On September 11, 2023, Council adopted regulations to permit laneway homes. These regulations come into effect on September 18, 2023. Owners of eligible properties will be able to submit an Engineering pre-application package on that date, which is the first step in obtaining a building permit.

If you want to alter an existing permit to include a laneway home, you can do so any time after September 18, 2023 by submitting a building permit revision that includes the laneway home. The new plan will be re-evaluated by the Building Department. Please note that any revisions to an existing building permit require additional time for plan review and may impact the construction schedule.

No - a building permit is initially approved with the intention that all structures in the approved design are completed. Partial completion of the existing outlined work will not pass final inspection. If you want to pass inspection on part of the work you will have to submit a building permit revision. As part of the revision, the garage would have to be revised to show a parking area, and must adhere to all regulations set out by the zoning bylaw for parking areas. Please note that any revisions to an existing building permit require additional time for plan review and may impact the construction schedule.

One per lot.

A laneway home may be up to two storeys high. Basements will count as one storey.

The height of the laneway home will be determined by zoning regulations, not the height of the existing principal dwelling. A laneway home may be up to 7.6m (24.93 ft.) for a sloping roof or 6.7m (21.98 ft.) for a flat roof.

It must also be no greater than the maximum height allowed for the principal dwelling in the Zoning Bylaw. For instance, in the R10 District, the maximum height of a principal dwelling with a flat roof is 5.8 m (19 ft.). In that district, the maximum height of a laneway home with a flat roof would be 5.8 m (19 ft.), not 6.7 m (21.98 ft.).

The maximum floor area for a laneway home will be based on the size of the property. It may be up to 20% of the lot area, up to a maximum of 140 m2 (1,507 square feet). Example calculations are shown below:

The floor area for a laneway home will not be affected by the floor area of the existing house. However, it may be impacted by other regulations, such as the maximum lot coverage (45%), and the room required for setbacks, access, trees and parking.

In Phase 1a, laneway homes will only be permitted on properties with direct access to their rear yard from a lane or local street. This is to make it easier for garbage pickup, utilities, emergency services, parking and pedestrians to access the home. These properties also have fewer shared property lines so may have less concerns from neighbouring properties. In phase 1b, we will be extending these regulations to include properties that do not have a lane or any means of direct secondary access to their rear yard.

Yes, if the road at the back of the property is a local street (classified as ‘local’ or ‘minor collector’ in Burnaby’s Transportation Plan) and there is a driveway to access the backyard. If there is no existing driveway to the backyard, construction of a new access driveway will be at the discretion of the Engineering Department.

Yes, if the road that accesses the rear yard is a local street (classified as ‘local’ or ‘minor collector’ in Burnaby’s Transportation Plan) and there is a driveway to access the backyard. If there is no existing driveway to the backyard, construction of a new access driveway will be at the discretion of the Engineering Department.

Yes, if the setbacks and construction standards can be adapted to meet BC Building Code requirements for a residential dwelling. In many cases, the conversion process may be more expensive than starting over.

You will need to provide at least one van accessible parking space on your property. This can be outdoors or in a carport. A van accessible parking space measures: 5.5 m (18.04 ft.) long x 3.4 m (11.15 ft.) wide x 2.3 m (7.55 ft.) high. The sideyard setback may be included in the parking space. You may provide additional parking spaces as needed, assuming all other regulations can be met.

Yes, but a garage that is attached to the laneway home will count toward the maximum floor area for the laneway home. Carports or outdoor parking pads are alternatives that will not count toward the maximum floor area.

Yes, if you have enough room to meet the building separation requirements and if the combined area covered by all buildings and structures on the lot is less than 45%.

Our how-to guide for laneway homes provides options to help address privacy concerns through window design and orientation, building height, landscaping, and other features. The how-to guide will be available on this website on September 18, 2023.

No, not at this time. This is being considered in Phase 1b of the program.

No. Laneway homes are being introduced to provide more rental housing choices and housing for extended families, so stratification is not being considered at this time.

No. Laneway homes are being introduced to help provide more long-term rental housing. Short term rentals (i.e. those with rental contracts of less than 30 days) will not be permitted. The short term rental regulations for Burnaby will be updated to reflect this approach.

No, owners do not have to live on the premises in order to rent out a laneway home. However, under current City bylaws, owners that do not live on their rental property must obtain and maintain a separate house rental license, and designate a 'local contact' for the rental home.

The amount of property taxes is dependent on the value of the land and the structures on the property (such as your home). Adding a laneway home will increase the assessed value of your property, which may increase the amount of property tax imposed on the owner. More information on how property taxes are calculated can be found here.

Yes – the laneway home will have an ‘L’ prefix (for example, L-1234 Main Street).

The minimum lot size required to build a semi-detached home has been reduced in the R4 and R5 zoning districts. The table below shows the zoning districts and minimum lot sizes that is required to add a semi-detached home, as well as the access requirements to add suites to a semi-detached home.

Yes, you can apply to build a semi-detached home or a duplex, but you will not yet be able to add secondary suites. We will be reviewing design options for adding suites to semi-detached homes on properties without lanes as part of the work for Phase 1b, which is anticipated to be completed in 2024.

The maximum floor area for a semi-detached home varies among zone districts and also depends on lot size. The regulations for maximum floor area can be found in the zoning bylaw, in the district schedule that applies to your property. To support the provision of secondary suites, the program excludes the floor area of a secondary suite from the overall floor area calculation. It also changes the amount of floor area to be located on the upper level. Additional information on the new floor area regulations can be found in the how-to guide for suites in semi-detached homes, available on this website on September 18, 2023.

Yes, if your lot is eligible for a semi-detached home with suites, you may build a two storey home plus a basement suite or ground level suite.

A ground level suite is a secondary suite that meets a universal design standard. Ground level suites provide more livable rental housing; housing that can be easily adapted to support people’s changing needs as they age.

If you include ground level suites in a semi-detached home you will be permitted additional height for the building (up to 10.5m (34.4 ft)) to build the suites at ground level and support an accessible path to the front door. A semi-detached home with ground level suites can be up to three storeys high (this includes the ground level suites with two storeys above). The floor area for the suites will be excluded from the overall floor area calculation.

Ground level suites must meet the building standard set out by the SAFERhome Society. Additional information on the building form and floor area for semi-detached homes with ground level suites can be found in the how-to guide for suites in semi-detached homes, available on this website on September 18, 2023.

On September 11, 2023, Council adopted regulations to permit suites in semi-detached homes. These regulations come into effect on September 18, 2023. Owners of eligible properties will be able to submit an Engineering pre-application package on that date, which is the first step in obtaining a building permit.

Yes, you will need a building permit to ensure that the secondary suite meets the building code standards. You can find more information on the requirements on the BC Building Code website.

In a semi-detached home, the residences are placed side by side (or front to back), whereas in a duplex, they are placed one on top of the other.

No, for fire safety purposes the BC Building Code does not permit secondary suites in duplex homes where one unit is on top of the other.

Yes, semi-detached homes, where one unit is placed in front of the other (or side-by-side), may include secondary suites, assuming it is on an eligible lot. The key requirement is that both units are accessed from ground level.

To find this out, open BurnabyMap. The link will take you to a map. Once you are there, click on the ‘magnifying glass icon’ to enter your street address and search. Once your property is found, you will find an open tab on the right portion of your screen. This shows your property size and other information. Under ‘Zoning’ you will find your property’s zone, and can open the hyperlink to find your zone specific regulations.

In Phase 1b we will be expanding the regulations for laneway homes and suites in semi-detached homes to include lots without lanes. We will also be considering other ways to add 3 or 4 units to all single and two family properties. Phase 1b was launched with a public survey in July 2023 and is anticipated to be completed in 2024.

In Phase 2 we will be considering higher density “missing middle” housing types, such as sixplexes, eightplexes, row homes, townhomes and low-rise apartments, in appropriate locations. Planning for Phase 2 will be done in conjunction with the renewal of Burnaby’s Official Community Plan (OCP). The new OCP will set out the long term vision for the City that will guide its development over the next 30 years. It will consider the economic, environmental and social needs along with the infrastructure required to support its development. For more information on the process to create a new OCP for Burnaby see burnaby.ca/Burnaby2050.

Please email your comments to HousingChoices@Burnaby.ca

For more information, please contact the City of Burnaby's Planning and Development Department at 604-294-7400 or email us at HousingChoices@Burnaby.ca