PlaceDossier / Zoning / Regional District of Central Okanagan
Regional District of Central Okanagan Zoning Bylaw No. 871
The Regional District of Central Okanagan's zoning bylaw, which applies in Central Okanagan West, Central Okanagan. Our summary of its 15 resource, rural and residential zones, read from the consolidation to 2026-05-14 and checked 2026-10-04. Its other zones aren't summarised here.
Central Okanagan West is the rural west side of Okanagan Lake outside West Kelowna and Peachland: Trader's Cove, Killiney Beach, Wilson's Landing, Westshore Estates, Fintry, Valley of the Sun, Trepanier and Brent Road. Central Okanagan (the RDCO's East electoral area) is the rural east side outside Kelowna and Lake Country: Ellison and the neighbourhoods along the south end of Lakeshore Road and June Springs Road. Joe Rich, in the East area, has a rural land use bylaw of its own instead of this one (s. 1.1). (RDCO, Central Okanagan West Electoral Area; RDCO, Central Okanagan East Electoral Area)
The zones side by side
| Zone | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Agricultural | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it; on a lot of 3.8 ha or more, one accessory home for a farm worker or caretaker per 3.8 ha, up to two, instead of the suite (ss. 3.18, 3.26.4); temporary housing for seasonal farm workers (s. 5.1.11) | Outside the ALR 4 ha; in the ALR no minimum (the Agricultural Land Commission decides), but 0.5 ha where the Agricultural Land Commission Act's conditions apply; 30 m of frontage | 35%; greenhouses up to 75% less the other buildings | 12 m; accessory buildings 8 m |
| F1 Forest Resource | One dwelling unit (s. 5.2.9); the zone doesn't list a secondary suite or an accessory home | 30 ha, with 30 m of frontage | 35% | Not set |
| CL8 Conservation Lands | None: the zone lists no dwelling | 1 ha, with 30 m of frontage | 5% | 9 m; accessory buildings 5 m |
| RU1 Rural 1 | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it; on a lot of 3.8 ha or more, one accessory home for a farm worker or caretaker per 3.8 ha, up to two, instead of the suite (ss. 3.18, 3.26.4); temporary housing for seasonal farm workers (s. 6.1.12) | 30 ha, with 30 m of frontage | 10% | 12 m; accessory buildings 8 m |
| RU2 Rural 2 | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it; on a lot of 3.8 ha or more, one accessory home for a farm worker or caretaker per 3.8 ha, up to two, instead of the suite (ss. 3.18, 3.26.4); temporary housing for seasonal farm workers (s. 6.2.12) | 4 ha, with 30 m of frontage | 10% | 12 m; accessory buildings 8 m |
| RU3 Rural 3 | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it (s. 6.3.12) | 1 ha, with 30 m of frontage | 10% | 3 storeys and 9 m; accessory buildings 5 m |
| RU4 Country Residential | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it (s. 6.4.12) | 0.5 ha, with 30 m of frontage | 20% | 3 storeys and 9 m; accessory buildings 5 m |
| RU5 Small Lot Country Residential | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it (s. 6.5.10) | 2,500 m², with 30 m of frontage | 20% | 3 storeys and 9 m; accessory buildings 5 m |
| RU6 Small Holdings | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it (s. 6.6.12) | 2 ha, with 30 m of frontage | 10% | 3 storeys and 9 m; accessory buildings 5 m |
| RU7 Cottage Lot | No home: one tourist cabin of up to 150 m² (ss. 6.7.10, 6.7.11), which the bylaw defines as not for residential use, for owners or guests staying under 90 days in a row (Part 15) | 1 ha for a new lot without community water and sewer; 700 m² for an existing lease lot; 18 m of frontage where there's road access | 35% | 2 storeys and 9 m; accessory buildings 5 m |
| R1 Single Detached Housing | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it (s. 7.1.10) | 700 m², with 18 m of frontage | 35% | 9 m and 3 storeys; accessory buildings 5 m |
| RMP Manufactured Home Park | Manufactured homes in a park, at most 81 homes and one community hall (s. 8.1.4); a park may hold no more than one single detached house (Part 15) | 4.86 ha for a park, with 40 m of frontage | 50% | Homes and community hall 5 m; accessory buildings 4 m |
| R2 Duplex Housing | One duplex or one single detached house (s. 9.1.10); a secondary suite only inside a single detached house (s. 3.26.1) | 880 m², with 21 m of frontage | 40% | 9 m and 3 storeys; accessory buildings 5 m |
| RC1 Compact Housing | One single detached house with a secondary suite inside it (s. 9.2.12) | 400 m², with 12 m of frontage | 60% | 9 m and 3 storeys; accessory buildings 5 m |
| R3B Multiple Housing (Medium Density) | Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses and apartments, up to 60 homes per hectare (s. 10.2.3) | 1,600 m², with 30 m of frontage | 35% | 3 storeys and 12 m; accessory buildings 5 m |
"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 RDCO's planning department before you buy or build.
Source: Regional District of Central Okanagan Zoning Bylaw No. 871 (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Regional District of Central Okanagan.