Heritage Revitalization Agreement
Also known as: HRA · Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA)
A negotiated contract between a BC local government and a heritage-property owner under Section 610 of the Local Government Act that varies the zoning or subdivision bylaw in exchange for binding heritage protection of identified features.
A Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) is a Section 610 Local Government Act mechanism that local governments and heritage-property owners use to balance heritage conservation with property-owner economic interests. The municipality and the owner negotiate a contract that varies the otherwise-applicable zoning or subdivision bylaw for the specific parcel (typically allowing added density, a duplex conversion, a coach house, or relaxed parking and setback rules) in exchange for legally binding heritage protection of identified features — usually the exterior building envelope, key character-defining elements, and sometimes interior features.
For buyers, the HRA matters in three ways. First, it is registered against title and binds successors — a buyer inherits both the use-rights and the heritage-protection obligations. Second, demolition or significant exterior alteration of the protected features requires a Heritage Alteration Permit (HAP) under LGA Section 617; the HRA itself does not authorize alteration, only varies the underlying zoning. Third, on heritage-village inventory (Vancouver Special / Strathcona / Hammond / Steveston Village / Fort Langley character homes), an HRA is sometimes the only practical way to add density to a heritage-protected parcel — pull the title and any registered HRA before pricing redevelopment optionality.
Related terms
- Official Community Plan — A long-range land-use and policy bylaw adopted by a BC local government under Part 14, Division 4 of the Local Government Act; zoning bylaws and rezoning decisions must be consistent with the OCP.
- Bill 44 (2023) — SSMUH — BC housing legislation requiring most municipalities to permit 3-4 units on lots zoned for single-family/duplex and up to 6 units near frequent transit, with most municipalities adopting bylaws by the June 30, 2024 statutory deadline.
See also
Use any of these formats. Codex content is licensed under CC BY 4.0 — attribution required.
@misc{bronsonjob-bc_lga_heritage_revitalization_agreement,
author = {Job, Bronson},
title = {{BC Heritage Revitalization Agreement (Local Government Act s. 610)}},
howpublished = {BC Real Estate Codex},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#bc.lga.heritage_revitalization_agreement},
urldate = {2026-05-22},
note = {Fact ID: bc.lga.heritage_revitalization_agreement, version 1.}
}Job, B. (2026). BC Heritage Revitalization Agreement (Local Government Act s. 610). *BC Real Estate Codex*. Retrieved 2026-05-22, from https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#bc.lga.heritage_revitalization_agreement
BC Heritage Revitalization Agreement (Local Government Act s. 610) — Bronson Job PREC, BC Real Estate Codex (2026-05-22). https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#bc.lga.heritage_revitalization_agreement
Fact id: bc.lga.heritage_revitalization_agreement · v1 · machine-readable: /api/v1/facts/by-id/bc.lga.heritage_revitalization_agreement.json
Verified sources (2)· re-verified 2026-05-22Click 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 2026-05-22Local Government Act, RSBC 2015, c. 1, s. 610https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/r15001_00
- BC Governmentretrieved 2026-05-22Heritage Conservation — Province of BChttps://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/heritage-conservation
bc.lga.heritage_revitalization_agreement · v1View in Codex →License: This definition is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: "Heritage Revitalization Agreement", BC Real Estate Glossary by Bronson Job, https://www.bronsonjob.com/glossary/heritage-revitalization-agreement.
