Streamlining Rental: Making it easier to build secure rental housing in more neighbourhoods

Photo of 5080 Quebec St. 5-Storey Building

As Vancouver grows, we need to ensure there are a variety of housing options to meet the diverse needs and range of household incomes of people who live and work here. Building more secure rental housing in all areas of the city is a critical component to this.

The majority of Vancouver’s households are renters, and the need for secure rental housing has grown as fewer are able afford the rapidly rising costs of homeownership. In the mid 1970s, strata condos began to dominate new apartment construction and almost no new secure rental housing was built in Vancouver for 30 years. These lost decades resulted in a significant shortfall of rental that has contributed to the current housing crisis. While the City introduced incentives for the construction of new rental housing in 2009 that have resulted in some new rental buildings, there is still a lot of catching up required to meet the need rental housing need.

In November 2019, following a 10 year review of the City’s Rental Incentive Programs, Council approved the Secured Rental Policy. This policy consolidates, updates and strengthens rental incentive policies that have been in place in Vancouver for over a decade. The Secured Rental Policy identifies two key changes needed to make it easier to building secure rental housing in Vancouver:

Changes to C-2 zoning to allow new 6 storey rental buildings through the same process as new 4 storey condo buildings (without rezoning)
Changes to policy for rezoning in low-density areas (RS or RT zones) to simplify the process by standardizing regulations through new rental zones, focusing on areas within walking distance of public transportation, shopping and other daily needs

Learn more about the proposed actions, share your comments, and attend a virtual information session below.

The updated Secured Rental Policy is the outcome of extensive public and stakeholder consultation over the last 4 years, including what we’ve heard through engagement on the Housing Vancouver Strategy and 3-Year Action Plan (2017), the Rental Incentive Program Review (2019), and the Secured Rental Policy implementation work for C-2 zones and low-density areas (2020).

Engagement Opportunities

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Below is a list of upcoming and ongoing opportunities to get involved and learn more about Streamlining Rental.

Survey Deadline Extended
You can share your feedback via the survey until July 27.

Development Industry Office hours
Our planning team will be available to meet with interested applicants about the Streamlining Rental work and answer any specific questions you may have. The meetings will be held in 30-minute time slots from July 6, 7 and 8 between 10:30am - 12:00pm, and 3:30pm - 5:00pm. If you are interested in discussing multiple sites or potential proposals, please register for one slot for each.
- Development Industry Office hour registration link
Public information sessions (Finished)
Online public information sessions were held on June 1 and 3 to provide an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and provide comments.
Office hours (Finished)
Our planning team was available to chat with the general public and community groups about the Streamlining Rental work and answer specific questions. The meetings were held in 30-minute time slots from June 8 - 10 between 3:30 - 6:30pm.

Proposed actions

May 2021

Details on Streamlining Rental, including background, findings from previous engagement and specifics on how the proposal has been refined since 2020, are available through the links below. Start from the top, or click on the section you are interested in to skip ahead. Share your comments and feedback through our comment form.

	Background & context Where this work started and where we've been
	Why is secure rental housing important? Housing affordability, climate emergency response and Complete Connected Neighbourhoods
	What we've heard so far Engagement to date on the Secured Rental Policy and proposed actions
	Summary of proposed actions What changes are proposed and how we’ve refined them in response to what we’ve heard
	C-2 zoning changes Leveling the playing field for rental housing and strengthening commercial streets
	Rezoning policy updates for low density areas Making it easier and faster to build market and below market rental housing near shopping, transit, and other daily needs
	Next steps Process and Timeline

Policy updates and report to Council

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
May 2021
Council approved the Secured Rental Policy in November 2019 to update and strengthen rental policies that have been in place in Vancouver for over 10 years. The updates are the outcome of extensive public and stakeholder consultation over the last 4 years. As part of the updates, the Secured Rental Policy identifies two key changes needed to make it easier to build rental housing:
1. Changes to C-2 zoning (commercial mixed-use areas) to allow 6 storey rental buildings through a shortened approvals process that requires a development permit. With this change, new 6 storey rental buildings on commercial streets would follow the same approval process as 4 storey condo buildings.
2. Changes to the policy for rezoning in RS and some RT zoned areas (low density residential) to allow new rental buildings up to 6 storeys, including process changes to utilize new standard rental zones to make it simpler and faster to build new rental housing and updated locational eligibility criteria that focus on areas within walking distance of public transportation, shopping and other daily needs.
Engagement on these changes began in spring 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19 and to allow further engagement and alignment with Vancouver Plan emerging directions.

Timeline for report back to Council
Once additional public engagement is complete, staff will prepare a report for Council’s consideration in Fall 2021. All public commentary on the proposed changes to make it easier to build rental housing in neighbourhoods will be summarized and included in the report. Council will decide at that time whether to refer the changes to zoning and related policy updates to a public hearing later in the fall. The public hearing will provide a final opportunity for members of the public to speak to Council or submit comments on the changes proposed.
If approved at public hearing, the changes would come into effect in late fall and applications for new rental projects could then be submitted.
Previous reports to Council on proposed C-2 and Rental Housing Stock Official Development Plan changes

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

April 2021

Previous report back on C-2 changes and Council direction
In June 2020, staff brought a report to Council on proposed amendments to the C-2 commercial zoning districts (including C-2, C-2B, C-2C and C-2C1) to enable secured rental housing to be developed without rezoning. Following the July 2020 public hearing, Council referred the proposed changes back to staff until Council has considered the forthcoming report regarding amendments to the Rental Housing Stock Official Development Plan to include the C-2 zones, and following further public consultation through the Vancouver Plan in the fall of 2020, including at the neighbourhood level.

Read more information on Council’s decision on the C-2 changes in July 2020 in the public hearing minutes.

Report back on Council direction regarding extension of the Rental Housing Stock Official Development Plan to C-2 zones
In February 2021, staff brought a report to Council with proposed amendments to the Rental Housing Stock Official Development Plan (RHS ODP) to further protect existing rental stock in Vancouver by extending the RHS ODP to areas zoned C-2, C-2B, C-2C and C-2C1. Council approved the proposed changes following completion of the public hearing in April 2021.
Read more information on Council’s decision on the RHS ODP in the public hearing minutes.
Council approves provisional goals for Vancouver Plan and directs additional engagement on rental housing initiatives

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
October 2020
In October 2020 Council approved 10 provisional goals for the Vancouver Plan, including two goals that are closely linked to key objectives of the Secured Rental Policy:
- Develop an Affordable City with Diverse and Secure Housing for every resident that they can afford with 30% or less of their household income
- Achieve Complete, Connected and Culturally Vibrant Neighbourhoods
- Become a Sustainable, Carbon Neutral City
For more information on work underway as part of these provisional goals and opportunities to get involved, visit:
As part of subsequent work on the Vancouver Plan, including continued public engagement on the provisional goals and community recovery and quick-start actions, Council directed staff to conduct additional city-wide and neighbourhood engagement on opportunities to increase rental housing in C-2 zones and low density transition areas through the Secured Rental Policy, as well as ways to increase social housing.
Read more about the provisional goals in the Council report and on Council’s direction in the meeting minutes