Residential 2 zoning and Residential 3 zoning: what is the difference?

Where Residential 1 is the zoning of the single house, Residential 2 zoning and Residential 3 zoning are the zonings of the townhouse complex and the apartment block. For anyone looking at development, these two zones are where most of the opportunity sits — and where the detail matters most.

What the two zones have in common

Both zones allow dwelling units — more than one home on a single erf. That is the fundamental step up from Residential 1, where the primary right is one dwelling house.

Both are also defined in the same way: a list of uses allowed as of right, a list of uses that need consent, and development controls for density, coverage, height, floor area, parking and building lines.

How Residential 2 and Residential 3 differ

The difference is one of intensity.

Residential 2 is a medium-density zone. It is typically associated with cluster housing, townhouses and smaller group developments — more than one unit, but at a density that still reads as suburban.

Residential 3 is a higher-density zone. It is the zoning behind most blocks of flats and larger multi-unit developments.

The mechanism that separates them is density: how many dwelling units are allowed per hectare of land. A Residential 3 erf generally carries a higher permitted density than a Residential 2 erf, along with controls on height and floor area that allow a larger building.

There is an important caution here. Density is not always fixed by the zone name alone. It can be set by a density zone that applies to the area, or by conditions approved for the particular erf when it was rezoned. Two Residential 3 erven can have quite different yields. The zoning label is the start of the answer, not the answer.

Working out how many units you can build

"How many units can I build?" is the question behind most interest in these zones. The outline of the calculation is the same for both:

1. Start with density. Multiply the erf area in hectares by the permitted units per hectare. An erf of 2,000 m² is 0.2 hectares; at an illustrative density of 40 units per hectare that gives 8 units. The density figure for a real erf must come from the scheme and any conditions on that erf.
2. Test against floor area. The floor area ratio caps the total floor area. If the allowed floor area divided by a realistic unit size gives fewer units than the density, floor area is the binding limit.
3. Test against coverage and height. The building has to physically fit within the footprint and number of storeys allowed.
4. Test against parking. Parking requirements per unit often decide the layout. On a small erf, parking can be the real limit.
5. Take off the unusable land. Building lines, servitudes, floodlines and awkward shapes all reduce what can be built.

The lowest result from these tests is your realistic yield. The method is set out in more detail in what can I build on my property and floor area ratio, coverage and height restrictions.

Other things these zones control

Open space. Multi-unit developments often need a minimum area of communal or private open space.

Access and refuse. Vehicle access, turning space and refuse areas take room and are checked at site development plan stage.

Site development plan. Developments in these zones normally need an approved site development plan before building plans are approved. This is a separate step with its own time and cost.

Buying an erf that is already Residential 2 or 3

An erf that already has these rights is worth more than a similar erf without them, because someone has already spent the time and money on rezoning. Before paying that premium, check:

• What exactly was approved. Read the conditions, not only the label.
• Whether the rights are in force. A rezoning can carry conditions that must be met before the rights can be used, such as paying contributions for engineering services.
• Whether the rights have lapsed. Some approvals must be taken up within a set period.
• What the title deed says. Restrictive conditions in the deed can still block a development the zoning would allow.

Getting from Residential 1 to Residential 2 or 3

If the erf is still Residential 1, you need a rezoning application. Whether it is likely to succeed depends largely on location: the City's planning frameworks favour higher density along main routes, near public transport and around established nodes, and resist it deep inside low-density suburbs. See densification in Johannesburg.

Costs and timelines are covered in rezoning cost.

How to check an erf

1. Search the property and note the zoning label.
2. Open the Development potential report for the density, height and parking zones, the building lines and the planning framework that applies to the erf.
3. Where the rules for the zone have been verified, the report also sets out permitted uses and coverage.
4. Use that to run the first-pass yield calculation above.
5. If the numbers look promising, take them to a town planner for confirmation before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Residential 3 always better than Residential 2? Not necessarily. Higher rights can bring higher contributions, more demanding parking and a product that does not suit the area.

Can I build a single house on a Residential 2 or 3 erf? Generally yes; a lower-intensity residential use is normally permitted.

Do sectional title schemes need these zones? A sectional title scheme with several units needs zoning that permits that number of dwelling units.

The bottom line

Residential 2 and Residential 3 both allow multiple dwellings; Residential 3 allows more. The yield on any given erf, though, comes from the density, floor area, coverage, height and parking that apply to that erf. Read the specifics before you price the land.

Check an erf's zoning.

This is general information, not town-planning advice. Development controls differ by erf; confirm with the municipality or a registered town planner before relying on them.