B.C. tables sweeping building permit reform legislation

Key Takeaways:

• Bill 25 would require municipalities with populations over 5,000 to allow triplexes, rowhomes, and townhouses in residential zones, limiting local governments from restricting development to just single-family homes or duplexes.
• The legislation clarifies the definition of “principal residence,” introduces new compliance tools for the director of short-term rentals, and allows First Nations to enforce short-term rental rules on their lands through coordination agreements.
• The bill expands the types of site standards that can be regulated (e.g., parking, number of buildings per lot) and gives the province authority to impose minimum standards if municipalities continue to block viable housing projects.

The Whole Story:

The B.C. government introduced legislation last week that would require all municipalities to permit triplexes, rowhomes and townhouses in residential zones, while strengthening enforcement of short-term rental restrictions.

The Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (Bill 25), tabled Oct. 9, proposes changes to the Local Government Act, Vancouver Charter and Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act to accelerate housing supply and limit speculative use of homes.

If passed, the bill would prevent local governments in communities with populations over 5,000 from excluding small-scale multi-unit housing in zones where it should be allowed under provincial policy. The amendments would also bar municipalities from imposing restrictions that effectively limit development to single-family homes or duplexes.

The province said it expects only a small number of communities to be affected by the zoning changes.

The legislation would expand the list of provincial site standards that can be regulated, including buildable area, number of buildings per lot, housing forms and parking requirements. The government said the parking provisions are designed to prevent excessive mandates that require multiple spaces per unit and limit housing development.

If monitoring shows that restrictive site standards continue to block viable housing projects, the province can impose minimum standards through regulation and require municipalities to implement them, the ministry said Thursday.

The bill also proposes amendments to the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act to improve clarity around the definition of “principal residence” and streamline enforcement. New compliance tools would allow the director of short-term rentals to take action when false information is provided during registration, publish compliance orders to deter violations, and reduce or cancel administrative penalties by agreement to encourage faster compliance.

The amendments would also make all sections of the act available to Modern Treaty Nations, allowing First Nations such as Tsawwassen First Nation to apply short-term rental rules on their lands through co-ordination agreements.

The bill is currently before the legislative assembly.