Laneway Housing Information
What is a Laneway House?
- Available in the City of Vancouver
- Generally located in the space where a garage would be permitted
- Only for rental/family use (no strata)
- Minimum of one parking space must be available on the property
- Unit size based on lot size to a maximum of 750 sq.ft. (approx. a 500 sq.ft. unit on a 33’ X 122’ lot)
- 1 and 1 ½ storey configurations, with guidelines to address upper storey massing, privacy, and shadowing
*Image courtesy of http://www.hotarchitecture.net/
CLICK HERE to see some SAMPLE laneway housing designs from http://www.hotarchitecture.net/.
What is EcoDensity?
"EcoDensity is the product of over two years of creative thinking and challenging public debate on how density, design, and land use can contribute to environmental sustainability, affordability, and livability. EcoDensity is a Charter that commits the City of Vancouver and its citizens to address change more proactively and adapt our city and our way of life to meet the challenges we all face. EcoDensity also consists of a set of Initial Actions - a detailed implementation framework to fulfill the Charter's commitments." - City of Vancouver Website
To learn more, please see the EcoDensity Summary Report.
How does the zoning work for laneway homes?
- The property must be zoned RS1 or RS5.
- The property must be at least 32.8’ (10m) wide
- The property must be adjacent to a open lane or flanking sidestreet
- The property must accommodate 16’ (4.9m) minimum between laneway house and main house
How is my property zoned?
You can find out about the zoning of your property using VanMap (a web-based map system which pulls together information from a variety sources) available from the City of Vancouver.
What is the impact to my Property Taxes?
Based on information from the City of Vancouver, it is not anticipated that there will be any significant impact on property taxes. Because the laneway housinis open to anyone who falls under the appropriate zoning (approx 95% of homes in Vancouver) the property tax on land value will not change because of laneway housing.
Laneway Housing - Submission Requirements and Checklist
Available from the City of Vancouver, the Laneway Housing Development and Building Application Submission Reqirements and Checklist can be found HERE.
Do you know of a builder who makes Laneway Houses?
Smallworks specializes in the design and building of small homes and laneway houses. You may visit their website HERE.
What about Financing?
VanCity offers a "Laneway Homebuyers’ Bundle", which includes:
- A preferred rate on a 5-year, 7-year, or 10-year fixed rate mortgage.
- Up to 2% cash back for transferring your mortgage to Vancity.
- Free appraisal.
- Free legal.
Please visit the VanCity website HERE for more information on the Laneway Homebuyers' Bundle.
Laneway Housing in North Vancouver
In the City of North Vancouver, a coach house is a small, detached secondary residence located on an alley or lane behind an existing detached home. There are two types of Laneway Homes available in North Vancouver:
For more information on Laneway Housing in North Vancouver, please click here and scroll down.