Lantzville BC: A Local's Guide to Living Here in 2026

Lantzville is the closest thing to a small town you will find within fifteen minutes of a city on this part of the Island. It is its own district, with its own council, sitting just north of Nanaimo, and it has held onto a village character that the north end of Nanaimo lost some time ago.

My name's Jessica Venables. I was Controller at Aspengrove School here in Lantzville before I got licensed in real estate, so I knew this community as a place I drove to every day long before I sold a home in it.

What is the difference between Upper and Lower Lantzville?

This is the first question almost everyone asks, and it matters more here than the usual neighbourhood distinctions.

Lower Lantzville sits between the highway and the water. This is where the village centre is, where the oceanfront homes along Lantzville Road are, and where you find Sebastion Beach. Lots vary in size, and you are close to the water.

Upper Lantzville is above the highway, running up the hillside. There are some bigger lots with more privacy. Some properties up here have serious views back across the Strait. It feels genuinely rural in places, and it is five minutes from Costco.

Neither is better. They are different propositions, and people usually know within one visit which one they are.

What are the neighbourhoods in Lantzville?

The waterfront streets. Lantzville Road and the roads running off it toward the water. Oceanfront and ocean-view homes, some of the most sought-after property in the district.

Around Sebastion Beach. A residential pocket in Lower Lantzville within a block or two of beach access. Quarter-acre lots are common here.

Seaview. Known for oceanfront and higher-end properties.

Winchelsea View. A quieter wooded setting, more inland in feel. 

The acreage above the highway. Larger parcels, more privacy, more of a rural lifestyle. Also where you are most likely to be on well and septic.

Why do people choose Lantzville over north Nanaimo?

They are minutes apart, so the choice is about feel rather than logistics - oh, and price. 

North Nanaimo gives you newer construction, more structured streets, and everything within a short drive. Lantzville gives you larger lots, a separate municipal identity, and a village rather than a suburb. You still shop in north Nanaimo, you just do not live in it.

The practical trade-off is services. Lantzville is a small district, and the amenity base reflects that. You will drive to Nanaimo for most things beyond the basics.

Lantzville is also typically more expensive due to the larger lot sizes. 

Is Lantzville walkable?

Not really, with one exception. The lower village has a small walkable core, and if you live within a few blocks of it you can walk to the beach and to a handful of local businesses.

Everywhere else, particularly above the highway, you are driving. The terrain alone makes this the case.

What does it cost to buy in Lantzville?

Property Transfer Tax. BC charges 1% on the first $200,000, 2% from $200,000 to $2 million, and 3% from $2 million to $3 million, with a further charge above $3 million. Lantzville pricing means a lot of purchases here sit well past the first-time buyer exemption entirely.

Well and septic costs. If the property is not on municipal services, budget for a water quality and flow test, a septic inspection, and ongoing maintenance. These are not deal-breakers, they are line items, and they are ones a lot of buyers coming from a city have never had to think about.

Everything else. Legal or notary fees, title insurance, home inspection, appraisal if your lender wants one, and property tax adjustments.

What to know before you buy here

Water and septic

Ask early and ask specifically. Whether a given property is on municipal water, community water or a private well varies street by street here, and it affects both your inspection and your long-term costs.

Zoning and land use

Lantzville is its own district with its own bylaws, which are not the same as Nanaimo's. If you are buying acreage with a plan in mind, whether that is a carriage house, a shop, or a secondary suite, check with the District before you write an offer rather than after.

Slope and access

Upper Lantzville is on a hillside. Driveways can be steep, and winter access is worth thinking about if you are viewing in August.

Smaller service base

Fewer local amenities than Nanaimo. That is the whole point for most buyers here, but it should be a choice rather than a surprise. However, due to the proximity to Nanaimo, this is typically not a concern. 

Ocean views change

Trees grow. On a treed hillside, a view can close in over a decade. Worth asking about, particularly on the upper properties.

Is Lantzville right for you?

If you want a bit of land, a quieter street, and a community with its own identity, while still being very close to a Costco and a short drive to the hospital, Lantzville is hard to beat on this part of the Island.

If you want walkability and amenities on your doorstep, you will find it frustrating.

I renovated homes on this Island myself, so if you are looking at an older Lantzville property and wondering what it would take to bring it up to where you want it, that is a conversation I can have with you rather than guess at.

Reach out any time.