What Is a Half Duplex in Vancouver, and Where Are They Listed for Sale? (2026)

A half duplex is one of the two homes in a duplex, sold on its own, with its own front door. In Vancouver most are strata homes: on October 28, 2026, 296 of the 361 Vancouver homes built in 2025 or later and filed as "Half Duplex" on the MLS® system were marked as strata. All 361 show on our Vancouver duplex page, and REALTOR.ca also shows MLS® listings.

What you own

In a strata, the Government of BC says, the buildings or land are divided into units called strata lots. The lot owners together own the common property as a strata corporation, which in a duplex means you and one neighbour. Under the Strata Property Act, the owner of a strata lot is the person shown in the land title office's register.

Three rules change when a strata is this small:

• Standard Bylaw 9 puts every owner on the strata council when a strata has fewer than 4 lots.
• A strata of 4 or fewer lots does not have to get a depreciation report, a written plan for future repairs, according to the Government of BC. Ask how the two owners will pay for repairs.
• Section 141 of the Act says the strata must not restrict the rental of a strata lot.

From the street you cannot tell whether a building is strata-titled, the Government of BC says. A property with no strata plan is non-strata, and its two homes can share one title. Under section 11 of the Property Law Act, two or more people who receive land in fee simple are tenants in common unless the transfer says otherwise, with equal shares if none are stated. Land can also be divided into separate lots, each with its own title, which the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC (LTSA) calls subdivision. Our shared title guide lists what the owners' agreement should cover.

Why "Half Duplex" can mean more than two homes

"Half Duplex" is a type name in the MLS® record. Each record also has a field for the number of homes in the development. We read all 361 Vancouver records:

• 103 are in a development of two homes, by that field or another listing at the same address.
• 85 are in a development of three or four homes, by the field, the listing text ("a collection of four homes") or another listing at the same address.
• 32 are in a development of 5 to 29 homes, by the field.
• 141 give no number anywhere, so ask the listing agent.

Two homes on West 45th Avenue near Oakridge record 29 homes in their development. At Quintet, 2240 East 40th Avenue, four homes for sale are filed as Half Duplex in a group of five. Michael Lee, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, of eXp Realty, lists them, and Gary Paul, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, of Grand Central Realty, is the co-listing agent. Both are on our team and act for the seller.

In our view, the number of homes and the floor plan tell you more about a home than its type name.

Strata or non-strata: the count

In the ownership field, 296 of the 361 records read "Freehold Strata" and 65 read "Freehold NonStrata". Of the 103 homes in a development of two, 94 are strata and 9 are non-strata.

The ownership field and the legal description do not always agree. Of the 65 non-strata records, 32 describe the land in their legal description as a strata lot or a proposed strata lot. You can order a copy of a title and its plan from the LTSA through its LTSA Explorer service, or your lawyer can. Our title guide shows what to read. In our view, read the title before you remove conditions on an offer, whatever the listing says.

Where to see half duplexes for sale

• Our Vancouver duplex page shows all 361 with price, size, address and brokerage. The middle asking price was $1,798,000. Each listing page shows the ownership field. The page has no filter for strata or for the number of homes.
• REALTOR.ca shows listing information stored in local MLS® systems, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. We could not open its search to check its filters.

For homes with a rental suite, see our Vancouver half duplex suite count.

Questions buyers ask

Can you buy half a duplex?

Yes. In a strata, you buy one strata lot, and the land title register shows you as its owner. On a shared title, you buy a share of the whole property, so have a lawyer read the owners' agreement first.

Can you sell half a duplex?

Yes. The LTSA describes fee simple as ownership in which the owner can transfer the property at will. A strata lot owner sells their own lot, and the neighbour keeps theirs. On a shared title, read what the owners' agreement says about selling a share.

How does owning half work from day to day?

In a duplex strata, the two owners are the whole council and run the strata together. On a shared title, the owners' written agreement sets the rules on repairs, insurance and costs. For layouts, see our duplex guide.

Next step

To see half duplexes that fit your budget, talk to our team. We will check each home's title and how many homes share its property, then book showings.

Sources

• Government of British Columbia, "Different kinds of stratas", published May 8, 2026, read October 31, 2026.
• BC Laws, Strata Property Act, Part 1, section 1: definitions of owner and strata lot, current to October 27, 2026, read October 31, 2026.
• BC Laws, Strata Property Act, Schedule of Standard Bylaws, bylaw 9, 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 8: Rentals, section 141, current to October 27, 2026, read October 31, 2026.
• BC Laws, Property Law Act, section 11: tenancy in common, current to October 27, 2026, read October 31, 2026.
• Land Title and Survey Authority of BC, Glossary (fee simple, subdivision), no date shown, read October 31, 2026.
• Land Title and Survey Authority of BC, "What is Available to Search", last modified April 13, 2025, read October 31, 2026.
• Canadian Real Estate Association, "The role of REALTOR.ca in modern real estate", April 26, 2022, read October 31, 2026.
• MultiLiving count of Active MLS® listings in Vancouver of the type "Half Duplex", using the number of homes in the development, the street address, the listing text, the ownership field and the legal description of each MLS® record. Counted October 31, 2026, 12:36 AM PT, from listings last updated October 28, 2026, 10:33 PM PT. Our copy of the MLS® listings holds homes built in 2025 or later.