Calculator
Will I qualify for a mortgage?
Enter the property, your income and your debts to see the 2 ratios every Canadian lender uses. You get the percentages instead of a pass or fail, plus the dollar change that would fix a near miss.
Your numbers
The property
Our published 5-year fixed.
Income
Monthly debt payments
Advanced options(9)
Housing costs
Estimated at 1.00% of the value. Your bill is based on the City's assessment, not the price.
Half counts in both ratios. Edmonton apartment fees commonly run $350–$600, and the fee can decide an Alberta file, so enter yours.
Other obligations
Qualified at the stress-test rate over 25 years on the full authorized limit, not interest-only. If you only enter a balance, we use it and flag that in the results.
The contract
Rate taken from the RateLens published table, current as of September 21, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. MT. Rules, premium tiers and fee schedules current as of September 16, 2026.
Likely to qualify
Your total debt service ratio
36.1%
Under the 44% limit, with your housing ratio at 36.1% against a 39% limit.
- Mortgage requested
- $436,113Including the financed premium
- Largest mortgage your ratios support
- $477,913Bound by neither ratio
- Qualifying rate
- 6.09%Your 4.09% plus two points, or the 5.25% floor
- Qualifying payment
- $2,813.66Monthly, at the qualifying rate
Your GDS and TDS ratios
The Government of Canada's qualifier gives a pass or fail. These are the percentages behind that result, so you can see what to change.
- GDS (housing costs)36.1%Within the limit
39% is the limit: mortgage, tax, heat, half the condo fee.
- TDS (all debts)36.1%Within the limit
44% is the limit: everything in GDS, plus every other payment.
| Ratio | Yours | Limit | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDS (housing costs) | 36.1% | 39% | Within the limit |
| TDS (all debts) | 36.1% | 44% | Within the limit |
What we counted
Monthly amounts, line by line. If a number here is wrong, the ratio above is too, so it's worth checking each one.
| Mortgage payment at the qualifying rate$436,113 at 6.09% over 25 years | $2,813.66 |
|---|---|
| Property tax | $392 |
| Heating | $100 |
| Condo fees (half counts) | $0 |
| GDS numerator | $3,305 |
| Other debt payments | $0 |
| HELOC payment at the qualifying rateNo HELOC entered | $0 |
| Unsecured balances at 3% a month | $0 |
| TDS numerator | $3,305 |
- Qualifying rate
- 6.09%
- Limits
- 39% / 44%
- Amortization
- 25 years
- Rules as of
- September 16, 2026
How we calculate your qualifying rate. Under OSFI Guideline B-20, lenders qualify you at the higher of your contract rate plus 2 percentage points, or 5.25% (the minimum qualifying rate). Since November 21, 2024, OSFI no longer prescribes this test for eligible uninsured straight switches at renewal between federally regulated lenders, with no increase in the loan amount or remaining amortization. Lenders still assess creditworthiness. New purchases and refinances generally require qualification. Provincially regulated credit unions (including Alberta credit unions) aren’t bound by Guideline B-20 and set their own qualifying policies, which is one reason a broker can sometimes place a file a bank cannot. Rules current as of September 16, 2026. Source: OSFI Guideline B-20.
What to fix
These figures use your numbers. Each one is the change that would get you under the limit.
Both ratios clear the limits. Your total debt service is 36.1% against 44%, and your housing ratio is 36.1% against 39%. On these numbers you have $728 a month of room left before TDS becomes the constraint.
Ratios are one part of approval
Lender policies differ on borderline files
Ratios are the first test lenders apply. Daniel works with 30+ lenders through Indi Mortgage, and their policies differ on borderline files. If this page said “close”, it’s often solvable.
Ask Daniel about your fileTDS 36.1% · Likely to qualify
$477,913supported
How this is calculated
Every figure on this page comes from one tested calculation engine. Here’s what it does.
How GDS and TDS are calculated
Canadian mortgage qualification comes down to 2 ratios. Both are calculated at the qualifying rate, not the rate you’d pay.
Gross Debt Service (GDS) is your mortgage payment, property tax, heating and half of any condo fee, divided by gross monthly income. The insured maximum is 39%.
Total Debt Service (TDS) is everything in GDS plus every other debt payment: car loans, student loans, support payments, 3% of your credit card and line-of-credit balances, and a qualifying payment on any secured HELOC. The insured maximum is 44%.
HELOCs count at the full limit
A secured line of credit is qualified at the stress-test rate, amortized over 25 years, on the full authorized limit. It isn’t based on what you’ve drawn, and it isn’t interest-only. A $100,000 limit with nothing drawn still uses roughly $650 a month of your TDS. It’s the most common reason a file that looked fine gets declined.
What each result means
- Likely to qualify: both ratios are inside the limits.
- Close to qualifying: TDS is between 44% and 50%. Some lenders will go into that range on a file with strong credit, a solid down payment and stable employment. This tool never shows that as “you qualify”, because only a lender can say so.
- Not yet: you’re over the limits. We show the shortfall in dollars of monthly debt, income and mortgage.
Assumptions we use
Heating at $100 a month and unsecured balances at 3% a month are common lender conventions, not regulations, and your lender may use different figures. Condo fees count at 50% in both ratios. Property tax defaults to 1.00% of value in Edmonton and 0.90% elsewhere. Your bill is based on the City’s assessed value, so enter your own figure if you have it.
What ratios don’t measure
Ratios leave out your credit score, your employment history and any probation period. They don’t cover the property type, such as a condo with a weak reserve fund, an acreage or a rental. They also don’t show where your down payment came from or whether it’s been in your account for 90 days. Any of these can turn a 38% GDS into a decline, or a 45% TDS into an approval.
Common questions
What is a good GDS and TDS ratio?
The insured maximums are 39% GDS and 44% TDS, and most lenders treat those as the ceiling.
A comfortable level is lower. Staying under roughly 32% GDS and 38% TDS leaves room for a rate rise at renewal, a property tax increase, and a car that eventually needs replacing. The limits describe what a lender will allow, not what fits your budget.
Why does my line of credit hurt so much?
Lenders qualify a secured line of credit on the full authorized limit, at the stress-test rate, over a 25-year amortization. They don’t use the balance, and they don’t use interest-only payments.
A $100,000 limit with a zero balance still uses roughly $650 a month of TDS room. Lowering the limit, not the balance, is often the fastest fix, and it takes a phone call.
My ratios pass. Am I approved?
No. Passing ratios aren’t an approval.
Ratios are the math test, and you need to pass it, but approval also depends on your credit score and history, how well you can prove your income, the property, where the down payment came from, and each lender’s policies. A ratio result is a strong signal. A pre-approval is a commitment.
Does a condo fee only count at half?
Yes. Both the insurers and the lenders count 50% of the monthly condominium fee in GDS and TDS, on the basis that roughly half of a typical fee covers heat, water and other costs a freehold owner would pay separately.
It’s a convention, not a measurement of your building. In Edmonton, apartment fees commonly run $350–$600 a month, and that half can decide between a yes and a no. Enter your fee instead of leaving it at zero.
What if I'm just over the limit?
That’s usually the easiest result to fix.
The result shows the monthly debt reduction or income increase that would get you under the limit. Often that means lowering one line-of-credit limit, clearing one balance, or paying out the last few months of a car loan.
Between 44% and 50% TDS, some lenders will also look at the file on its merits. We can have that conversation with lenders for you, at no cost.
Is this the same test as the FCAC qualifier?
It uses the same ratios, the same 39/44 limits and the same OSFI minimum qualifying rate.
The difference is what it shows you. The Government of Canada tool gives a pass or a fail. This one shows your percentages, each part of the calculation line by line, and the dollar amount that would change the answer.
What to work out next
- AffordabilityWork the other way, from your income to the highest price you could offer.
- Stress testSee how the qualifying rate behind every ratio on this page is set.
- Debt consolidationIf TDS is what's holding you back, consolidating debt can often bring it down.
- Down paymentA bigger down payment means a lower premium, a lower payment and a lower GDS.
- Mortgage paymentSee your payment at every frequency.
- Closing costsSee how much cash you need on top of the down payment.
This calculator provides estimates only. Results are based on the information you enter and on assumptions that may not reflect your actual qualification, rate or costs. These include semi-annual, not-in-advance compounding for fixed rates, as required under section 6 of the federal Interest Act, and the mortgage default insurance premium tiers published by CMHC, Sagen and Canada Guaranty. It is not mortgage advice, a quote, a rate hold, a pre-approval or an offer of credit, and RateLens does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Your actual rate, payment, default insurance premium and closing costs will depend on your credit profile, income, the property, the lender’s current rates and policies, and other factors confirmed during a full application.
Qualifying rate methodology: you are qualified at the higher of your contract rate plus 2 percentage points or the 5.25% minimum qualifying rate, in accordance with OSFI Guideline B-20. The stress test does not apply to a straight renewal with your existing lender, and since November 2024 does not apply to an uninsured straight switch. Lender debt-service ceilings shown (GDS 39% / TDS 44%) are insurer guidelines; individual lenders may apply higher or lower limits at their discretion.
Premiums shown approximate the published premium schedules of CMHC, Sagen and Canada Guaranty and are subject to each insurer’s current rate sheet. They are not guaranteed by RateLens. No provincial sales tax applies to the premium in Alberta. In Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, PST on the premium is payable in cash at closing and cannot be added to the mortgage. Default insurance is not available on properties priced at or above $1,500,000.
Rules snapshot: September 16, 2026. Rates shown are calculation assumptions, not confirmed offers. Speak with Daniel De Sousa, Mortgage Associate, for a personalized quote. Indi The Independent Mortgage Company Ltd. o/a Indi Mortgage, a licensed mortgage brokerage licensed by RECA.
Daniel De Sousa, Mortgage Associate, is licensed by the Real Estate Council of Alberta and registered with Indi The Independent Mortgage Company Ltd. o/a Indi Mortgage.
Indi The Independent Mortgage Company Ltd. o/a Indi Mortgage is a mortgage brokerage licensed by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA). Verify our licence on RECA ProCheck(opens in a new tab)
RateLens is a trade name used by Daniel De Sousa, Mortgage Associate, licensed in Alberta by the Real Estate Council of Alberta and registered with Indi The Independent Mortgage Company Ltd. o/a Indi Mortgage.
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Get pre-approved with Daniel
Your ratios are one part of approval. Lender policy is the rest, and the 30+ lenders we work with set different rules for borderline files. It takes about 2 minutes, with no credit check.
No credit check, and no commitment.