RT-9: Two-Family Dwelling, multiplexes

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

A single detached house or a duplex (outright), with a secondary suite in each home (conditional); a multiplex, infill or a conversion (conditional): 3 homes on a lot of at most 463 m², 4 to 6 on 280 m², 7 or 8 on 557 m² when every home is secured rental (one may be the owner's); at most 6 otherwise; more than one building with approval; a 2-home conversion of an existing building (outright, no additions); a mixed-use building with a neighbourhood grocery store (conditional). No laneway houses or lock-off units are listed (ss. 1.1, 2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.5 to 2.2.8, 3.1.1.2, 3.1.1.3, 3.1.2.1, 3.1.2.2)

Main uses

Houses, duplexes, multiplexes, infill, conversions, seniors housing, a mixed-use building with a neighbourhood grocery store; child day care, community care (Class A outright), churches, schools, a hospital, a social service centre, a farmers' market, bed and breakfast and short-term rental, mostly conditional (ss. 2.1, 2.2.5)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

Multiplexes, infill and conversions of 3 homes on at most 463 m², 4 to 6 on 280 m², 7 or 8 on 557 m²; 33.5 m deep for a courtyard layout; none set for a house or duplex (ss. 3.1.2.1 to 3.1.2.3)

Lot coverage

Houses and duplexes 45% of the lot; parking at most 30%. Floor space ratio 1.00 for multiplexes, infill and conversions of 3 homes or more, 0.75 for houses, duplexes and other uses (ss. 3.1.1.1, 3.2.1.1, 3.2.2.4, 4.2.1)

Height limit

Multiplexes, infill and conversions 11.5 m and 3 storeys, a rear building 8.5 m and 2 storeys (11.5 m and 3 storeys on a lot under 306 m² or with no lane access); houses, duplexes and other uses 10.7 m and 3 storeys. Accessory buildings 3.1 m flat-roofed, 3.5 m otherwise (4.0 m at the peak), at most 48 m² together, within 6.7 m of the rear line (ss. 2.2.11, 3.1.2.4, 3.1.2.11, 3.2.2.1)

Setbacks

Multiplexes, infill and conversions: front 4.9 m, sides 1.2 m, rear 10.7 m (0.9 m behind a courtyard layout); buildings at most 19.8 m deep and 17.4 m wide; 2.4 m between buildings side by side or between rear ones, 6.1 m between front and rear ones. Houses, duplexes and other uses: front the average of the two neighbouring lots' front yards, sides 10% of the lot's width on a lot up to 15.0 m wide, else 1.5 m, building depth at most 50% of the lot's depth (ss. 3.1.2.5 to 3.1.2.10, 3.1.2.14, 3.2.2.2, 3.2.2.3, 3.2.2.5)

The schedule's aim is small-scale homes that keep the single-lot character of the area: multiplexes of up to 6 homes, or 8 rental homes, duplexes and houses, with infill and conversions where a house is kept (s. 1.1).

A new multiplex, infill or conversion of 3 or more homes, or a duplex with suites, needs 1 tree in the front yard (2 on a lot 15.1 m wide or more), kept or planted (s. 2.2.3). Each home in them gets 7.4 m² of outdoor space (s. 4.4.2).

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).

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-9 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.