RT-11: Two-Family Dwelling, small houses, suites and lock-offs

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

A single detached house (outright) with a secondary suite and a laneway house (conditional), under the R1-1 district's rules when it is the lot's only building; a duplex (outright), each half with a secondary suite (conditional); a 2-home conversion of an existing building (outright, no additions), or up to 3 homes in a building that stood on May 15, 2013 (conditional). Two buildings on a lot of 334 m² that backs onto a park or school or is a corner or double-fronting lot, the rear one a house; more than one on 511 m² (conditional). On 511 m², at most 74 homes per hectare on a lot 18.3 m wide or more (suites and lock-off units up to the greater of 3 or 45% of that), else 3, suites and lock-off units aside; the Director of Planning may allow one more. Lock-off units only on a lot 18.3 m wide with more than 2 buildings (ss. 2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.4, 2.2.6 to 2.2.9, 3.1.1.5, 3.1.1.6)

Main uses

Houses, duplexes, laneway houses, suites, lock-off units, infill (a house, or a duplex where a building from before 1940 is kept), conversions, seniors housing, a mixed-use building with a neighbourhood grocery store; child day care, community care (Class A outright), churches, schools, bed and breakfast and short-term rental, all conditional (ss. 2.1, 2.2.3, 2.2.5)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

303 m² for a duplex or a 2-home conversion, 334 m² for a duplex with suites, a 3-home conversion or infill, 511 m² for more than one building on most lots; 9.8 m of frontage for any home. The Director of Planning may reduce these for a lot on title before May 15, 2013 (ss. 3.1.2.1, 3.1.2.2, 3.1.2.10, 3.1.2.11)

Lot coverage

45% of the lot, and at most 70% under hard surfaces. Floor space ratio 0.75 for a duplex (with or without suites) as the lot's only building, 0.60 for other homes (0.85 with the Director of Planning's approval, 0.90 where a building from before 1940 is kept); on a lot under 511 m² where no building from after 1940 is kept, a rear building gets at most 0.20 (ss. 3.1.1.1 to 3.1.1.4, 3.1.2.7, 3.1.2.8, 5.1)

Height limit

A duplex as the lot's only building 10.7 m and 3 storeys, the third a partial storey of at most half the one below; other buildings 10.7 m and 2 storeys in the front 60% of the lot, 7.7 m and 2 storeys in the rear 40%. Accessory buildings 3.7 m (4.6 m at the peak), at most 48 m² together less any laneway house (ss. 2.2.12, 3.1.2.3, 3.1.2.12, 3.1.2.13)

Setbacks

Front the average of the two neighbouring lots' front yards (4.9 m on a lot over 18.3 m wide with more than one building); sides 1.2 m, plus a 4.9 m side yard on each side near the rear, except for a lone duplex; rear 0.6 m (1.2 m with no lane). Building depth at most 40% of the lot's depth (ss. 3.1.2.4 to 3.1.2.6, 3.1.2.9, 3.1.2.17, 3.1.2.18)

The schedule's aim is several small houses and duplexes on larger or assembled lots, with laneway houses, suites and lock-off units within limits, and keeping character buildings (s. 1.1).

Where a house is the lot's only building, the R1-1 schedule's rules apply to it instead of this one's (s. 2.2.9); a laneway house follows Section 11 (s. 2.2.4).

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).

A laneway house: only behind a single detached house (with or without a suite) on a lot with access from a lane, at least 9.8 m wide (7.3 m with the Director of Planning's approval); floor area at most 0.25 times the lot area or 186 m², whichever is less; 8.5 m and 2 storeys; 4.9 m from the house, 0.9 m from the rear line, 1.2 m from the sides; coverage with it up to 50% of the lot; no deck on its roof (s. 11.3.8).

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).

Bed and breakfast: at most 2 bedrooms and 4 guests, the operator living in the home, and no boarders at the same time (s. 11.9.2).

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 RT-11 District Schedule (June 2026) of Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); 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.