RM-11: Multiple Dwelling, 4-storey apartments

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Apartments and mixed-use buildings of 4 storeys (conditional) on a lot of 1,000 m², more than one building with approval; townhouses (566 m²), triplexes (303 m²), duplexes with secondary suites, infill keeping a character house and conversions of a character house into several homes (all conditional) only where the Director of Planning finds the site is locked-in lots, the duplexes, infill and conversions under the RT-5 district's rules; a single detached house, with a secondary suite, or a laneway house only where it lawfully stood on September 18, 2018 (outright); lock-off units in an apartment or mixed-use building, at most 1 for every 3 homes (ss. 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2.4 to 2.2.7, 2.2.9, 2.2.11)

Main uses

Apartments, mixed-use buildings (with an artist studio or a neighbourhood grocery store only), townhouses, triplexes, duplexes, seniors housing; child day care, community care (Class A outright), churches, schools, a hospital, a social service centre, a farmers' market and short-term rental, mostly conditional. No bed and breakfast is listed (ss. 2.1, 2.2.10)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

1,000 m² for apartments and mixed-use buildings, at most 50 m of frontage, and 36.6 m of frontage along East 1st Avenue, East 12th Avenue and Garden Drive (the Director of Planning may reduce it); 566 m² and 12.8 to 36.6 m of frontage for townhouses; 303 m² and at most 12.8 m for a triplex (ss. 3.1.2.1 to 3.1.2.3, 3.1.2.10, 3.1.2.11, 3.2.2.1 to 3.2.2.3, 3.3.2.1, 3.3.2.2)

Lot coverage

Apartments, townhouses and triplexes 55% of the lot, seniors housing and other uses 45%; at most 75% under hard surfaces. Floor space ratio 0.75; apartments, mixed-use buildings and seniors housing 1.70 on a lot with 36.6 m of frontage; on locked-in lots townhouses and seniors housing 1.20, triplexes 0.90 (ss. 3.1.1.1, 3.1.2.8, 3.1.2.9, 3.2.1.1, 3.2.2.8, 3.2.2.9, 3.3.1.1, 3.3.2.7, 3.4.1.1, 3.4.2.2, 3.5.1.1, 3.5.2.2)

Height limit

Apartments and mixed-use buildings 13.7 m, up to 14.7 m with the Director of Planning's approval; townhouses 11.5 m, a rear building 10.1 m; triplexes 10.7 m. Accessory buildings 3.7 m (4.6 m at the peak), at most 48 m² together, within 7.9 m of the rear line (ss. 2.2.14, 2.2.15, 3.1.2.4, 3.1.2.14, 3.2.2.4, 3.3.2.3)

Setbacks

Front 3.7 m. Apartments: sides 2.1 m (4.6 m from the fourth storey up beside an R1 or RT district's side yard with no lane between), rear 6.1 m. Townhouses: sides 2.1 m, rear 1.8 m; 3.1 m between buildings side by side or between rear ones, 7.3 m between front and rear ones (9.1 m where raised or sunken entrances' stairs reach into the courtyard). Triplexes: sides 1.2 m, rear 10.7 m (ss. 3.1.2.5 to 3.1.2.7, 3.1.2.12, 3.2.2.5 to 3.2.2.7, 3.2.2.10, 3.2.2.11, 3.2.2.14, 3.3.2.4 to 3.3.2.6, 3.4.2.1, 3.5.2.1)

The schedule's aim is 4-storey T-shaped apartments with homes of varied size and tenure, family homes included, with shared and private outdoor space; townhouses and triplexes only on locked-in lots, which is the Director of Planning's call (ss. 1.1, 2.2.5).

Apartments, townhouses and mixed-use buildings need a quarter of their homes with 3 bedrooms up to a floor space ratio of 1.20; above it, a quarter with 2 bedrooms and 10% with 3, which the Director of Planning may vary to 35% with 2 or more (ss. 2.2.2, 2.2.3).

Where a building on the Vancouver Heritage Register is kept, the Director of Planning may relax lot size, height, yards and coverage (s. 5.1).

Each habitable room needs a window on an outside wall (s. 4.3).

Outright uses get a permit once they meet the rules; conditional uses are at the Director of Planning's discretion, weighing the schedule's intent, Council's policies and guidelines and what neighbours, owners and tenants submit (s. 2.1).

A secondary suite: a smaller home inside a house or duplex with its own outside door (an inside door to the main home is allowed), one kitchen and a full bathroom, at least 37 m² (29.7 m² with the Director of Planning's approval); it may be in a basement (Section 2, ss. 10.20.3, 11.3.1.2, 11.3.3).

A lock-off unit: a smaller home inside a larger one with its own outside door and a shared inside door that locks, 26 to 29.7 m² (19 m² with the Director of Planning's approval), one kitchen and a full bathroom (Section 2, ss. 11.3.1.2, 11.3.1.3, 11.3.3).

One family to a home, plus at most 2 boarders or lodgers; no home rented for less than 30 days except as a hotel, bed and breakfast or short-term rental (ss. 11.3.1.1, 11.3.1.7). The smallest home is 37 m² (29.7 m² with the Director of Planning's approval) (s. 11.3.1.2).

Short-term rental is a conditional use, only in the operator's principal residence (a home, secondary suite, laneway house or lock-off unit); never in an accessory building or a vehicle, or alongside a bed and breakfast; at most 2 adults to a bedroom and one booking at a time; its permit lasts 2 years (s. 11.9.1).

Sections 2 (definitions), 10 (general regulations) and 11 (use-specific regulations) of the by-law also apply. Parking is set by the separate Parking By-law, which we haven't summarised.

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 Vancouver's development, buildings and licensing department before you buy or build.

Source: the RM-11 District Schedule (June 2026) of Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05 and 2026-10-06); Section 11, Use-Specific Regulations (February 2026), Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575; Section 2, Definitions (June 2026), Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575; zone map: Open Government Licence – Vancouver.