Lions Bay home-based business rules
Can I run a business from my home in Lions Bay?
In Lions Bay you can run a home-based business as a secondary use in the RS-1 (single detached residential) zone, if it is carried on inside a wholly enclosed building so it is not evident to passersby. The Village's site does not describe a licence or fee.
Key facts
| Allowed | Yes, as a secondary use in the RS-1 (single detached residential) zone. It must be an occupation or business carried on for gain within a wholly enclosed building so that it is not evident to passersby.Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017 (Consolidation BL650), s. 7.1.2(a); definition · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordinghome-based business; carried on for remuneration or financial gain within a wholly enclosed building or structure so that the business use is not evident to passersby, and which is accessory to the principal residential |
|---|---|
| Business licence | Not confirmed. The Village's site does not describe a licence or fee. |
| Limits | Carried on by residents of the parcel, entirely within a completely enclosed building; no signs or change from a residential look; floor area up to 100 m² or 40% of the dwelling's floor area, whichever is less; no outdoor storage; nothing that is obnoxious or a nuisance (odour, dust, noise, etc.).Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017 (Consolidation BL650), s. 4.12 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingthe home-based business shall be carried on by persons resident on the parcel; all home-based business shall be conducted entirely within a completely enclosed building there shall be no signs or other variations from a primarily residential appearance of the the gross floor area of the home-based business shall not exceed 100 m2 or 40% of the outdoor storage of materials or equipment is prohibited, except as provided for in section |
| Businesses not allowed | Specifically prohibited: automobile body shop, automobile service, automobile salvage or wrecking yard, brewery, distillery, kennel, animal breeding, restaurant, and parking or storage of industrial or construction equipment or materials.Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017 (Consolidation BL650), s. 4.12.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingfor clarity, automobile body shop, automobile service, automobile salvage or wrecking yard; brewery; distillery; kennel; animal breeding; restaurant; and the parking or storage |
| Bylaw | Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017 (s. 4.12 and 7.1.2).Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017 (Consolidation BL650), s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingThis bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “Zoning and Development Bylaw No.520, 2017". |
How it works
The Village of Lions Bay allows a home-based business as a secondary use in the RS-1 zone under section 4.12 of its Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017. It must be an occupation or business carried on for gain within a wholly enclosed building so that it is not evident to passersby. It is not listed as a permitted use in the RM-1 or C-1 zones.
Steps
- Check that your lot is in the RS-1 zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
- Check your business against the conditions below.
- Ask the Village Office whether anything else applies to your business.
Good to know
- Conditions: carried on by residents of the parcel, entirely within a completely enclosed building; no signs or change from a residential look; floor area up to 100 m² or 40% of the dwelling's floor area, whichever is less; no outdoor storage; nothing obnoxious or a nuisance (odour, dust, noise and so on).
- Specifically prohibited: automobile body shop, automobile service, automobile salvage or wrecking yard, brewery, distillery, kennel, animal breeding, restaurant, and parking or storage of industrial or construction equipment or materials.
- No limit on employees, customers or parking was found in the bylaw.
- A home-based business that breaks the conditions can get a $300 ticket.
- No business licence requirement or fee was found (see the business-licence answer).
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
West Vancouver · Bowen Island · District of North Vancouver · North Vancouver · Gibsons · Squamish
Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 520, 2017 (Consolidation BL650) (PDF), Village of Lions Bay (read 2026-11-08)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 385 (Consolidation 640) (PDF), Village of Lions Bay (read 2026-11-08)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 5 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.