Kylian PomaresSTANDARD REALTY CO.
Guide

Calgary repealed blanket rezoning. What does it mean for your property?

For two years, most low-density lots in Calgary allowed rowhouses and townhouses. As of August 4, 2026, almost all of them are back to the zoning they had before. Here’s what changed, what didn’t, and how to check your own lot.

By Kylian Pomares, REALTOR® · Standard Realty Co. · Published

You're probably here because…

  • You own an older home on a lot a builder might want, and you’re wondering what it’s worth now.
  • You were planning to buy a lot to build on, or to add units.
  • You want to add a basement suite or a backyard suite.
  • You’re buying a home and wondering what could be built next door.

What happened, and when

Council approved “Rezoning for Housing” in May 2024, and it took effect on August 6, 2024. It moved most low-density residential land to R-CG — a district that allows single-detached, semi-detached, rowhouses and townhouses. In December 2025, the new council started the process to reverse it. After a public hearing that began on March 23, 2026, council approved the repeal on April 8, 2026, by a vote of 12 to 3. It took effect on August 4, 2026.

The City says about 99% of affected properties have returned to the zoning they had before August 6, 2024.

What your lot is zoned now

Most properties went back to the districts that existed before 2024. In plain English:

  • R-C1, R-C1L and R-C1N (and R-1 and R-1N in newer suburbs): single-detached homes. The L and N versions are for large and narrow lots.
  • R-C2 (and R-2): single-detached, semi-detached and duplex homes.
  • R-CGex: rowhouses and townhouses are allowed, but without secondary or backyard suites.
  • R-CG itself still exists for lots that kept it, with tighter rules than before: a 10 m height limit, 55% lot coverage, no zero-lot-line homes, and density kept at 75 units per hectare.

Who kept the 2024 zoning

A property kept its R-CG, R-G or H-GO zoning if it had a permit or subdivision application approved under that zoning before the repeal took effect, if an application was submitted before first reading on April 8, 2026, or if the owner applied for and received their own rezoning after August 6, 2024. Applications already in progress continue under the rules they were submitted under.

If you’re selling, this matters: a lot that kept its R-CG zoning, or that has an approved development permit, may be worth more to a builder than the same lot next door. If you’re buying, don’t assume — check.

Suites: basement suites got easier, backyard suites didn’t

Alongside the repeal, council made secondary suites — typically basement suites — a permitted use in all low-density districts from early August 2026. If the suite meets the bylaw’s rules, it needs a building permit but no development permit, which saves weeks and several hundred dollars. The City also runs a Secondary Suite Incentive Program of up to $10,000.

Backyard suites (laneway homes and garden suites) remain discretionary everywhere except R-G, so they always need a development permit. The repeal also brought back some older limits: a property can’t have both a secondary suite and a backyard suite, backyard suites can no longer be added to semi-detached homes, and backyard suites need parking again.

If you want to build more than your zoning allows

The route is a land use redesignation — an application to rezone your specific lot. It involves a City review, notice to your neighbours, a recommendation from the Calgary Planning Commission, and a public hearing where council decides. The City says it takes at least three months and usually about six. The base application fee in 2026 is $2,547 for most residential districts, plus an advertising fee and an area charge; if council refuses, you wait six months to reapply.

What it means for buyers and sellers

For most homeowners, day-to-day nothing changed: the house you live in is the house you can keep living in. The repeal matters most at the edges — for owners of older homes on lots that builders were buying, and for buyers who were planning to add units.

I haven’t seen any City statement on how the repeal affects assessments, and it’s too early for sales data to say what it has done to lot values. What I can do is look at the specific lot: its current district, whether it kept 2024 zoning, what’s approved nearby, and what comparable lots have actually sold for.

Why council repealed it, and whether it was right, depends on who you ask. Supporters of the repeal pointed to concerns about infill in established neighbourhoods and infrastructure; opponents pointed to housing supply, transit and federal housing funding. For a buyer or a seller, the practical question is simpler: what does this lot allow today?

How the process runs

  1. Look up your zoningUse the City’s “find your land use” tool or the development map (DMap) with your address.
  2. Check for exemptionsAn approved permit or a pending application may mean the lot kept its 2024 zoning.
  3. Know your suite optionsBasement suites are now permitted if they meet the rules; backyard suites need a development permit — and you can’t have both.
  4. Price it on what’s allowedIf you’re selling a lot with redevelopment potential, the zoning is part of the price. Get it checked before listing.
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Common questions

Was Calgary’s blanket rezoning repealed?

Yes. Council voted 12 to 3 on April 8, 2026, to repeal the citywide rezoning that took effect in August 2024, and the repeal came into effect on August 4, 2026. The City says about 99% of affected properties returned to the zoning they had before August 6, 2024.

Can I still build a basement suite in Calgary?

Yes — and it’s now simpler. Secondary suites became a permitted use in all low-density districts in early August 2026, so a suite that meets the bylaw’s rules needs a building permit but no development permit. You can’t have both a secondary suite and a backyard suite on the same property.

Can I still build a rowhouse on my lot?

Only if your lot is zoned for it. If it kept R-CG or similar zoning (for example because a permit was approved before the repeal), yes. Otherwise you would need to apply for a land use redesignation, which goes to a public hearing at council and usually takes about six months.

How do I check my property’s zoning in Calgary?

Enter your address in the City of Calgary’s land use district finder or on its development map (DMap). The City’s Planning Services Centre can also help at 403-268-5311.

Want to know what your lot allows — and what it’s worth?

Send me the address. I’ll check the current zoning, whether it kept 2024 zoning, what’s approved nearby, and what comparable properties have sold for — so you’re pricing on facts, not headlines.

  • No obligation, no pressure
  • Straight answers
  • Personal reply within one business day

Rather talk? Call or text 403-993-8393.

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Sources & further reading

This guide is general real estate information for Alberta. It is not legal, tax, mortgage or accounting advice, and it does not create an agency relationship. Rules, programs and timelines change — confirm anything that affects your situation with your own lawyer, accountant or lender. Kylian Pomares is a real estate associate licensed in Alberta with Standard Realty Co., and a REALTOR®.