What changed: from By-law 2008-250 to By-law 2026-50

Ottawa City Council approved a comprehensive new zoning by-law in January 2026 and enacted it on March 11, 2026 as Zoning By-law 2026-50. It replaces By-law 2008-250, the by-law that created the R1 to R5 residential zones most homeowners still see on old documents.

The headline change for residential property is structural: the old R codes are replaced by six Neighbourhood zones, N1 through N6, each paired with a character subzone letter from A to F. The new by-law is built around the Official Plan's direction to allow a fuller range of housing options in every neighbourhood.

The N zones at a glance

• N1, Neighbourhood Zone 1: low-rise, up to 3 storeys (11 m), up to 4 units per building.
• N2, Neighbourhood Zone 2: low-rise, up to 3 storeys (11 m), up to 6 units per building.
• N3, Neighbourhood Zone 3: low-rise missing middle, up to 3 storeys (11 m), up to 12 units per building.
• N4, Neighbourhood Zone 4: low to mid-rise, up to 4 storeys (14.5 m), unit count set by lot and building rules.
• N5, Neighbourhood Zone 5: mid-rise up to 30 m, with some non-residential uses conditionally permitted.
• N6, Neighbourhood Zone 6: high-rise, heights set by suffix or schedule, with some non-residential uses conditionally permitted.

Where did my R zone go? The R to N transition

There is no single official one-line conversion, because the city mapped each parcel individually. Directionally, most R1 areas became N1, R2 areas became N2 or N3, R3 areas became N3 or N4, R4 areas mostly became N4 (with some density-capped R4 subzones becoming N3), and R5 areas became N5 or N6 depending on permitted height.

Treat any general mapping as approximate. The city's own guidance is to look up the parcel: geoOttawa shows both the 2008-250 code and the new code for every address, and a Zoned address check reads the current parcel zoning directly and turns it into setbacks, a buildable envelope, and project feasibility in one pass.

What this means if you are planning a project

• Your buildable answer now depends on two by-laws during the transition, with the most restrictive rule governing.
• More housing types are permitted in more places, but lot width, setbacks, and overlays still decide what actually fits.
• Old planning advice keyed to R codes may be stale: re-check assumptions against the N zone on your parcel.
• Provisions under appeal can still change; anything close to a limit deserves professional confirmation before you spend on drawings.

Frequently asked questions