PlaceDossier / Zoning / Resort Municipality of Whistler
Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015
The Resort Municipality of Whistler's zoning bylaw, which applies in Whistler. Our summary of its 4 residential, multiple residential and rural zones, read from the consolidation to 2026-08-07 and checked 2026-10-05. Its other zones aren't summarised here.
The zones side by side
| Zone | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS1 Single Family Residential One | One house with up to four bedrooms, and one auxiliary home of 32.5 to 90 m² (up to two bedrooms, at most 40% of the floor area on the lot) inside the house or in an accessory building, where the lot is on community sewer (s. 1(2), (22)-(26)); one main building a lot (s. 1(23)) | 695 m² with 18 m of frontage for a house of up to 325 m², 928.6 m² with 24 m for a larger one (s. 1(10)); 12,265 m² for four lots the bylaw names | 35%; a house up to 465 m² and 0.35 times the lot area, 325 m² on a lot under 24 m wide; 56 m² more for an employee home under a housing agreement with the Municipality (s. 1(3), (6), (11)) | 7.6 m; an accessory building with a garage and an auxiliary home 2 storeys, up to 7 m |
| RI1 Residential Infill One | One house or, where at least one of the two homes is under a housing agreement with the Municipality limiting it to employees and capping its rent and resale price, a duplex (s. 52(3), (5)); plus one auxiliary home on a lot of 695 m² or less, up to two on a larger lot, one in the house and one in an accessory building (s. 52(4)). Auxiliary homes 32.5 to 90 m², at most 40% of the floor area on the lot; a house up to four bedrooms (s. 52(19)-(22)) | 695 m² (465 m² of it usable) with 18 m of frontage for a house or duplex of up to 325 m², 928.6 m² (575 m² usable) with 24 m for a larger one (s. 52(11)); a lot of 1,100 to 1,390 m² can be split into two of at least 400 m² (325 m² usable, 12 m of frontage) where one of them is under an employee housing agreement with the Municipality (s. 52(12)) | 35% (s. 52(13)); a house or duplex up to 465 m² and 0.35 times the lot area (s. 52(6)); parking inside buildings up to 70 m² (s. 52(7)); an accessory building holding an auxiliary home up to 90 m² (Part 5, s. 3(2))Exceptions (1)
Listed in s. 52(8) of the bylaw. | 7.6 m (s. 52(9)); an accessory building holding both an auxiliary home and parking at least 2 storeys and up to 7 m (s. 52(10)); other accessory buildings 5 m (Part 5, s. 3(4)) |
| RR1 Rural Resource One | One house a lot (s. 1(18)), of 46.5 to 465 m² (s. 1(3), (15)), with one auxiliary home inside it of 32.5 to 80 m² with at most one bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen and one living room (s. 1(2)(b), (16)-(17)) | 40 ha (s. 1(9)); the zone sets no frontage | No limit (s. 1(10)); buildings other than houses and schools up to 2,000 m² and 0.25 times the lot area, a golf course clubhouse 2,000 m² (s. 1(4), (6)); accessory buildings 56 m² (Part 5, s. 3(3)) | A house 7.6 m, other main buildings 14 m (s. 1(7)-(8)); accessory buildings 5 m (Part 5, s. 3(4)) |
| RM70 Residential Multiple Seventy | One home a strata lot, its kind fixed lot by lot in the bylaw's Table 13A (s. 71(2)(a), (19)): a house (up to 232 m², an auxiliary home in it counted in), a whole duplex (372 m²), half a duplex (186 m²) or a townhouse (183 m², 232 m² in one group); in three of the zone's ten areas the floor area is instead capped for all the homes together at 0.4 times the land (s. 71(3), (19)). Plus one auxiliary home of 32.5 to 90 m², at most 40% of the floor area on the lot, inside a house or a half duplex; in a half duplex only as a long-term rental (s. 71(2)(c), (d), (16)-(18)) | The zone sets no minimum: it covers ten existing strata plans, each strata lot with its use and floor area set in Table 13A (s. 71(19)); whether a lot here can be subdivided further is unclear, so ask the Municipality | No site coverage set; floor area is capped per home instead (Table 13A, s. 71(3)), and a building that was approved before the zone came in at a larger floor area keeps it (s. 71(4)); parking inside 50 m² for a house, 40 m² per duplex home, 30 m² per townhouse (s. 71(5)-(7)) | A house or duplex 7.6 m, a townhouse 10.7 m (s. 71(8)-(10)); auxiliary buildings as Part 5 sets (s. 71(11)) |
"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.
Where the bylaw is unclear
Points we couldn't settle from the bylaw's text. Ask before you rely on them.
- RR1: The bylaw's small-scale multi-unit housing rules give three or four homes only on lots of 4,050 m² or less in zones whose smallest new lot is under 4,050 m², so not here (Part 5, s. 35(5)); whether the rest of that section (an auxiliary home in an accessory building, s. 35(3)) reaches this zone, which allows uses other than homes, is unclear: ask the Municipality.
- RM70: Whether the bylaw's small-scale multi-unit housing rules (Part 5, s. 35), which reach lots limited to a house or a duplex, reach this zone's house and duplex strata lots is unclear: ask the Municipality.
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 Resort Municipality of Whistler's planning department before you buy or build.
Source: Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015 (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Resort Municipality of Whistler.