Rental Property Mortgages in British Columbia
Non-owner-occupied property needs 20% down and prices on the uninsured shelf. How lenders in British Columbia treat the rental income is what decides how many you can hold.
Who this covers
- Buyers of a first investment property
- Owners converting a principal residence to a rental
- Investors whose ratios have stopped working at their current lender
What lenders look for
| 20% down minimum | Default insurance is unavailable on non-owner-occupied property, so this is a hard floor. |
| Rental offset | The lender subtracts a share of the rent — often 50% to 80% — from the property’s costs. Far more generous than add-back and the reason some investors can hold many properties. |
| Rental add-back | The lender adds a share of net rental income to your income instead. Weaker, and it is what most big banks use. |
| Property count limits | Many lenders cap the number of financed properties, commonly at four or five. Beyond that the file moves to alternative or commercial lending. |
British Columbia rates for this file
Rentals price on the uninsured shelf, typically 20 to 40 basis points above owner-occupied. Some lenders add a further rental premium.
| Lender | Type | 5-year fixed |
|---|---|---|
| Strive Capital | Monoline | 4.15% |
| MCAP | Monoline | 4.16% |
| First National | Monoline | 4.17% |
| Merix Financial | Monoline | 4.18% |
| RFA Mortgage Corporation | Monoline | 4.19% |
Lowest five-year fixed on the uninsured shelf, 2026-08-21. Full board →
What a typical purchase looks like
| Typical price | $1,018,000 |
| Minimum down payment | $76,800 |
| PTT | $18,360 |
Averaged across 6 British Columbia markets we track. Calculate yours →
Get notified 90 days before your renewal
Your lender contacts you at 30 days, when you have no time to shop. We reach you at 90 — early enough to lock a hold and personalize your offers.
Rental Property mortgages across British Columbia
Prices and property tax vary widely inside the province, and both feed your qualification.
| Market | Typical price | Minimum down | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | $1,099,100 | $84,910 | Affordability → |
| Surrey | $936,004 | $68,600 | Affordability → |
| Burnaby | $1,025,316 | $77,532 | Affordability → |
| Victoria | $1,311,000 | $106,100 | Affordability → |
| Kelowna | $1,072,400 | $82,240 | Affordability → |
| Abbotsford | $665,000 | $41,500 | Affordability → |
Questions
How much down do I need?
20% minimum on a non-owner-occupied property, and no exceptions — the insurers will not cover it at any price.
Will the rent help me qualify?
Considerably, but how much depends entirely on whether the lender uses offset or add-back. The same file can pass at one lender and fail at another on this single policy difference, which is the main reason investors use brokers.
What if I move out and rent my current home?
That converts it to a rental for underwriting. If you are keeping it and buying another, both properties get assessed, and the offset-versus-add-back question decides whether the numbers work.
What does it cost to close in British Columbia?
BC property transfer tax on a $1,018,000 purchase comes to $18,360, due in cash on closing. Full British Columbia closing costs →
Rental Property in British Columbia?
Send us the file and a licensed broker comes back with what is realistically available — which lenders will take it, at what rate, and what they will want to see.
Send us the file