Canada & Ontario mortgage rule watch
See verified rules, programs and important dates without confusing a regulator’s role with an individual lender’s approval policy.
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Clear status labels prevent an announcement or proposal from being mistaken for a rule already in force.
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84 published items match this view. We prioritize the effective date, then the announcement or last-update date.
Possibly, but proposed rent is not guaranteed income. The lender may require approved plans, a market-rent appraisal, completion conditions and an acceptable suite before using any amount. The percentage and calculation differ sharply across…
No. Occupancy affects mortgage insurance, down payment, pricing, rental-income treatment and risk. State the intended use accurately. Plans can change later, but the representation made when applying must be honest and updated if circumstances…
A straw buyer allows their identity, credit or title to be used for a purchase that is controlled or funded by someone else whose role is hidden. The person signing can become legally responsible…
Possibly. Being on maternity or parental leave is not an automatic mortgage decline. The lender will decide whether to use your current leave income, your confirmed return-to-work income, or a more cautious amount after…
Some lenders may, but it is not automatic. A clear employer letter confirming your position, guaranteed salary or hours and return date can support the request, while the lender or mortgage insurer still decides…
Joint tenants hold the property with a right of survivorship, while tenants in common hold separate shares that can pass through an estate. The title choice affects death, estate planning and ownership, but it…
Yes, independent legal advice and a written co-ownership agreement are strongly advisable. The mortgage explains what the lender can demand; the co-ownership agreement explains how the owners intend to live, pay, decide, sell and…
Yes. Borrower approval and property approval are separate. A lender or insurer may question value, condition, location, legal use, marketability, condo information or property type even when the buyer’s income and credit are strong.
Send the listing, proposed price, taxes, condo fees, intended use, offer deadline and closing date before the offer becomes firm. A borrower pre-approval cannot confirm an unseen property.
Know the comfortable payment, tested price range, available cash and unresolved approval risks before viewing. A calculator or quick pre-qualification is not enough when an attractive property creates pressure to offer.
Toronto introduced higher graduated MLTT rates effective April 1, 2026 on portions above $3 million for residential property containing one or two single-family residences.
Ontario’s temporary enhanced new-housing relief can materially reduce HST for eligible agreements signed from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027, but the buyer, property, price, occupancy or rental use and agreement date must…
The federal Underused Housing Tax no longer requires returns or tax for the 2025 calendar year and later, following legislation that received royal assent on March 26, 2026. Earlier 2022–2024 obligations may still remain.
The HATC currently allows up to $20,000 of eligible annual expenses for a qualifying individual or dwelling. Budget 2025 proposed that, for 2026 onward, the same expense could no longer be claimed under both…
Ontario’s first-time home buyer rebate is now available and can provide up to $80,000 of relief from the 8% provincial part of HST for an eligible first home. It follows the federal first-time-buyer rebate’s…
A federal insured-refinancing framework may allow an eligible homeowner to finance construction of legal secondary suites, potentially up to 90% of the improved property value and up to a 30-year amortization.
Yes. Toronto’s 10% Municipal Non-Resident Speculation Tax can apply in addition to Toronto MLTT and Ontario’s 25% NRST when the purchaser and property fall within the respective rules.
Mortgage-sector reporting entities have third-party determination duties for specified records and reports. They may need to understand whether the named client is acting for someone else or whether another person controls the transaction.
How to read this centre
Sets laws, program requirements or prudential boundaries. FSRA regulates; it does not write every lender’s underwriting policy.
Applies only when the mortgage or client fits that insured product or program. It should not be generalized to every conventional deal.
Decides its own acceptable income, property, credit and exception policy inside the applicable rules.
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