Rental Development Relief Program

Before you apply: Check if you qualify for the program

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  Step 1: Review the supports you can receive

  Projects that qualify for the Rental Development Relief Program may access these supports:

  • Adjusted below-market rental rates: For below-market units, maximum starting rents and turnover rents can be set at the CMHC citywide average for each unit type. This replaces the current requirement for a 20% discount.¹
  • Development Cost Levies (DCL) waiver: Projects that meet the affordability criteria may be eligible for a Class A waiver of citywide and area-specific DCLs on the residential floor area.
    • A Class A waiver provides a full exemption from paying DCLs, which are charges collected on new development to help fund public amenities like parks, childcare, and affordable housing. This exemption can reduce overall project costs and support financial feasibility.
  • Modest increases in height and density: Eligible projects can request small increases to height and density to help make the project financially viable. These changes must align with the upcoming Vancouver Official Development Plan.

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  ¹Tenants eligible for enhanced TRP protections (including in Broadway Plan and TOA areas) who exercise their right of first refusal under the Tenant Protection and Relocation Policy are entitled to return to the new building at their existing rent, or 20% below the average market rent, whichever is lower. These requirements remain unchanged and apply to all returning tenant units.

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  Step 2: Determine if your project is eligible for the program

  To qualify for the program, projects must meet all of these criteria to apply: 

  • The development is subject to a community plan and/or citywide policy which has a below-market rental requirement¹
  • The development is a mid- or high-rise building (9 storeys or higher), as permitted for each of the applicable community plan and/or citywide policy
  • The development is seeking, or has, an approved rezoning to a CD-1
  • The site must have fewer than 10 existing purpose-built rental units
  • The project has not yet received a Stage 1 building permit. Projects that received a Stage 1 building permit between December 15, 2025, and March 20, 2026, will still be considered.
  • The subject site is smaller than 8,000 square metres (1.98 acres)

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  ¹Projects that are proposing below-market rental units as part of a CAC negotiation are not eligible under this program. 

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  Step 3: Review Council approval and building permit timeline requirements

  Projects must complete both of these steps within the required timelines:

  • Get Council approval of new or amended housing agreement terms and/or Council approval in principle of a new or amended CD-1 bylaw, as applicable, by December 15, 2027.
  • Get a Stage 1 building permit within 24 months of Council approval.
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  Step 4: Choose your application stream

  Eligible rezoning applications—either in progress or recently approved—can apply under 1 of 2 streams:

  • Stream 1: For projects requesting only an affordability relaxation. This means changing the below-market housing requirements to help make the project financially possible.
  • Stream 2: For projects requesting changes to the form of development. These will go through a more detailed review and may require revisions or resubmission of the CD-1 rezoning application, depending on the scale of the proposed changes.

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  Documents 

  • Council report (December 2, 2025) PDF file (758 KB)
  • Rental Development Relief Program PDF file (408 KB)