Skip to content
Calgary rentals and suites · 2026 assessment roll · StatCan Q2 2026 and CMHC rents · suite rules after Aug 4, 2026Buying to live in? Go to the .ca
CalgaryMortgageCalculator.comRentals, suites and communities, by the numbers
Ask Mitey

House hack · secondary suite · CMHC rental income

Calgary house hack calculator: live upstairs, rent the suite

Short answer

Buy a median Calgary detached house ($718,500) with the minimum $46,850 down, rent the suite at CMHC's 1-bedroom average ($1,582), and your own housing cost falls from about $4,888 to $3,385 a month. Lenders can count the suite's rent as income, so you qualify on about $18,984 less household income.

Rules and data checked

House hack: live in the house, rent the suite

Your net monthly cost after suite rent, the income lenders need with and without the rent, and the suite's payback.

Owner-occupied 2-unit homes can be insured; minimum $46,850.
Example: Bank of Canada average, new insured 5-year fixed, 4.12% (2026-08).
Amortization
Example: CMHC Oct 2025 Calgary average 1-bedroom purpose-built rent, $1,582.
Utilities, insurance and upkeep for the whole house (example; the .ca true-cost calculator itemizes them).
Utilities you include in rent, extra insurance, wear (example).
0 if the home already has a legal suite. City permit fees are added automatically.
Your net monthly housing cost$3,385$4,888 all-in, minus $1,503 suite rent after vacancy. The suite covers 31%.
Income needed, without the suite
$155,977
Income needed, with the suite
$136,993
CMHC: up to 100% of gross rent, 2-unit owner-occupied
Qualifies because of the suite$140,000 is below the $155,977 needed without the suite, but counting its rent brings GDS to 38.3% and TDS to 38.3%, inside the 39% / 44% limits.

Building or legalizing a suite? Enter the construction cost to see its payback; City permit fees are added automatically.

GDS with the suite rent counted38.3% of 39% limit
TDS with the suite rent counted38.3% of 44% limit

Estimate, not advice. Educational estimate only, not financial, mortgage, tax or legal advice. Lenders, insurers and governments set their own rules and can change them; confirm with a licensed professional before you decide.

Net housing cost $3,385 a month; suite covers 31%.

Assumptions & sources

Assumptions

How do the house hack numbers work?

Your gross cost is the insured mortgage payment, 2026 Calgary property tax on the price, your other running costs and whatever the suite adds (shared utilities, a little more insurance and wear). The suite's rent, after vacancy, comes off the top. For qualifying, the calculator adds the suite's gross rent to your income, as CMHC allows for a 2-unit owner-occupied home, and tests the mortgage at the stress-test rate. Source: CMHC, Rental income in qualifying (2-unit owner-occupied: up to 100% of gross rent), effective May 22, 2024. Checked .

Building or legalizing the suite has a cost: your construction quotes plus the City's permit fees. The payback line divides that by the suite's net yearly income. If you need to borrow for the build, see refinancing to add a suite; for the full monthly cost of owning the house, see the true monthly cost calculator on our sibling site.

Legalizing an existing basement suite

The same house, where the basement already has a kitchen and bath but needs a $25,000 upgrade (egress window, fire separation, interconnected alarms) to become a legal suite.

Legalizing an existing basement suite: inputs, steps and result
Upgrade (your quote)$25,000example
City permits$206building permit to legalize an existing suite, 2026
Suite capital$25,206
Suite rent after vacancy and its costs$1,383 a month
Payback1.5 yearsfrom the suite's net rent, before tax

Open this example in the calculator →

Mitey talks something through with an older yeti.
Mitey helps a new owner register the basement suite with the City before the first tenant moves in.Registration is required, free until the end of 2026, and lenders and tenants both look for it.

Frequently asked questions

Can suite rent help me qualify for a mortgage in Calgary?

Yes. Under CMHC's rules, up to 100% of the gross rent from the second unit of an owner-occupied 2-unit home can count in qualifying (50% for 3–4 units). In our example, a $1,582 suite lowers the income needed from about $155,977 to $136,993, so a $140,000 household that wouldn't qualify on its own does. Lenders apply their own policies, and the suite generally needs to be legal.

What is the minimum down payment on a house with a suite?

The same as any owner-occupied home with up to two units: 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the rest. On $718,500 that is $46,850. Three- and four-unit owner-occupied homes need at least 10%.

How much does a suite permit cost in Calgary?

In 2026, a building permit for a new secondary suite is $404 (including the Safety Codes fee), plus electrical and plumbing permits of $117 each if you pull them as a homeowner. Legalizing an existing suite is $206. Development permits and registry fees are waived until December 31, 2026.

Does renting a suite affect the principal residence exemption?

It can. CRA's folio says a partial change in use isn't deemed a sale only if the rental is ancillary, there are no structural changes and you claim no capital cost allowance. A new self-contained suite often involves structural changes, so get tax advice before you build.

Related

Calgary suite rules 2026

Zoning after the repeal, permits, code items, registry.

Full rental calculator

Cash flow, cap rate, DSCR for any rental.

Buying to live in? ↗

The true monthly cost of owning in Calgary, closing costs and 2026 tax, on CalgaryMortgageCalculator.ca.

Stress test ↗

Qualify at the stress-test rate, on MortgageStressTestCalculator.ca.

Sources

  1. CMHC — Rental income in qualifying (2-unit owner-occupied: up to 100% of gross rent) (effective May 22, 2024). Checked .
  2. CMHC — Homeowner mortgage loan insurance: Purchase (eligibility). Checked .
  3. CMHC — Mortgage loan insurance cost (premium table). Checked .
  4. OSFI — Minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages (Guideline B-20). Checked .
  5. City of Calgary — Suite permit costs and timelines (2026) (effective January 1, 2026). Checked .
  6. City of Calgary — How your property tax bill is calculated (2026 residential tax rate, Bylaw 9M2026) (effective January 1, 2026). Checked .
  7. CMHC — Rental Market Report data tables, Calgary CMA, October 2025 survey (effective December 11, 2025). Checked .
  8. Canada Revenue Agency — Income Tax Folio S1-F3-C2, Principal Residence (partial change in use, para. 2.59). Checked .
  9. Bank of Canada — Effective rate on new insured fixed mortgages, 5 years and over (series V122667780) (effective August 1, 2026). Checked .