Burnaby’s Secondary Suite Program says a suite must be contained within the primary home. Existing single-family, duplex, multiplex and rowhouse projects still have to meet zoning conditions, the BC Building Code, obtain the required building and trade permits, and pass inspections.
Select a B.C. property to check the parcel, available zoning and suite-planning data.
The automated checker cannot confirm all zoning amendments, overlays, lot restrictions, servicing or building permits. Free human property-review requests are currently paused.
See the official verification steps →Start with the municipality and parcel area. The manual check stays open here, but the questions are split into 4 short steps so you do not have to scroll through everything at once.
Four short steps. Answer what you know and choose “Not sure” for anything you have not checked.
Burnaby consolidated former low-density R zones into the R1 Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing District. The answer now depends on R1 unit count, transit location and the building form, not the old single-family/laneway rule set.
Yes. A new secondary suite or detached dwelling needs the applicable Burnaby approvals and building permit before construction/occupancy. Existing work may require a legalization or existing-building review rather than simply a new-build permit.
A permitted suite or other dwelling can be used for lawful residential occupancy/rental subject to applicable City and provincial rules; the building must have the required approvals.
No. Age or long-standing occupancy does not by itself prove municipal approval. Check Burnaby permit/property records and, where relevant, whether a lawful non-conforming status actually exists before describing a suite as “grandfathered.”
Yes in some R1 configurations, subject to the total permitted unit count and building form. The current R1 rules—not the former laneway-home rules—should be used for a new proposal.
Use these tools only after confirming the municipal path. Cost planning and contractor matching do not establish zoning, code compliance or permit approval.
Burnaby’s Secondary Suite Program identifies R1, A1, A2, A3 and RM6 as the applicable existing-home zones for suites within eligible single-family, duplex, multiplex or rowhouse buildings. Building Code compliance, permits and inspections still apply. Laneway-style buildings are regulated separately under the newer R1 housing framework; do not infer a blanket right to detached units from an internal-suite approval.
Source review: October 9, 2026. This is an informational bylaw checkpoint, not a parcel-specific approval. Verify enacted amendments, zone maps, registered title constraints, servicing and permits with the municipality.
Suite and ADU rules can change across municipal boundaries. Open the guide for the jurisdiction that actually governs your property.
Guide verification: Targeted official-source check (12 October 2026). The key claim below was compared with a linked primary municipal source; this is not a complete up-to-date bylaw, zoning-map or parcel approval review.
Property confidence: Not assessed. City-wide guidance does not confirm permission for a particular parcel. Check official zoning, overlays and permits. How verification works →
Reviewed September 20, 2026. This is a planning summary, not a permit decision. Confirm the current zoning, registered title constraints, servicing and permit requirements for the specific property before design or construction.
Primary-source check · 12 October 2026: Internal suites only in eligible existing homes in R1/A1/A2/A3/RM6; building/trade permits and inspections necessary. Official evidence ↗ Verification limit: Current parcel mapping, detached unit rules and specific zoning overlays not property-certified.