CMHC MLI Select in Quebec: How the Points System Works

If you own or are building a rental property with five or more units in Quebec, CMHC's MLI Select program is usually the most powerful financing tool available. It can raise leverage to 95% and stretch amortization to 50 years, which changes what a building can carry. In exchange, you commit to social outcomes: affordability, energy efficiency or accessibility. This guide explains how the points system works and how to decide whether it fits your project.

What MLI Select is

MLI Select is CMHC's multi-unit mortgage loan insurance product for rental housing. The lender still makes the loan; CMHC insures it. Because the loan is insured, lenders can offer higher leverage, longer amortization and better pricing than on a conventional commercial mortgage. MLI Select replaced the older MLI Flex program in March 2022.

It applies to standard rental buildings, single room occupancy, supportive housing and retirement homes, for both existing properties (purchase or refinance) and new construction. The basics:

• Minimum of 5 residential units (50 units or beds for retirement homes).

• Non-residential space, such as ground-floor retail, cannot exceed 30% of gross floor area or 30% of total lending value.

• Minimum debt coverage ratio of 1.10 for standard rental.

How the points work

You earn points in three categories, and you can focus on one or combine them. Your total decides your tier: 50, 70 or 100 points.

Affordability (up to 100 points)

Affordable units are units rented at or below 30% of the area's median renter income. The commitment lasts at least 10 years.

• Existing properties: 40% of units affordable for 50 points, 60% for 70 points, 80% for 100 points.

• New construction: 10% of units for 50 points, 15% for 70 points, 25% for 100 points.

• Committing for 20 years instead of 10 adds 30 points, according to CMHC.

Energy efficiency (up to 50 points)

• Existing properties: a 15%, 25% or 40% reduction in energy consumption earns 20, 35 or 50 points.

• New construction: points are measured against the 2020 National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) or National Building Code (NBC). For example, 25% better than NECB earns 20 points.

Energy points need to be supported by a qualified professional and approved modelling software.

Accessibility (up to 30 points)

Accessibility points require visitable units and barrier-free common areas under CSA B651:23, plus a share of fully accessible or universal-design units. Rick Hansen Foundation certification is also recognized.

Because energy and accessibility together top out at 80 points, reaching the 100-point tier requires an affordability commitment.

What each tier unlocks

• 50 points: up to 85% loan-to-value on existing properties or 95% loan-to-cost on new construction, with up to 40-year amortization.

• 70 points: up to 95% leverage and up to 45-year amortization.

• 100 points: up to 50-year amortization and limited recourse to the borrower.

Premiums are also discounted compared with market-rate CMHC insurance. Since July 2025, CMHC prices premiums by risk, and MLI Select discounts can reach 30% depending on the social outcomes you commit to. Check the current figures on CMHC's MLI Select page before you build your pro forma.

A Quebec-specific point: rent rules

Rent increases on MLI Select affordable units are limited to the applicable provincial rent rules or to a cap CMHC publishes each year. In Quebec, rent increases for tenants already follow the Tribunal administratif du logement framework, so the affordability commitment fits within rules many Quebec owners already operate under. The real question is the starting rent: affordable units must be priced against local median renter income, which can sit well below market rent in neighbourhoods that have gentrified.

Is MLI Select right for your building?

Run the numbers both ways. Higher leverage and a longer amortization improve cash flow and free up equity, but affordability commitments reduce rental income for at least a decade. A few questions to ask:

• Do current rents already sit near the affordability threshold? If so, the commitment may cost very little.

• Is an energy retrofit already planned? Energy points can be paired with a smaller affordability commitment.

• Is this a long-term hold? MLI Select rewards owners who plan to keep the building.

WeFinanceU is an AMF-registered commercial mortgage brokerage in Montréal focused on financing of $1,000,000 and more. We model MLI Select against conventional and market CMHC options for your specific building, and match the file to suitable lenders from our network of over 20 lenders. Tell us about your project to get started.