Thursday, July 30, 2015

CMHC To Allow 100% Rental Income Allowances For Legal Suites




In a bold move Canadian underwriter, CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation) has announced it will now allow 100% of rental income generated by legally registered suites. Here is the initial breakdown on using this type of rental income:


  • The property must be owner-occupied.
  • The property being insured can have only two units (i.e., a duplex or a single home with a legal secondary suite). 
  • Rental income cannot be used if the suite is “illegal/non-conforming” but “legal non-conforming” is okay. (Non-conforming means that the suite was grandfathered in before zoning/regulations restricted such units. You can check with the city to confirm if a suite is legal.)
  • The suite must be self-contained with its own entrance.
  • Property taxes and heat must be factored into the borrower’s debt ratios (which is currently not the case when using rent from legal secondary suites).
  • For existing units, there must be two-year history of rental income from the suite. The maximum rental income allowed for qualification is a two-year average of the unit’s rent.
  • For new units, a market rent appraisal can be accepted if an appropriate vacancy rate has been applied to the estimated rental income.
  • Mortgage applicants must “demonstrate a strong history of managing credit” with a minimum credit score of 680.
For more on this new CMHC initiative please visit: Canadian Mortgage Trends

If you are looking for a referral to a terrific local Okanagan based Mortgage Broker please call or text Jason Neumann of RE/MAX Kelowna at 250.808.7700 

Dependably Yours,

Jason Neumann




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