Oak Bay secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Oak Bay?

Oak Bay, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

Yes. Oak Bay allows one secondary suite inside the main building in residential zones that allow single-family homes, and the owner must live in the house or the suite. A detached accessory dwelling unit is also a permitted secondary use in the R-1 zone. A building permit is required.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowed	Inside the principal building, in all residential zones that allow single-family homes. The suite must be wholly within an integral part of the principal building.Secondary Suites, Where Are Secondary Suites Allowed?; Zoning Bylaw No. 3531 (PDF, consolidated), s. 4.2.13(1), s. 6.1.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Secondary suites are permitted in all residential zones that allow single-family homes. Shall be wholly contained within an integral part of a Principal Building. Secondary Suite use conforming to 4.2.13
Coach house or garden suite allowed	A detached 'accessory dwelling unit' is a permitted secondary use in R-1 (and other residential zones listed in the zoning bylaw). It sits in a building smaller than the house and may be above a detached garage.Zoning Bylaw No. 3531 (PDF, consolidated), s. 6.1.2(1)(c), definition · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording (c) Accessory dwelling unit and is located in a building smaller than a Principal Building located on the same lot, and may be situated above a detached garage.
Limits	One secondary suite per principal dwelling unit. The owner must live in either the main unit or the suite and file an Owner's Declaration. No breezeway or enclosed hallway link; no boarding use in the suite.Zoning Bylaw No. 3531 (PDF, consolidated), s. 4.2.13 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No more than one Secondary Suite is permitted per principal dwelling unit. occupy either the primary dwelling unit or the Secondary Suite dwelling unit as Shall not be connected to the primary dwelling unit by a breezeway or enclosed A Secondary Suite shall not contain a Boarding use.
Parking	No extra parking. In R-1 to R-3 a lot with two or more dwelling units (house plus suite) needs 1 space per unit, so 2 in all, the same as a house alone. Each unit also needs an outdoor, labelled energized outlet for an electric vehicle, scooter or bike.Secondary Suites, Secondary Suite Regulations; Parking Facilities Bylaw No. 3540 (PDF, consolidated), Schedule A, A.1 (R-1 to R-3) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No extra parking is required, but the home must have an outdoor, labeled, and powered outlet for electric vehicles, scooters, or bikes Two (2) parking spaces per one-unit residential dwelling unit. one parking space is required per dwelling unit where two or more dwelling units are located on a lot. Notwithstanding Section A.1 (a) one parking space is required per dwelling unit where two or more dwelling units are located on a lot. an outdoor, labelled energized outlet
Permits	A building permit is needed to build a new suite or legalize an existing one. The owner submits an Owner's Declaration with the application. After inspections pass, the District issues an Occupancy Permit. A suite is legal only with approved building, plumbing and electrical permits.Secondary Suites, Secondary Suites; How do you get a permit? · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording You will need a building permit to build a new suite or to legalize one that was built without approval. Submit a Building Permit Application at Municipal Hall (include an Owner’s Declaration Form) Once everything is approved, an Occupancy Permit is issued
Bylaw	Zoning Bylaw No. 3531 (s. 4.2.13, zone regulations); Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 4247; Parking Facilities Bylaw No. 3540Zoning Bylaw No. 3531 (PDF, consolidated), title; s. 4.2.13; Parking Facilities Bylaw No. 3540 (PDF, consolidated), title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording ZONING BYLAW 3531 A Secondary Suite use, where permitted, must conform to the regulations of this Parking Facilities Bylaw No. 3540, 1986

How it works

Under Zoning Bylaw No. 3531, Oak Bay permits one secondary suite per principal dwelling unit, in all residential zones that allow single-family homes. The suite must be wholly within an integral part of the principal building. A detached "accessory dwelling unit" is a separate permitted secondary use in the R-1 zone (and other residential zones the bylaw lists). It sits in a building smaller than the house and may be above a detached garage.

Steps

Confirm your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
Apply for a building permit by emailing inspections@oakbay.ca, with an Owner's Declaration.
Build to the BC Building Code, with approved building, plumbing and electrical permits.
After inspections pass, the District issues an Occupancy Permit. A suite is legal only once it has these approvals.

Good to know

The owner must live in the main unit or the suite. No breezeway or enclosed hallway may link them, and no boarding use is allowed in the suite.
Where a dwelling has both a suite and a boarding use, no more than six unrelated people may live in the unit and suite combined.
Parking: the District's page says no extra parking is needed. The Parking Facilities Bylaw asks for 2 spaces for a one-unit house in R-1 to R-3, and 1 per unit where a lot has two or more units. Each unit also needs an outdoor energized outlet. Confirm what applies to you.
In R-1, a detached unit is limited to 2 storeys, 6.0 m building height and 7.5 m roof height. Rear and interior side setbacks are 3.0 m and the exterior side setback is 6.0 m.
No size limit for a suite was found in the bylaw or on the District's page.

What you'll need

Owner's Declaration, submitted with the building permit application

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Victoria · Saanich · Esquimalt · View Royal · Colwood · Langford

Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Secondary Suites, District of Oak Bay (read 2026-11-06)
Zoning Bylaw No. 3531 (PDF, consolidated), District of Oak Bay (read 2026-11-06)
Parking Facilities Bylaw No. 3540 (PDF, consolidated), District of Oak Bay (read 2026-11-06)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.