CMHC's rental programs can mean a smaller down payment, a longer payback, and better terms than a regular bank mortgage. This page explains it in plain language and lets you estimate your own project in a couple of minutes — in English or Persian.
You don't need to be a finance person. Answer a few simple questions about the property, and the tool shows you — in everyday words — how big a mortgage it could support, how much of your own cash you'd need, and whether the project looks worth pursuing.
How many rental units, what it costs to buy or build, and roughly what the rent would be. Each box has a plain-language hint and an example.
The tool runs the same checks a lender does — the income after costs, whether it covers the loan, and how much they'd lend — using current CMHC rules.
A simple verdict — looks promising, marginal, or needs work — plus the loan, the cash to get in, and the yearly cash flow. Every result is explained below.
This is an estimate to help you think it through — not a quote, an approval, or a promise to lend. Your real numbers are confirmed by a CMHC-approved lender.
CMHC is Canada's housing agency. It insures mortgages on rental buildings of 5 or more units, which lets a lender offer you terms you can't get on a regular mortgage. Its main program — MLI Select — gives even better terms when your building is more affordable, more energy-efficient, or more accessible.
Qualifying projects can be financed up to 95% of the cost — so you put in far less of your own cash than with a regular mortgage.
Up to 50 years to repay, which lowers the monthly payment and lets the property support a bigger loan.
Because the loan is insured, pricing is better — plus discounts on the insurance fee, and reduced personal liability at the top tier.
When you apply, a lender quietly asks four questions. This calculator answers the same four, so nothing in your meeting is a surprise. The plain-language idea comes first; the official term is in the small print, in case you want it.
You earn points by committing to affordability, energy efficiency, and/or accessibility. Your total lands you in one of three tiers — and the higher the tier, the better the financing (minimum 5 units required).
Fill in what you know — every box has a hint and an example. As you type, the results update instantly. Don't worry about getting everything perfect; you can refine it with me later.
Estimate only. Figures depend on your inputs and current CMHC rules; confirm with a CMHC-approved lender. Projects under 5 units are financed with a regular mortgage, not under CMHC multi-unit.
Here's what each number actually means — why it matters to you, and how a lender uses it. No jargon required.
Rough benchmarks to sanity-check your inputs. Your own property may differ — these are for orientation.
Straight answers on how CMHC and MLI Select work for rental property in Ontario.
Send me your project details and I'll run a complete CMHC analysis — the loan, the cash you'd need, the insurance fee, your returns, and a clear recommendation. No cost, no obligation.
What you'll get: a sized loan estimate, the cash you'd need to close, your projected returns, the documents required, and an honest view of whether to proceed.