RS1: Residential 1

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One house and a secondary suite (s. 4.23(c), s. 3.21)

Main uses

One house; home-based business, secondary suite

Smallest lot for a subdivision

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.

Lot coverage

35%

Height limit

9 m; accessory buildings 6 m

Setbacks

5 m from lot lines along a road, 2 m from the others; a shed up to 10 m² and 3 m tall needs none from an interior line

The zone is for houses at one home a lot (s. 4.23(a)).

Accessory buildings: 100 m² in all or 8% of the lot, whichever is more, up to 250 m² (s. 4.23(c)).

Secondary suite (s. 3.21): at most one per house and two per lot, only one of them detached; up to 100 m², three bedrooms and its own entrance; never strata-titled apart from the house or rented for less than a month; without community sewer, Island Health must approve the septic. A detached suite needs a lot of 800 m² with community water and sewer, 2,000 m² with community water only, 4,000 m² otherwise, and is held to 8 m in height.

Bed and breakfast (s. 3.15): a home-based business inside the house (not in a suite), run by the people who live there, up to 2 bedrooms.

Short-term rental of a whole home isn't a use this zone lists, uses a zone doesn't list are prohibited (s. 1.3), and a home-based business may not offer accommodation other than a bed and breakfast (s. 3.15); ask the RDN before renting a home short term.

Watercourses (s. 3.9): no building within 15 m of a stream's or lake's natural boundary (9 m from the top of a bank where the ground within 15 m averages over 30% slope), 30 m from the Nanaimo, Englishman, Little Qualicum and Qualicum rivers; 8 m from the sea or the top of a steep shore bank (s. 3.10, other figures in Area E).

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 RDN's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 4.23 of Regional District of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 2500, 2024 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); zone map: Open Government Licence – Regional District of Nanaimo.