R5a zoning in the City of Langley: what can you build?
Langley Lions Seniors District
On a standard lot with a rear lane, R5a allows about 7 units on a 50 × 122 ft lot (seniors rental apartments); about 15 units on a 66 × 122 ft lot (seniors rental apartments). These figures come from running BuildHere’s engine on each lot size with the City of Langley rules for this zone.
Most units by lot size
| Lot (with lane) | Most units | Building form | Max floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 × 122 ft4,026 sq ft | None outright | – | – |
| 50 × 122 ft6,100 sq ft | About 7 units | Seniors rental apartments | 10,540 sq ft |
| 66 × 122 ft8,052 sq ft | About 15 units | Seniors rental apartments | 24,156 sq ft |
Building options on a 50 × 122 ft lot
| Option | Status | Units | Max floor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors rental apartments | Allowed | About 7 | 10,540 sq ft |
Size limits for seniors rental apartments on a 50 × 122 ft lot
| Max floor area (FSR 1.73) | 10,540 sq ft | LANGLEY R5a s.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Max height | 131.2 ft, about 12 storeys | LANGLEY R5a s.5 |
| Site coverage | 40% of site | LANGLEY R5a s.5 |
| Front setback | 19.7 ft | LANGLEY R5a s.5 |
| Side setback | 19.7 ft | LANGLEY R5a s.5 |
| Rear setback | 19.7 ft | LANGLEY R5a s.5 |
| Rough building footprint | up to 883 sq ft | Estimate, not a design |
| Parking stalls required | 8 stalls (minimum) | LANGLEY s.3.7 |
Your lot will differ.
Frontage, depth, lane access, corner lots and frequent-transit areas all change the answer. Search your address for a report on the real lot in the City of Langley.
Common questions
How many units can I build in R5a zoning in the City of Langley?
With a rear lane and outside a frequent-transit area, R5a allows about 7 units on a 50 × 122 ft lot (seniors rental apartments); about 15 units on a 66 × 122 ft lot (seniors rental apartments). Smaller lots fall short of the zone's minimums. Your own lot's frontage, depth and location change the result.
What is FSR?
Floor space ratio (FSR) is a building’s total floor area divided by the lot area. An FSR of 1.0 on a 4,026 sq ft lot allows about 4,026 sq ft of floor area across all storeys. Some bylaws, such as Burnaby’s R1, set no FSR at all; there BuildHere shows an effective FSR worked out from the height, setback and lot coverage limits.
Where do these R5a rules come from?
From City of Langley Zoning Bylaw, 2025, No. 3300 (adopted March 9, 2026): s.2.5 Residential Zones within a Designated Transit Oriented Area, s.2.6 Density Requirements, s.3.5 and 3.7 Off-Street Parking, s.5 Residential Zones (R1, R2, R3, R4), Electronic version published on langleycity.ca, provided for convenience only consolidation (rules approved 2026-10-20). Preliminary screening only. Verify with the City of Langley.