Bill 44 (2023) — SSMUH
Also known as: Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing · SSMUH · Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act
BC legislation requiring most municipalities to allow three to four homes on lots zoned for a single house or duplex. Lot size decides which: three at 280 m² (3,014 sq ft) or under, four above it. A lot over 280 m² (3,014 sq ft) and within 400 m of a qualifying frequent-transit stop goes to six. Most municipalities adopted their bylaws by the June 30, 2024 deadline.
NOT to be confused with Bill 44 (2022) Strata Reform. The 2023 Bill 44 — Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 — received Royal Assent December 7, 2023. It requires most BC municipalities (with limited exceptions) to permit 3-4 residential units on lots currently zoned single-family or duplex, and up to 6 units on lots within 400 metres of frequent transit hubs. Most municipalities adopted bylaws by the June 30, 2024 statutory deadline.
Two limits the unit counts are usually quoted without. The requirement stops at lots of 4,050 m² (43,594 sq ft), so it does not reach acreage, and the six-unit minimum needs a lot over 280 m² (3,014 sq ft) as well as the 400 metres to a qualifying stop. Township of Langley adopted Bylaw 6020 implementing Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) on November 18, 2024, under an extended deadline grant. The legislation also abolishes most public hearings for rezoning that conforms to an Official Community Plan, which shortens the approval timeline for in-policy housing. Bill 25, the Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, amended it on November 27, 2025 and widened what counts as a restricted zone, with municipalities required to comply by June 30, 2026.
Related terms
- Bill 44 (2022) — Strata Reform — BC legislation effective November 24, 2022 that voided all strata rental-restriction bylaws and limited strata age-restriction bylaws to 55+ only.
- Transit-Oriented Development Areas (Bill 47) — Areas around transit where the province requires municipalities to permit a minimum density, under Bill 47, in force December 7, 2023.
- BC Home Flipping Tax — A BC tax on the profit when you sell a home you have owned less than 730 days.
- Depreciation Report — A reserve study that BC strata corporations of five or more residential units must obtain every five years.
See also
Use any of these formats. Codex content is licensed under CC BY 4.0 — attribution required.
@misc{bronsonjob-bc_bill44_2023_ssmuh,
author = {Job, Bronson},
title = {{Bill 44 (2023) — SSMUH (Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing)}},
howpublished = {BC Real Estate Codex},
year = {2023},
url = {https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#bc.bill44_2023_ssmuh},
urldate = {2026-08-10},
note = {Fact ID: bc.bill44_2023_ssmuh, version 3.}
}Job, B. (2023). Bill 44 (2023) — SSMUH (Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing). *BC Real Estate Codex*. Retrieved 2026-08-10, from https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#bc.bill44_2023_ssmuh
Bill 44 (2023) — SSMUH (Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing) — Bronson Job PREC, BC Real Estate Codex (2026-08-10). https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#bc.bill44_2023_ssmuh
Fact id: bc.bill44_2023_ssmuh · v3 · machine-readable: /api/v1/facts/by-id/bc.bill44_2023_ssmuh.json
Verified sources (5)· re-verified 2026-08-10Click to expand
Every claim on this page is sourced to a primary government, regulator, or industry-association URL. We re-verify quarterly; the verification dates below show when each source was last confirmed against the live government page.
- BC Governmentretrieved 2026-08-10Small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH)https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/local-governments-and-housing/housing-initiatives/smale-scale-multi-unit-housing
- BC Governmentretrieved 2026-08-10Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing — Provincial Policy Manual & Site Standardshttps://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/tools-for-government/local-governments-and-housing/ssmuh_provincial_policy_manual.pdf
- BC Lawsretrieved 2026-08-10· published 2025-11-27Bill 25 — 2025: Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/bills/billsprevious/1st43rd:gov25-1
- BC Governmentretrieved 2026-08-10Bill 25 SSMUH Policy Bulletinhttps://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/tools-for-government/local-governments-and-housing/bill_25_ssmuh_policy_bulletin.pdf
- Otherretrieved 2026-08-10Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing — Township of Langleyhttps://www.tol.ca/en/the-township/small-scale-multi-unit-housing.aspx
bc.bill44_2023_ssmuh · v3View in Codex →License: This definition is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: "Bill 44 (2023) — SSMUH", BC Real Estate Glossary by Bronson Job, https://www.bronsonjob.com/glossary/bill-44-ssmuh-2023.
