Half Duplex or Townhouse in Vancouver? The Pros and Cons of Buying Half a Duplex (2026)

Half a duplex in Vancouver gives you more room, and more often a yard and a garage, for more money. On October 28, 2026, the middle half duplex in a development of two homes asked $2,038,000 for 1,632 square feet, and the middle townhouse asked $1,488,000 for 1,329. Under the Standard Bylaws, the two owners of a duplex strata are its whole council and neither can break a tie. A townhouse strata of 5 or more lots elects a council and must get a written repair plan. On our team, Michael Lee and Gary Paul list half duplexes.

How we split the homes

We read all 544 Active Vancouver records built in 2025 or later and filed as "Half Duplex" or "Townhouse" on the MLS® system, using each record's count of homes in the development, or, where it was blank, another listing at the same street address or the listing text.

• Half duplex: filed as Half Duplex, in a development of two homes: 103, the count from our guide to what a half duplex is.
• Townhouse: filed as Townhouse, in a development of 5 or more homes or with no number given: 145.
• Left out: 121 homes in developments of three or four, a group of their own; 173 other half duplexes and 2 other townhouses.

The two groups side by side

• Half duplex: middle asking price $2,038,000, middle size 1,632 square feet, $1,192 per square foot, 3 bedrooms. 36 have 4 or more bedrooms, and 13 asked under $1,500,000.
• Townhouse: middle asking price $1,488,000, middle size 1,329 square feet, $1,131 per square foot, 3 bedrooms. 19 have 4 bedrooms, and 78 asked under $1,500,000.

What half a duplex gives you

Counting the "Private Yard" box or a yard in the listing text, 73 of the 103 half duplexes have a yard, against 16 of the 145 townhouses. 97 of the 103 list a single or double garage. Of the townhouses, 14 do, 75 list underground parking and 13 give 0 parking spaces. In a development of two, you share a wall or a floor with one household.

What it costs you

The middle half duplex asks $550,000 more than the middle townhouse, and $61 more per square foot.

You also make every building decision with one neighbour. Under Standard Bylaw 9, all owners sit on the council when a strata has fewer than 4 lots. Under Standard Bylaw 18, the president can break a tie at a council meeting, except in a strata of only 2 lots. 94 of the 103 are strata homes; in the other 9, the owners' own agreement sets the rules.

A duplex strata needs no written repair plan. The Government of BC says a strata of 4 or fewer lots is exempt from the depreciation report, a plan for future repairs, and a strata of 5 or more lots must get one every five years. All 127 townhouses that give a number are in developments of 5 to 231 homes, so ask for the strata plan to see the number of lots.

Fees are hard to compare. 101 of the 103 half duplexes list a $0 strata fee. Of the townhouses, 125 list a fee above $1, with a middle of $460.86 a month. Under section 13 of the Strata Property Act, the company that created a new strata must give you an interim budget, with each home's monthly share, before you sign. Our multiplex or townhouse guide covers the other rules that change with size.

In our view, half a duplex suits a family that wants a yard and a garage and is ready to make every building decision with one neighbour. A townhouse suits a family that wants to spend less and would rather share those decisions with a larger group.

East and West

60 of the half duplexes are in Vancouver East and 43 in Vancouver West. Most townhouses are in the West: 44 East and 101 West. On each side, the half duplex asked more per square foot: $1,115 against $933 in the East, and $1,313 against $1,192 in the West.

Which agents know half duplex sales?

On October 28, 2026, our team's Michael Lee, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, of eXp Realty, and Gary Paul, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, of Grand Central Realty, had 8 homes built in 2025 or later for sale on the MLS® system between them, all filed as Half Duplex. Four are at Quintet, 2240 East 40th Avenue in Vancouver, where Michael is the listing agent and Gary the co-listing agent. Three are in Burnaby and one is in Coquitlam. Neither lists any of the 248 homes in this post.

The Canadian Real Estate Association calls MLS® Systems "REALTOR® to REALTOR® cooperative selling systems." Ask whoever you choose to read each strata plan with you.

Questions buyers ask

Does a half duplex have strata fees?

A strata half duplex pays its costs through a strata budget. None of the 103 listed a fee above $0, so read the interim budget before you sign.

Is a townhouse quieter than a half duplex?

We have no figures on noise. Visit at different times of day, and ask whether the home shares a wall, a floor or both.

Will these numbers change?

Yes. This is a count from one day.

Next step

See our Vancouver duplex page and Vancouver townhome page, or talk to our team for both lists and showings.

Sources

• BC Laws, Strata Property Act, Schedule of Standard Bylaws, bylaws 9 and 18, current to October 27, 2026, read October 31, 2026.
• Government of British Columbia, "Strata depreciation report requirements", published November 12, 2025, read October 31, 2026.
• BC Laws, Strata Property Act, Part 3, section 13: interim budget, current to October 27, 2026, read October 31, 2026.
• Canadian Real Estate Association, "New Research: Canadian MLS® Systems Create Substantial Value for Home Sellers and Buyers", September 29, 2022, read October 31, 2026.
• MultiLiving count of Active MLS® listings in Vancouver of the types "Half Duplex" and "Townhouse", using the number of homes in the development, the street address, the listing text, and the ownership, fee, parking, outdoor and MLS® area fields of each record. Counted October 31, 2026, 12:52 AM PT, from listings last updated October 28, 2026, 10:33 PM PT. Sizes are rounded to the nearest square foot; price per square foot is our calculation. Our copy of the MLS® listings holds homes built in 2025 or later.