Sixplex Regulations In Halifax - What You Need To Know

Halifax’s planning rules have changed significantly in recent years, opening the door for more “missing middle” housing across the city. One of the most common questions property owners and small developers now ask is whether a six-unit building, often called a sixplex, is allowed on their lot.

The short answer is yes, Halifax now allows six-unit residential buildings in many areas. The longer and more important answer is that the exact rules depend heavily on where the property is located and which zoning framework applies, particularly whether the site is inside the Regional Centre and which Established Residential (ER) zone it falls under.

This article breaks down how sixplex zoning works in Halifax, what ER-1, ER-2, and ER-3 allow, and when a sixplex is truly by-right versus when rezoning or a development agreement may still be required.

The big picture: Halifax’s shift toward missing middle housing

Halifax Regional Municipality has been actively reforming zoning to address housing supply, affordability, and gentle density. Within the Regional Centre, which includes much of the Halifax Peninsula and parts of Dartmouth, the Centre Plan introduced new Established Residential (ER) zones.

These ER zones are designed to allow more housing units on residential lots while maintaining neighborhood scale through controls on height, massing, lot coverage, and setbacks.

Under recent amendments, four or more units are now permitted as-of-right in many ER zones, with ER-3 explicitly allowing small multi-unit buildings of up to eight units. This is where sixplex projects are most straightforward.

Outside the Centre Plan area, the rules are more traditional. Six-unit buildings are often classified as multi-dwelling uses under R-3 or R-4 style zoning, and approvals may still require rezoning or a development agreement depending on the existing zoning.

Understanding the ER zones and sixplex potential

ER-3: The clearest path to a by-right sixplex

If you are looking for a clean, by-right path to building a sixplex in Halifax, ER-3 is the zone to target.

ER-3 explicitly permits small multi-unit dwellings with 5 to 8 units, as well as townhouses, provided the development meets the applicable form-based standards. This means a sixplex fits squarely within the intended building types for the zone.

However, unit count is not unlimited. ER-3 uses a lot-area-based unit cap system, where the number of units permitted increases as lot size increases.

In practical terms:

• At least 4 units are permitted on any ER-3 lot.
• Larger minimum lot areas are required to move from 4 units to 5, 6, 7, and ultimately 8 units.
• To build a sixplex, your lot must meet the minimum lot area listed in the “6 units allowed” band in the ER Zones fact sheet.

If your lot meets the six-unit threshold and your design stays within height, lot coverage, and setback limits, a sixplex is typically by-right, requiring only standard development and building permits.

ER-1 and ER-2: More flexibility, but with limits

ER-1 and ER-2 zones were historically far more restrictive. They were primarily intended for single-unit and two-unit dwellings, often with secondary suites or backyard suites.

Recent changes in 2024 and 2025 introduced more flexibility, especially for internal conversions of existing buildings. In these cases, the rules may not impose an explicit maximum number of units, provided the building envelope is retained and form standards are respected.

However, this flexibility does not automatically translate into permission to build a new-build sixplex from scratch.

In most cases:

• ER-1 and ER-2 are better suited to 2 to 4 units, plus secondary or backyard suites.
• Internal conversions of large existing homes may allow more units without triggering a unit cap.
• A purpose-built sixplex as a new construction project in ER-1 or ER-2 is more likely to require additional approvals or policy interpretation.

If your goal is a ground-up sixplex, ER-3 remains the safest zoning category.

Outside the Regional Centre: More hurdles

If the property is outside the Centre Plan area, such as in parts of the Halifax Mainland that are not zoned ER, the zoning framework changes.

In these areas:

• Six-unit buildings are often categorized as multi-dwellings.
• R-1 and R-2 zones typically do not allow sixplexes as-of-right.
• R-3 or R-4 zoning may permit multi-unit buildings, but lot size, frontage, and density rules can be restrictive.
• Rezoning or a development agreement may be required, which introduces a public process, longer timelines, and higher risk.

For investors and builders focused on certainty and speed, this makes Regional Centre ER-3 lots far more attractive.

Key technical controls that affect sixplex feasibility

Even in ER-3, unit count alone does not determine whether a sixplex is viable. Several technical controls shape what can actually be built.

Unit count versus lot area

The ER zoning framework uses a graduated lot size system tied directly to unit count.

As unit count increases from 4 to 8 units, the minimum required lot area also increases. A sixplex must fall within the lot-area band that explicitly allows six units.

If your lot is just under the threshold, you cannot simply apply for six units by-right. That scenario would push you toward a variance or development agreement, which removes the certainty of approval.

This is why early due diligence on lot area is critical before pursuing design or acquisition.

Height, massing, and lot coverage

ER zones control building size through form standards rather than density ratios.

Typical limits include:

• Maximum building heights in the range of 11 to 12 metres, often equivalent to 3 or 4 storeys.
• Lot coverage caps commonly between 40 and 50 percent.
• Requirements for stepbacks, especially where upper storeys face lower-scale neighboring homes.

A sixplex design must fit comfortably within these envelopes. If your design exceeds height, coverage, or setback limits, you move out of by-right territory.

Setbacks and yards

Front, side, and rear yard requirements still apply in ER zones. These rules are intended to maintain neighborhood rhythm and spacing.

For narrow or shallow lots, setbacks can become the limiting factor rather than unit count. Creative design can help, but there are limits to how far massing can be pushed without triggering a variance.

Parking and access

One of the most helpful changes for sixplex projects is the reduction or elimination of minimum parking requirements in many Regional Centre areas, especially near transit corridors.

This makes sixplex development more feasible on smaller or narrower lots.

That said, parking is not completely unregulated:

• Driveway location and width are controlled.
• Landscaping and access design standards still apply.
• Safe pedestrian access and garbage management must be shown on the site plan.

Approval pathways: By-right versus discretionary approvals

When a sixplex is by-right

A sixplex is generally by-right when all of the following are true:

• The property is zoned ER-3.
• The lot area meets the minimum threshold for six units.
• The design complies with height, lot coverage, setbacks, and form standards.
• Municipal servicing is available and confirmed.

In this scenario, approval is administrative. You submit for development and building permits, and there is no public hearing.

When rezoning or a development agreement is required

You are likely in discretionary approval territory if:

• The property is zoned ER-1 or ER-2 and you propose a new-build sixplex.
• The site is outside the Regional Centre in a zone that does not permit six units.
• The design exceeds one or more form standards.
• The lot does not meet the minimum lot area for six units.

Rezoning and development agreements involve public consultation, council approval, and longer timelines. They can still succeed, but they carry more uncertainty.

Typical submission requirements for a sixplex

Regardless of approval path, Halifax expects a clear and complete application.

Common submission items include:

• A detailed site plan showing lot area calculations, unit count, setbacks, access, and landscaping.
• Building elevations and sections demonstrating height, stepbacks, and overall massing.
• A parking and access plan, even if no minimum parking is required.
• Confirmation of municipal water and sewer servicing capacity.

Clear documentation reduces review time and minimizes requests for revisions.

Practical next steps if you are evaluating a sixplex

If you are exploring sixplex development in Halifax, a disciplined approach pays off.

Start by confirming zoning using HRM’s interactive mapping tools to determine whether the property is ER-1, ER-2, ER-3, or outside the Centre Plan.

Next, review the latest ER Zones fact sheet and Land Use By-law. Go directly to the table that links minimum lot size to permitted unit count and verify whether your lot qualifies for six units.

From a feasibility and pro-forma standpoint:

• Treat ER-3 Regional Centre lots that meet the six-unit lot-size thresholds as your primary by-right sixplex opportunities.
• View ER-2 lots as better suited to smaller multi-unit projects, internal conversions, or future policy changes.
• Approach non-Centre Plan sites with caution and budget time and cost for discretionary approvals.

Final takeaway

Halifax’s planning framework now clearly supports six-unit residential buildings in the right locations. For most developers and property owners, ER-3 zoning within the Regional Centre offers the most reliable and efficient path to a by-right sixplex.

Success depends less on density alone and more on understanding lot size thresholds, form standards, and approval pathways. With proper zoning analysis and early design discipline, sixplex projects can move forward with far greater certainty than in the past.

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