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Mortgage Squad Advisors
Investment property

Grow your rental portfolio without the bank's limit.

We work with lenders who count 100% of your rental income to help you qualify — and don't cap how many properties you can own. Refinance for your next down payment, finance 5+ unit apartment buildings under CMHC, or hold through a corporation.

100% rental income countsBuy, fix, refinance strategyUp to 80% borrowing5+ unit CMHC programNo property limitHold through a corporation
5-star rated| FSRA #13737| 5-min pre-qualification
Building a rental portfolio?
Grow without hitting your bank's limit.
We work with lenders who count 100% of your rental income — and don't cap how many properties you can own.
Portfolio · scaling live
Doors funded1
80%
Max LTV (1-4 unit)
95%
MLI Select 5+ unit
100%
Rental offset (alt)
50yr
MLI amortization
Get pre-approved Cashflow
Maya · AI · 24/7
Will my next rental qualify on rental offset?
5-star rated| FSRA #13737| 50+ langs

Most Big-6 banks cap investor exposure at 4-5 doors, even for clients with $500K+ in equity. They’ll approve your first 2 rentals enthusiastically — then suddenly your TDS ‘doesn’t work’ on the third, even though your rental cashflow is strong. The branch can’t explain why. The answer: you’ve hit their portfolio limit, not a real qualifying issue. We move you to lenders without portfolio caps before that wall appears.

Investor mortgages are different from owner-occupied files. Each lender treats rental income inconsistently (50% offset vs 80% add-back vs 100% offset can be the difference between approval and decline), each lender’s stress test on your personal residence ripples into your investment file, and DSCR-style lending (qualify on property cashflow, not personal income) is now available in Canada from a handful of alt-A lenders. We model your file across all paths — A-lender, B-lender, credit union, and DSCR — to pick the right combination for your file size and growth plan.

What you get

Why Canadians choose Mortgage Squad Advisors.

Up to 80% LTV on small residential rentals (1-4 units, uninsured)
Up to 95% LTV on owner-occupied 2-4 plex (CMHC insured) — house-hack strategy
Up to 95% LTV on 5+ unit multifamily via CMHC MLI Select with energy/affordability concessions
Lenders that use 100% rental offset (rare but powerful for scaling investors)
DSCR-style products for portfolio investors — qualify on property cashflow, not personal income
BRRRR-friendly lenders who refinance at appraised post-renovation value (not original purchase price)
Multi-property portfolios — we coordinate concurrent files and avoid simultaneous-bureau-pull issues
Stress test optimization across your personal residence + investment files
Holdco and Bare Trust mortgage structuring with your accountant + lawyer
Maya AI runs cap rate, GRM, cashflow, and break-even models on every prospect before you offer
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How it works

Three steps. No jargon. No pressure.

1

Map the file

Personal residence, current rentals, target acquisition. We model the qualifying ratios at the new combined level using each lender’s rental offset method. Some files qualify at lender A and fail at lender B with the same numbers — we find the ‘yes.’

2

Match the lender

Pick the lender most generous on rental offset, most flexible on portfolio limits, and competitively priced. For investors past 5 doors, we transition to lenders without portfolio caps — sometimes A-lender monolines, sometimes B-tier with DSCR-style products.

3

Close and optimize

After funding, we monitor your portfolio rates and refinance opportunistically as policies change or you build equity. Many investors refinance into MLI Select once they have 5+ door experience to lock in lower rates and longer amortization on multifamily.

Run the math first

“I had 4 rentals and my Big-6 bank said I’d hit my limit. Mortgage Squad Advisors moved me to a monoline that used 100% rental offset and didn’t cap doors. I closed 3 more properties in the next 18 months and refinanced two existing ones at better rates. Total portfolio cashflow up $4,200/month.”

— Daniel K., Real estate investor, Hamilton ON
FAQ

Common questions, answered.

Don’t see yours? Ask Maya — instant answer, any time.

How is rental income treated by Canadian lenders?
Each lender uses one of three methods: (1) 50% offset (most conservative — 50% of rental income reduces your TDS denominator), (2) 80% rental income added to gross qualifying income (most common A-lender approach), or (3) 100% offset (specialty alt-A and a handful of A-lenders — most powerful for scaling). The right method depends on your file’s strength and portfolio size. We pick the lender whose method gives your file the most room.
Can I use future rental income from a property I’m buying?
Yes. Most A-lenders accept 50% of a CMHC-approved appraiser’s market-rent estimate during purchase. Some accept 80-100% with a signed lease in place at closing (helpful for tenanted properties or pre-leased new builds). Specialty lenders may use a higher offset with strong investor experience.
Do I need 20% down on an investment property in Canada?
On non-owner-occupied 1-4 unit properties: yes, 20% minimum (uninsured rules). On owner-occupied duplex/triplex/fourplex where you live in one unit: as little as 5-10% via CMHC, Sagen, or Canada Guaranty multi-unit programs (great house-hack strategy). On 5+ unit multifamily: CMHC MLI Select can go as low as 15% down with energy/affordability/accessibility concessions stacked.
What is BRRRR and which lenders support it in Canada?
BRRRR = Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat. Buy under-market property → renovate to force appreciation → rent at market → refinance at new appraised value to pull out down-payment capital → repeat. We use lenders who refinance at appraised post-reno value (not original purchase price) within 6-12 months: typically B-lender monolines and a handful of A-lenders with refi-friendly portfolio policies.
Can I use a HELOC for my investment property down payment?
Yes — and it’s the most common strategy for scaling investors. The new lender treats your HELOC monthly payment as a debt obligation in TDS calc, and the HELOC interest is generally tax-deductible if used for income-producing investment (consult your CPA). We coordinate the readvanceable structure on your primary residence to maximize accessible equity.
What’s a portfolio limit and when do I hit it?
Some Canadian lenders cap how many doors they’ll finance for one borrower — common caps: 4 properties at TD/RBC, 5 at Scotia, 6-10 at BMO, unlimited at certain monolines (MCAP, First National) and credit unions. Once you hit a lender’s cap, you move your next file to a lender without limits or to commercial-style underwriting for the entire portfolio.
Can my corporation or Holdco hold the mortgage?
Yes — Holdco and Bare Trust structures are common for investors at scale. Each adds complexity (corporate guarantor, additional underwriting, sometimes a rate premium of 25-50 bps). We work with your accountant and real-estate lawyer to structure cleanly. Bare Trust is the lighter option (mortgage in personal name, beneficial ownership in corp) and is generally preferred for files under 5 doors.
What is DSCR lending and is it available in Canada now?
Debt Service Coverage Ratio = qualifying based on the property’s rental cashflow rather than your personal income. Common in the US, now available in Canada from select alt-A lenders (Equitable Bank, Haventree, RFA, MCAN) for experienced investors with 3+ doors. Typical DSCR requirement: 1.10-1.25× (property cashflow must cover 110-125% of mortgage payment). Rate premium ~75-150 bps but unlocks files that can’t qualify on personal income.
How does the stress test affect investment property qualifying?
Same OSFI B-20 stress test applies: contract rate + 2% or 5.25%, whichever is greater. Stress test is calculated on the COMBINED file — personal residence + all rentals + new acquisition. As you scale, the stress test becomes the binding constraint, not appraised value. This is why rental offset methodology matters so much for portfolio investors.
What’s CMHC MLI Select and when does it make sense?
MLI Select is CMHC’s multifamily insurance product for 5+ unit residential properties. By committing to energy efficiency (10-40% improvement), affordable rents, or accessibility features, you can stack points that unlock up to 95% LTV, 50-year amortization (yes, 50), and rates 100-150 bps below uninsured commercial. Game-changer for serious multifamily investors. See /cmhc-multiplex-mortgage for the full breakdown.

Related products

CMHC MLI Select multifamilyRental cashflow & cap rate calculatorHELOC for down paymentSecond / vacation homeCommercial mortgagesInvestment property guide

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