RSM/S zone in Richmond: Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing

Richmond, British ColumbiaDraft, not yet reviewedBylaw read 2026-11-07

In short

Small-scale multi-unit housing and compatible secondary uses, with a density bonus for six dwelling units to help achieve affordable housing objectives.

Zone rules

Purpose	Small-scale multi-unit housing and compatible secondary uses, with a density bonus for six dwelling units to help achieve affordable housing objectives.
Main uses	housing, small-scale multi-unit
Also allowed (secondary uses)	bed and breakfast boarding and lodging community care facility, minor home business secondary suite
Minimum lot area	270.0 m²
Minimum lot width	9.0 m lot width (frontage 6.0 m); corner lots need an additional 2.0 m
Maximum lot coverage	45% for buildings; no more than 70% of the lot may be buildings, structures and non-porous surfaces
Maximum density	Three dwelling units on lots of 280.0 m² or less; four on lots over 280.0 m², or six if within 400.0 m of a prescribed bus stop, lot over 281.0 m² and (for six units) an affordable housing contribution or unit is provided. Floor area ratio 0.55 on the first 464.5 m² of lot area plus 0.30 on the rest for one unit (or two with a suite), plus 40.0 m² for parking; 0.6 on the first 464.5 m² plus 0.30 on the rest for other development, plus 50.0 m² for flex space (80.0 m² in some cases)
Maximum height	2 ½ storeys and 10.0 m (within the vertical lot width envelope); 7.5 m for a flat roof
Maximum height, accessory buildings	Accessory structures, detached garages and carports: 5.0 m to the roof ridge (pitched roof), 4.0 m (flat roof). Detached accessory buildings of 10.0 m² or less: 3.0 m (pitched roof), 2.5 m (flat roof)
Front setback	6.0 m
Rear setback	One unit (or two with a suite): greater of 6.0 m or 20% of lot depth for up to 60% of the first-storey rear wall, and 25% of lot depth for the rest and any upper storey, up to 10.7 m; other small-scale multi-unit housing: 6.0 m
Interior side setback	2.0 m (lot width 20.0 m or greater); 1.8 m (18.0 m to under 20.0 m); 1.2 m (under 18.0 m)
Street side setback	3.0 m
Other rules	An accessory building is not permitted in the front yard, interior side yard or exterior side yard A maximum of two buildings over 10.0 m² are permitted on a lot, one behind the other Fences within 3.0 m of a side lot line on a public road or 6.0 m of a front lot line on a public road may not exceed 1.2 m; elsewhere in a required yard 1.83 m Private outdoor open space of at least 6.0 m² per dwelling unit is required

Source: Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 (office consolidation, July 29, 2026), s. 8.19 (read 2026-11-07)

Rules in the bylaw's general sections (parking, fences, suites, home businesses) also apply, and a lot can have site-specific rules. The City publishes the bylaw as one PDF per zone or group of zones (each zone's source_url; pdf_page counts within that PDF, and lines point into the saved combined text). The City says the office consolidation has no Council sanction, is for convenience of reference only, is not the official version and is not admissible in a court of law; certified copies come from the City Clerk. Zones listed as "in progress" by the City (for example ZR5, ZC30, ZA4) are not part of the consolidation and are not listed here. Zone pages are taken from the bylaw text by a research agent and have not yet been reviewed by a person: confirm with the bylaw before you rely on them. How answers are checked.

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