house only, R1's setbacks (front 4.5 m, sides 1.5 m, flanking side 4.0 m, rear 7.5 m) and a garage or carport door facing a street 6 m back; 2.5 m more beside a major road not yet widened (ss. 7.5.1, 7.5.3, 7.5.4, 7.5.7)

The zone is for medium-density multi-family homes on chosen lots, fitting beside other homes and nearby shops (s. 7.1).

Some lots the bylaw names have their own floor area or height limit (ss. 7.3.4, 7.6.7); whether a lot is one of them, ask the City.

Accessory buildings here may be 7 m high, each with no more floor area than the main building (ss. 6.6.5.1, 6.6.6).

The lot sizes are for lots on community water, sewer and storm drains; 45 m deep beside the Nanaimo Parkway, and a watercourse leave strip or geotechnical setback doesn't count toward the area (ss. 7.4.1 to 7.4.4).

Secondary suites: one per home; a house with no other main use may have two, one of them in an accessory building (not in R2 or R3). A suite inside a house is at most 40% of the house's living space and 100 m². One in an accessory building only on an R5 or R14 lot, a corner, through or lane lot, or a lot of 500 m² or more; never on its own title, with 30 m² of private outdoor space, and no bigger than the zone lets an accessory building be, up to 100 m² (s. 6.15).

Boarders: at most two people in two sleeping rooms, inside a house (s. 7.2.3).

Short-term rental (stays under 30 days) only in the operator's own primary residence, the whole home or rooms; one per lot where the home has suites (s. 6.16).

Part 6 (general regulations: accessory buildings, watercourse setbacks, flood levels, fences, home businesses) also applies.

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 Nanaimo's planning and development department before you buy or build.

Source: Part 7 of City of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 4500 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-04); zone map: Open Government Licence – Nanaimo.