Can I Add a Secondary Suite or Second Home on ALR Land in BC?
This answer covers the law of British Columbia.
Sometimes, but the limits are tight. On Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) land there is generally one principal residence per parcel, and no Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) approval is needed if its total floor area is 500 m² or less. A secondary suite is allowed only inside the principal residence, and local bylaws must permit it and may restrict or prohibit it.
A separate additional residence is allowed without ALC approval only if one residence exists when construction starts, the new one is detached, and it is no larger than 90 m² (parcels of 40 ha or less) or 186 m² (parcels over 40 ha). Fill or soil removal for it needs a Notice of Intent. A Non-Adhering Residential Use application is required for a principal residence over 500 m², an oversized additional residence, more than one additional residence, or keeping the old home while a replacement is built.
Building permits still come from the local government. Short-term rental of a whole house in the ALR is not permitted by regulation without an application, while a bed-and-breakfast in a principal residence is allowed without one when limited to four bedrooms. These thresholds may change, so check the ALC website and confirm with a lawyer before building.
Key takeaways
- A secondary suite on ALR land is allowed only inside the principal residence, and local bylaws must permit it and may restrict or prohibit it.
- An additional residence needs no ALC approval only if one residence already exists, it is detached, and it stays within 90 m² (parcels of 40 ha or less) or 186 m² (parcels over 40 ha).
- An oversized principal residence, more than one additional residence, or keeping the old home during a replacement build requires a Non-Adhering Residential Use application.
- Whole-house short-term rental in the ALR needs an application, while a bed-and-breakfast of up to four bedrooms in a principal residence does not.