Laneway homes are generating a lot of buzz in Vancouver's overcrowded rental market, but not everyone is on board with the miniature abodes.
Groups of prospective renters took a paid tour through six laneway projects in the Kensington area on Saturday in a Vancouver Heritage Foundation event dubbed "Lighting Up the Lanes."
Eager visitors lined up outside Chris and Mandy Clark's laneway home near Oak Street and 20th Avenue, which fits a full kitchen, a bathroom with a tub and even a queen-sized bed.
But in Point Grey, there was less fawning and more fuming.
Residents Gary Onstad and Al Mackenzie call the backyard homes "monsters" that had "violated" their neighbourhood.
"These are supposed to be modest little laneway houses. These aren't modest. These are two-storeys high," Onstad said.
Five homes are going up on Mackenzie's block alone, three of which face right into his home. "They can have a look and see me eating breakfast, dinner and tea," he said.
But the Clarks say they tried to strategically avoid potential privacy concerns.
"On our particular house, we don't really have any windows that are facing our neighbours or onto the back yard," Chris said. "We're trying to keep that privacy element as much as possible."
They also say they haven't heard any complaints from angry neighbours – yet.
The houses, which boast low development costs, have been generating interest since being approved by Vancouver City Council last year.
Designers estimate between 60,000 and 70,000 properties in the city have space for laneway housing.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Nafeesa Karim
