Small-Scale Multi Unit Housing (SSMUH) is the framework developed by the Government of British Columbia to unlock more units of housing within existing towns and cities. On parcels of land originally restricted to just one or two units of housing, SSMUH allows up to four units* of housing on one traditionally "single family" parcel.

In November 2024 the Township of Langley officially adopted this SSMUH framework making it possible to apply for permits to build SSMUH-compliant developments.

You can build something as simple as a small Garden Suite in your backyard for your kids or in-laws, a Coach house above a detached garage as a rental unit, or even tear down an old home to build a brand new multiplex unit on the property.

You can learn more about this legislation on the Government of British Columbia website.

Key Requirements in the Township of Langley:

• Maximum 4 units* (3 units if lot is smaller than 280 m²)
• Maximum lot size: 4050 m²
• Must be located within urban containment boundary
• Must be serviced with municipal sanitary sewer
• Must be serviced with municipal water system
• Must not have heritage designation protection from before Dec 7, 2023
• Must not be in Willowbrook Transit-Oriented Area (Bylaw No. 6021)
• Vehicular access to a lot must not be to an arterial road as identified in the Master Transportation Plan or Official Community Plan**.

Based on: Township of Langley Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing Bylaw No. 6020 and arterial road amendment.

* Up to six units near frequent transit, however no areas in the Township of Langley currently qualify.

** May be waivable with Board of Variance approval.

We have created this planning tool to help aspiring homeowners, builders and developers figure out what is now possible on various types of single family lots throughout the Township of Langley based on the current bylaws in place.

This tool is unofficial and the results of this tool are provided for guidance only and may not be accurate, please verify with Township of Langley staff before applying to build SSMUH unit(s). You can find their contact information on the official SSMUH page on the Township of Langley website. We are not liable or responsible for your project or for any expenses incurred.

However we are happy to try and answer questions or receive feedback on this planning tool, email james@strongtownslangley.org or join our discord chat and ask in the #🧮do-the-math channel.

Source code is available on our GitHub Repository.