RSE1: Residential Single Estate One

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One house with up to four bedrooms, of at least 46.5 m² (s. 34(2)(c), (17), (18)), and one auxiliary home of 32.5 to 90 m², at most 40% of the floor area on the lot, with up to two bedrooms, two bathrooms and one kitchen, inside the house or in an accessory building (s. 34(2)(b), (19)-(21); Part 5, s. 35(3)). The zone ties the auxiliary home to community sewer, but the bylaw's small-scale multi-unit housing section lets it be built without (Part 5, s. 35(4))

Main uses

A house, an auxiliary home, park and playground, auxiliary buildings and uses (s. 34(2))

Smallest lot for a subdivision

40 ha (s. 34(9)); the zone sets no frontage, but a house on a lot with under 24 m of frontage is held to 325 m² (s. 34(5))

Lot coverage

35% (s. 34(10)); a house up to 465 m² and 0.35 times the lot area (s. 34(3)); parking inside buildings up to 70 m² (s. 34(6)); an accessory building with an auxiliary home and parking up to 110 m², with only an auxiliary home 90 m² (s. 34(7))

Exceptions (1)

• On a bare land strata plan, each house's floor area is the plan's land (less its access roads) times 0.35, shared equally among its strata lots, and still at most 465 m²

Listed in s. 34(4) of the bylaw.

Height limit

7.6 m (s. 34(8)); an accessory building holding both an auxiliary home and parking at least 2 storeys and up to 7 m (s. 34(24))

Setbacks

Front 7.6 m, rear 7.6 m, sides 3 m (6 m for a house over 325 m²); a house that stood on January 28, 2002, enlarged past 325 m², needs the 6 m sides for the whole building (s. 34(11)-(13), (15))

Exceptions (1)

• On a bare land strata plan, a house stays 7.6 m from the plan's edge and from its access roads, and apart from the next house by 3 m for each house of up to 325 m² and 6 m for each larger one, instead of the lot setbacks

Listed in s. 34(14) of the bylaw.

The zone is for low density houses (s. 34(1)). Its 40 ha smallest lot is for new lots, and it provides for bare land strata plans (s. 34(4), (14)); what an existing smaller lot may do is the Municipality's to say (our reading).

A lot can't have both an accessory building with an auxiliary home and one with parking (s. 34(23)).

The auxiliary home can't be used for tourist accommodation (s. 34(22)). Short-term rental (tourist accommodation) isn't a use this zone lists; ask the Resort Municipality of Whistler before renting a home short term.

The bylaw's three or four homes under its small-scale multi-unit housing rules don't reach this zone, as its smallest new lot is 4,050 m² or more (Part 5, s. 35(5)(e)).

Parking follows Part 6 (s. 34(16)). While a new house is built, the old one may be lived in under a covenant to remove or convert it (Part 5, s. 16).

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: Part 12, Section 34 of Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-06); zone map: Open Government Licence – Resort Municipality of Whistler.