When does the BC Building Code and Zoning Bylaw consider a building to be "multi-family"?

BC Building Code considers a set of rooms with cooking appliances, full plumbing, bedroom furniture and a separate entrance as a single dwelling unit. One single dwelling unit cannot contain more than one set of cooking appliances (i.e. one single dwelling unit cannot have two kitchens). The South Cowichan Zoning Bylaw similarly considers a "multi-family dwelling" to be 3 or more dwelling units. When the BC Building Code considers a set of rooms as a "dwelling unit" there must be fire separation between that dwelling unit and other adjacent dwelling units, whether within the same building or not. When a single building contains multiple dwelling units, as defined in the BC Building Code, it is considered a multi-family dwelling and must be constructed according to the appropriate Building Code standards for multi-family buildings.