The Township of Langley is largely a rural municipality. Within it, rural properties with RU-zoning allow for not only a wide variety of business and agricultural uses but also a distinct kind of streamlined development as a result of their ability to have two detached single-family homes built on them.
RU-class zoning on properties has existed in the Township for many decades. It is thought to have been originally created in order to facilitate multigenerational living for farming families; wherein aged children with young families of their own could build a second home on family property to assist in providing care for their parents as well as for the family farm. Over the years, as the Township limited allowable property uses for certain lands through zoning bylaws, some properties with RU-class property zoning retained their original zoning designation as subdivision into smaller parcels ensued.
Nowadays, practically speaking, this valuable zoning remnant can offer a significant benefit to both discerning current and prospective owners of rural property in the Township of Langley.
Via a legal process known as stratification, owners of some properties that have RU zoning and two detached homes may register a strata plan comprising two strata lots and receive two separately titled detached strata home properties. These properties may be individually sold, purchased, leased, or rented without the permission of the other detached strata lot homeowner. The creation of these detached strata lots may occur through either one of two methods:
Stratification of property by either of the above methods can also require the registration of a One Dwelling Covenant on the property titles of both strata lots. This covenant prudently restricts each newly created stratified parcel to permit just one dwelling going forward in an effort to prohibit repeated stratification of the original lot and help maintain the rural character across the Township that Langley is perhaps best well-known for.
Furthermore, additional documentation may be required on a site-by-site basis, such as a Streamside Protection Covenant for properties whereon there is a watercourse or, in the same way, where a property is tributary to one.
Detached home stratification provides a way for landowners to benefit from the provisions of the Strata Property Act. While relatively less common than other forms of strata property such as bare land and condominium or townhome-type strata property, detached home stratification has the ability to offer an advantage when it comes to cost, ease of implementation, and long-term value enhancement and retention for owners of stratifiable properties of various sizes.
Overall, development of detached strata homes is significantly streamlined relative to traditional development involving formal subdivision of single-family homes. While the latter generally requires formal public consultation and payment of expensive development cost charges, property stratification offers a simplified and more affordable development alternative.
Rural property zoning bylaws for the Township of Langley can be found in the Stratifiable Property Zones page on this website. Each zone offers varying benefits but also potential drawbacks, depending on the needs of an individual property owner. It is important to contact real estate professionals such as us to help guide you and your family through a prospective purchase of a stratifiable property; or, as an existing owner of one, overview the stratification process to realize greater potential of your land.
Sutton Group - West Coast Realty
