A lane or laneway house is a small home or cottage-like structure located at the rear of a property lot. Basically, a lane house replaces a current structure like a garage or carport. A laneway house is a great solution for families who need more space, or who need secondary income through a rental, and they offer an affordable solution for Vancouver’s growing population of new residents.

The city recognizes the challenges people face in providing liveable spaces to support family members. It also wants to provide more affordable living solutions for new residents as the density increases in Vancouver. Through its eco-density program lane houses became a clear winner out of all the choices the city examined.

Smallworks has been participating with both city councillors and with the city engineers to improve understanding of the concept of laneway houses and its positive impact on the city and in developing building specs based on feedback from potential customers.

Zoning differs by municipality but in Vancouver:

• property must be zoned for single family residential: 
 RS-1. RS-2, RS-3, RS-4, RS-5, RS-6, or RS-7
• property must be at least 32’-2” (9.8m) wide
• property must be adjacent to a open lane or flanking sidestreet

Find out about the size and zoning of your property.

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