The Regional District of Nanaimo is pushing for a temporary permitting policy to legalize extended recreational vehicle stays on private property in the RDN's rural areas. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

RV living

RDN pursues temporary permitting for RV’s on private property

Jan 28, 2026 | 12:05 PM

NANAIMO  — A stopgap measure appears to be on the way to help address affordable housing challenges in the mid-Island’s rural electoral areas.

Regional District of Nanaimo directors voted in favour of having a policy created for temporary fulltime recreational vehicle living on private property in the RDN’s rural electoral areas.

Following the endorsement at the Tuesday, Jan. 27 RDN board meeting, RDN staff are now tasked with forming the policy.

“When considering options, RV living should only be considered as an interim measure as more work is undertaken to address longer-term affordable housing options,” noted an RDN staff report.

The RDN report stated temporary use permits (TUPs) only addresses land use and that building permits cannot be issued to verify a unit is safe for full-time living.

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“A TUP allows for conditions related to health and safety to be verified through the application process, and that conditions around use be identified specific to each location. This will ensure that health and safety are prioritized and allow for monitoring during the term of the TUP.”

Area A (Cedar/South Wellington) director Jessica Stanley strongly supported moving in this direction.

“This is best efforts in this moment in time to recognize that we have a problem and that we need to find a solution, and so this is a great step forward,” she said.

The policy is intended by the RDN to be a temporary stopgap measure while longer range housing affordability issues are addressed in its rural areas.

Outlined in the RDN report are key challenges surrounding long-term RV living, including health and safety risks to nearby residents, environmental implications, growing numbers of RV dwellers outside RV parks on road rights-of-way, in parks and in environmentally sensitive locations.

Other concerns noted by the RDN include residential properties converted into illegal RV parks without proper water and sewage services.

The lone dissenting voice for the TUPs push was Electoral Area E (Nanoose Bay) director Bob Rogers.

“It does not make reference to zoning requirements or the impact on adjacent properties, or on neighbour’s and also then on the safety of those units and the proximity to other neighbouring properties,” Rogers said.

While voicing his support, Parksville mayor Doug O’Brien said property taxation implications need to be considered since longterm RV residents require services like everybody else.

City of Nanaimo representative Sheryl Armstrong requested rural fire departments be consulted, in reference to multiple serious rural RV fires recently.

The meeting was told the RDN’s application fee for TUPs on private property is $800, which is to be formally endorsed at the committee and board level in the future.

As part of the Tuesday vote, RDN directors also sided in favour of staff undertaking a rural housing strategy this year for Electoral Areas A, C, E, G and H.

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