Enter your household income, the home price, down payment, rate and costs to see whether you pass Canada's mortgage stress test: your GDS and TDS at the qualifying rate, the income you'd need, and the largest mortgage and home price that pass.
How to use the stress test calculator
- Enter your gross household income, the home price, your down payment, your lender's rate and the amortization.
- Add the property tax, heating, any condo fees and your other monthly debt payments.
- Read whether you pass, the ratios and what would pass: a lower price, a higher income or a different rate in the table.
Worked example
A household earning $120,000 looks at a $600,000 home with $60,000 down at a 4.5% rate over 25 years, with $4,000 a year of property tax, $100 a month of heating and a $300 car payment. The $540,000 loan plus the 3.10% CMHC premium is a $556,740 mortgage, tested at 4.5% + 2% = 6.5%: $3,729.18 a month. With tax and heating that's $4,162.51, or 41.6% GDS, over the 39% limit, and 44.6% TDS with the car payment, over 44%. They'd pass with an income of about $128,078, or at a price up to $561,987 with the same down payment. Their actual payment at 4.5% would be $3,081.41.
The rules in 2026
- Qualifying rate: the greater of the contract rate + 2% or 5.25%, for insured and uninsured mortgages
- GDS: payment at the qualifying rate, property tax, heating and 50% of condo fees; limit 39% (insured)
- TDS: GDS costs plus other debt payments; limit 44% (insured)
- No stress test for a straight switch at renewal
Sources: Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (minimum qualifying rate, Guideline B-20), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (calculating GDS and TDS). Everything runs in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
What is the mortgage stress test?
A rule that lenders in Canada qualify you at a higher rate than the one you'll pay, so you could still afford the mortgage if rates rose. It applies to insured mortgages (under 20% down) and to uninsured mortgages from federally regulated lenders such as the big banks. It only changes how much you can borrow: your payments are at your actual rate.
What is the qualifying rate in 2026?
The greater of your contract rate plus 2% or 5.25%. A 4.29% offer is tested at 6.29%; a 3% offer is tested at the 5.25% floor. OSFI reviews the rule at least once a year, and its January 2026 review left it unchanged.
What are GDS and TDS?
Gross debt service (GDS) is your housing costs as a share of gross income: the mortgage payment at the qualifying rate, property tax, heating and half of any condo fees. Total debt service (TDS) adds your other debt payments, such as car loans, lines of credit and credit cards. For insured mortgages CMHC's limits are 39% GDS and 44% TDS; lenders set their own limits for uninsured mortgages, often similar.
Do I have to pass the stress test when I renew?
Not when you renew with your current lender, and not for a straight switch to a new lender at renewal (same balance and amortization): insured mortgages were already exempt, uninsured ones have been since 21 November 2024, and insurable ones since the December 2024 Fall Economic Statement. Borrowing more or extending the amortization means qualifying again, and a lender can still choose to test you.
How can I pass the stress test?
Lower the costs or raise the income the lender counts: a bigger down payment (which can also cut the CMHC premium), paying off a car loan or card balance, a 30-year amortization if you're a first-time buyer or buying a new build, adding a co-borrower's income, or a cheaper home. The table shows how the largest mortgage changes with the rate.
Why does the calculator add the CMHC premium?
With under 20% down, the insurance premium is added to the loan, so the mortgage that's tested is bigger than the price minus the down payment. On a $600,000 home with $60,000 down, the $540,000 loan plus a 3.10% premium ($16,740) is a $556,740 mortgage.
