The 5-unit threshold:
why it changes everything.
In Canada, residential mortgage lending splits into two regimes at a specific line: five units. Which side of that line your project falls on changes the down payment, the amortization, and the entire financing conversation, before a single design decision gets made.
The number changes sharply at 5 units.
1–4 Units, Owner-Occupied
CMHC-insured financing as low as 5% down, with rental income from the other units counted toward what you qualify for. The most accessible entry point into a multiplex, since you live in one unit.
1–4 Units, Investment
A minimum 20% down payment, with no mortgage insurance available at all. The same size building, a meaningfully different financing reality, because you don't live there.
5+ Units, MLI Select
A different program entirely, as low as 5% down for qualifying purpose-built rental projects. Purpose-built rental only, not strata, and only above the 5-unit line.
Why It Matters
Whether you land at 4 units or 5 can change your required capital dramatically. It's worth confirming with your lender before the unit count is locked in, not after.
Multiplex financing, straight answers.
Why does the line fall specifically at 5 units?
It's where Canadian residential mortgage rules hand off to commercial/multi-unit lending programs like CMHC's MLI Select, which is built specifically for purpose-built rental at that scale. Below 5 units, you're in standard residential lending territory instead.
Can I get owner-occupied financing on a 5+ unit building?
Owner-occupied insured financing is specifically a 1–4 unit program. At 5+ units, you're in MLI Select or conventional commercial financing territory regardless of whether you plan to live on-site.
Does Wynnmere offer financing or arrange mortgages?
No. We're a builder, not a lender or mortgage broker. We can help you understand how design and unit-count decisions affect which financing programs you qualify for, but the financing itself is between you and your lender.
Should I design for 4 units or 5 units?
That depends on your goals and what your lender qualifies you for on each side of the threshold. There's no universally correct answer, and it's worth discussing with your lender before the design is finalized, not after.
Planning a multiplex?
Book a no-pressure consultation and talk through what your lot and budget can support.