Summary#
Vancouver City Council unanimously approved “Updating Apartment Regulations” on July 28, 2026. The decision changes the City’s Zoning and Development By-law, related site-specific CD-1 bylaws and other land-use documents; the changes are not yet in force, and City staff anticipate enactment on October 27, 2026. The stated goal is to simplify apartment rules and support housing development and livability.
- New residential and mixed-use buildings with more than eight units would generally need at least 35% two-or-more-bedroom units, including at least 5% with three or more bedrooms. Exceptions are permitted for seniors’ and supportive housing, Downtown Eastside projects and physically constrained mid-block sites.
- More inboard rooms (rooms without a window on an exterior wall) would be allowed. Living rooms and bedrooms counted toward the required bedroom mix must have an exterior window.
- The maximum floor-area exclusions for balconies and residential amenity spaces would be removed. This does not automatically permit a larger building; other zoning limits still apply.
- Each dwelling unit would need at least 2.3 sq. m. (25 sq. ft.) of storage, in-suite or elsewhere. A new exclusion of up to 6% of residential floor area would replace the existing storage-specific exclusion.
- The changes would also be applied, with project-specific adjustments, to 37 CD-1 projects. Applicants for some projects may choose whether to use some or all of the new rules.
What it means for you#
- People looking for an apartment: New buildings covered by the rules would have minimum requirements for larger units and storage. Some rooms could be inboard, but living rooms and bedrooms counted toward the required bedroom mix need exterior windows.
- Residents of existing buildings: The rules do not require existing homes to be changed. Staff say some changes, such as those for balconies and amenity space, may also be used in existing buildings; those buildings cannot use the new 6% floor-area exclusion.
- Developers and applicants: New projects covered by the rules would need to meet the new requirements once they take effect. For projects already in progress, some applicants can choose to use the new rules; under standard zoning, choosing them means following the full new set.
- Other housing: The changes do not apply to low-density housing with eight or fewer units or to area-specific Official Development Plans, according to the staff report.
Money#
City staff estimate the new floor-area exclusion could modestly reduce Development Cost Levy (DCL) revenue; no overall cost estimate is provided.
- Staff estimate a 2–3% drop in DCL revenue for typical projects, depending on how the exclusion is used.
- Staff say the changes may temporarily add processing time and costs, especially when in-progress applications are revised. No amount is estimated.
- Staff’s case studies found the new exclusion could reduce social-housing floor area by 2–5% in some projects.
What is unclear#
- The decision does not set out how the exceptions to the bedroom-mix requirement will be applied, including what qualifies as a physically constrained site.
- The exact changes for each of the 37 CD-1 projects are in report appendices not included in the supplied material.
- Staff plan to monitor results every six months for up to three years, but the material does not state what measures would trigger a change to the rules.
- October 27, 2026 is staff’s anticipated enactment date, not a date guaranteed by the decision.
Case for#
- City staff say replacing varied rules with common requirements could make applications easier to prepare and review.
- The 35% two-or-more-bedroom requirement would apply across covered projects and tenures, while adding a minimum for three-bedroom units. Staff say this could expand housing choices for different household types.
- The decision keeps a minimum storage requirement while allowing storage to be in-suite or elsewhere, and removes caps that staff say can constrain balcony and amenity-space design.
Case against#
- Staff say some existing rules require 10% three-bedroom units, including in certain strata projects and under the Broadway Plan. The new general minimum is 5%, so those projects could have a lower requirement.
- Residents’ views on inboard bedrooms were mixed: 45% of survey respondents said they would not consider using one as a bedroom, while 21% said they would and 28% said maybe.
- Staff’s case studies suggest the new exclusion could reduce social-housing floor area by 2–5% in some projects, and staff estimate a 2–3% DCL revenue drop in typical projects.
- Removing exclusion caps could allow additional gross floor area where other rules permit it. The decision does not guarantee larger buildings, but the amount of additional floor area and its effects would depend on each site.