EDMONTON, Alberta, October 22, 2026 — The Government of Alberta announced on October 8, 2026 that Edmonton will be required to roll back the high-density infill rules in its 2024 Zoning Bylaw and bring back minimum on-site parking requirements that the city removed in 2020. Calgary, which has already repealed its citywide rezoning, keeps its current approach but will be directed to map the lands it returned to low-density zoning. For small landlords planning infill rentals, the key point is timing: the City of Edmonton says its current bylaw stays in effect until January 2027.
What the province announced
In its October 8 announcement, Growing neighbourhoods responsibly, the province says Edmonton will have to adopt rules for high-density infill that return the housing types, density and height allowed to what was permitted before its 2024 zoning changes. Edmonton must also restore the minimum on-site parking requirements that applied before 2020.
The announcement gives Edmonton three months from October 8 to amend its bylaw, and 18 months to review its land use bylaw more broadly. The province says infill should be appropriately scaled, supported by adequate utilities and water infrastructure, and responsive to local conditions.
Edmonton's Zoning Bylaw 20001 took effect on January 1, 2024 and cut residential zones from 16 to six. Council had earlier enabled Open Option Parking citywide on July 2, 2020, removing minimum on-site parking requirements.
What the City of Edmonton says
On its standardized infill designs page, the City says staff and Council learned of the decision at the October 8 press conference, that the current zoning bylaw remains in effect until January 2027, and that permit applications will continue to be processed under the existing framework. The City also says it is awaiting further details in a Ministerial Order, which it expects in November.
Until that order is published, the exact wording of the new rules is not known. The province's announcement does not say how secondary suites, garden suites or backyard suites will be treated in Edmonton.
What changes in Calgary
Calgary City Council voted on April 8, 2026 to repeal its 2024 citywide rezoning, with the repeal taking effect August 4, 2026. According to the province, Calgary keeps that approach but will be directed to create an overlay identifying lands restored to their previous low-density residential zones, keeping housing type, building height and parking requirements in place while its broader land use review continues. That review is planned to be complete in 2027.
The City's repeal of citywide rezoning page lists changes from Council's own decision that matter to suite investors: a property may have either a secondary suite or a backyard suite, not both; backyard suites can no longer be built on properties with semi-detached homes; and backyard suites have a parking requirement again.
What it means for small landlords and investors in Edmonton
If you were planning a multi-unit infill rental on a lot that only allowed a single home before 2024, the current rules apply only until the bylaw is amended. Projects that rely on the height, density or housing types the 2024 bylaw allowed may not be possible on the same lot once the amended bylaw is in place, and new parking minimums could take up yard space or change a site plan.
What it means for landlords and investors in Calgary
Little changes beyond Council's August 4 repeal. The overlay keeps the restored low-density rules in place, so suite plans should follow the one-suite rule and the backyard suite parking requirement.
What to do now
- Check your lot's current zoning on the City of Edmonton's maps or Calgary's find-your-land-use tool before committing to a design.
- Talk to the City about timing. Edmonton says applications are processed under the existing framework while the current bylaw is in effect. Ask how an application in progress is treated if the bylaw changes before a decision.
- Watch for the Ministerial Order, which the City expects in November, and for the bylaw amendment Council must bring forward within the three-month window.
- Re-run your numbers with a required parking stall and a lower unit count as a downside case.
For the rules that apply once a rental is built, see our Edmonton landlord and tenant guide, the Calgary secondary suite registry guide and the Alberta landlord guide, or our landlord hub.
Planning a rental in Alberta?
Tenon10 helps landlords keep leases, rent and records in one place once a property is ready to let.
