Area
Burnaby commercial real estate
Metrotown, Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds on SkyTrain, Big Bend by the Fraser River, and industrial pockets in North Burnaby. Burnaby has its own zoning, permits and business licences, so check your use is allowed before you sign.
For: Retail and restaurants · Warehouse and flex users · Offices outside downtown
What tenants look for here
Office space in Metrotown and Brentwood, retail near the town centres, and industrial and flex space in Big Bend and North Burnaby.
What to watch
- Transit access: to SkyTrain and the Canada Line for staff and customers.
- Industrial specs: like clear height, loading and power. See industrial space.
- New towers: bring retail demand and new space, often at higher rents than older strip centres. Compare both.
- Shopping centre leases: come with their own rules: hours, marketing fund charges and operating covenants.
Good fits
Regional offices, retail and food businesses serving dense neighbourhoods, logistics, distribution and light industrial users.
Local notes
- Town centres on SkyTrain: Burnaby’s office and retail cluster around Metrotown, Brentwood, Lougheed and Edmonds. Transit access helps hiring.
- Metrotown and Brentwood: The two biggest town centres, with new towers, malls and street retail. New buildings bring customers and new space, often at higher rents than older strip centres.
- Big Bend: South Burnaby’s industrial and business park area along the Fraser River suits warehouse, distribution and trades.
- North Burnaby industrial: Smaller industrial and flex areas in the north of the city, close to the Lougheed Highway and Highway 1, work for trades and light industrial users.
- Strata industrial is common: Many smaller units are strata. Check the bylaws for your use, hours and outdoor storage.
- City rules: Burnaby has its own zoning, permits and business licences, different from Vancouver’s. Check the use is allowed before you sign.
Looking next door? See Richmond commercial real estate.
Is this you?
You run a business that needs more room, easier parking or a location closer to customers in the suburbs: a restaurant, a retail store, a warehouse or flex user, or an office team that does not need downtown. Burnaby offers a wide range of space, from town centre offices to industrial units, each with its own rules.
Example only, not a real client. Say you run a food import business that needs warehouse space with a small showroom. We look at two flex units, one in Big Bend and one in North Burnaby. One has better loading, the other a better location for customers. We compare the leases, the operating costs and the zoning for showroom sales, and you pick the one that fits how you actually work.
What I’d tell a friend
Outside Vancouver, each city has its own business licence and zoning rules. Do not assume what works in one city works in the next. Check with the city where the space sits before you commit.
Warehouse and flex: the practical checks
For warehouse or flex space, ask about ceiling height, loading doors, floor load, power and parking. These matter as much as the rent. A cheaper unit with poor loading can cost you more over time.
Ask whether the zoning allows any retail or showroom use you plan, and confirm with the city.
Retail in suburban centres
In a shopping centre, the lease often gives the landlord broad control over the centre, parking and changes to it. Ask for protections such as access during renovations, limits on relocation and fair parking rules.
A relocation clause can let the landlord move you. If you cannot avoid it, ask that it be limited and that the landlord pay the costs.
How I can help
- Happy to compare spaces across cities on rent, operating costs and fit.
- We can check loading, power and ceiling height for warehouse users.
- I’ll negotiate protections in shopping-centre leases.
- Help you check licensing and zoning with the right city.
What to watch for
- Different licence and zoning rules in each city.
- Poor loading or power for warehouse needs.
- Relocation and centre-control clauses in shopping-centre leases.
- Parking rules that limit customers or staff.
The steps, in order
- Decide your needs, including loading and parking.
- Tour options in each city.
- Check zoning and licensing with the city.
- Negotiate the offer to lease.
- Have a BC lawyer review the lease.
Good questions to ask
- Does the zoning allow my exact use at this address, and has anyone checked?
- What did additional rent actually come to over the last two years, not the estimate?
- Is there a relocation or demolition clause, and what notice and compensation does it give me?
- Does the zoning allow showroom or retail sales here?
Rules, tax and legal points vary by property, so check with a BC lawyer and your accountant before you act. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Go deeper
If you’re looking for more details
Before you sign in Burnaby
- Check the zoning allows your use at that exact address.
- Walk the block at the hours you’d be open.
- Ask for the last two years of additional rent.
- Find out what the landlord will do before you move in, in writing.
- Look for a demolition or relocation clause.
Permits and licences
Inside the City of Vancouver you need a business licence for each location. A new use may need a development permit, renovations usually need a building permit, and many commercial spaces need an occupancy permit before you open.
Burnaby has its own licensing and permit rules. Check with the City of Burnaby before you commit.
Next step
Find the right space in Burnaby.
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