Zoning is defined as the strict guidelines set and enforced by municipal governments regulating how a property may or may not be used. These guidelines do differ from region to region.  You or your realtor will need to check with the municipal government or the regional district to find out which zoning applies to your property.

There are different guidelines that may apply to a property. These can include:

Zoning by-laws - usually set by a Regional District, this is the most broad of the guidelines, and regulates how a property may or may not be used - for example, how many homes can be built on a property or what type of commercial use can be set up on a property.

Official Community Plan (or OCP) - usually set up by a municipality, this gives guidance on how a municipality sees a particular property fitting into the overall plan for the municipality.

Agricultural Land Reserve  (or ALR) - this protects BC's agricultural lands for farming purposes. The ALR will restrict what can and cannot be done on a property on a province-wide basis. It can be very difficult to remove a property from the ALR once it is included.

Do you have any other questions related to zoning? Click here to contact a NIHO Land specialist for more answers.