CMHC MLI Select Premium Calculator
CMHC mortgage loan insurance premiums for multi-unit residential financing are calculated from your loan-to-value ratio, amortization period, and MLI Select sustainability score — enter your numbers below for the same premium breakdown used inside the EVALUAITE proforma engine.
Estimated Premium
Enter your loan details to see the premium.
How the Premium Is Calculated
CMHC MLI Market (Standard) base premium by LTV
| LTV range | Base premium |
|---|---|
| 0%–65% | 2.60% |
| 65%–70% | 2.85% |
| 70%–75% | 3.35% |
| 75%–80% | 4.35% |
| 80%–85% | 5.35% |
| 85%–90% | 5.90% |
| 90%–95% | 6.15% |
MLI Select sustainability discount
| Sustainability score | Discount on premium |
|---|---|
| 50+ points | 10% off |
| 70+ points | 20% off |
| 100+ points | 30% off |
Amortizations beyond 25 years add a +0.25% surcharge for every extra 5-year period (e.g. a 50-year amortization adds 1.25%).
What Is CMHC MLI Select?
MLI Select is CMHC's points-based mortgage loan insurance program for multi-unit residential properties (5+ units). Buildings earn points across three categories — affordability, energy efficiency, and accessibility — out of a possible 150, and the score unlocks progressively better financing terms than CMHC's standard program:
| Tier | Max LTV | Max amortization | Min DSCR | Premium discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (no points) | 85% | 25 yrs | 1.20x | — |
| 50+ points | 85% | 40 yrs | 1.10x | 10% |
| 70+ points | 95% | 45 yrs | 1.10x | 20% |
| 100+ points | 95% | 50 yrs | 1.10x | 30% |
Program parameters as published by CMHC; confirm current terms with CMHC or your lender before relying on them for a live deal.
The practical effect is leverage: at the top tier a borrower can finance up to 95% of value over a 50-year amortization at a below-conventional insured rate — terms that don't exist anywhere else in Canadian multifamily financing. That's why MLI Select scoring has become a underwriting decision, not an afterthought.
How the Premium Is Calculated, Step by Step
Three components stack, in order (hypothetical numbers, for illustration):
1. Base premium: LTV-tiered rate × insured loan (see current rates above)
2. Amortization surcharge: +0.25% per 5-yr period beyond 25 yrs
(50-yr amortization = 5 extra periods = +1.25%)
3. MLI Select discount: 10% / 20% / 30% off the subtotal, by points tier
So a $10,000,000 loan at 50-year amortization with 100+ points takes the base rate for its LTV tier, adds the full +1.25% surcharge, then cuts 30% off the combined figure. The premium is then capitalized into the insured loan — added to the mortgage balance rather than paid in cash — which is why long amortizations and premium surcharges interact in non-obvious ways.
That interaction is exactly the trap covered in our article on why the 50-year amortization threshold matters in CMHC MLI Select financing — the surcharge is fixed the moment you cross an amortization threshold, whether you cross it by one year or five.
What the Calculator Doesn't Tell You
The premium is only one gate. Each tier also carries a DSCR floor — the property's income must cover debt service by at least 1.10x (Select tiers) or 1.20x (Standard) — and DSCR is computed on underwritten NOI, not asking rents. Check yours with the commercial DSCR calculator.
Points are earned, not declared. The sustainability score comes from committed affordability levels, energy performance, and accessibility features that CMHC verifies — a deal underwritten at 100 points that scores 70 at approval has different leverage, amortization, and premium than modeled.
The full deal picture needs a model, not a premium quote. Whether MLI Select actually beats conventional financing depends on rate spread, leverage, amortization, and exit assumptions together. That's a proforma question — see how to build a real estate proforma, or let EVALUAITE's platform model CMHC scenarios directly from your rent roll.
Premiums are calculated server-side using CMHC's published LTV-tiered base rates, a +0.25% surcharge per 5-year amortization period beyond 25 years, and the MLI Select sustainability discount (10% at 50 points, 20% at 70 points, 30% at 100 points) — the exact same calculator EVALUAITE's proforma engine uses for CMHC deal analysis, not a separate estimate.
By the EVALUAITE Team · Powered by the EVALUAITE proforma engine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CMHC MLI Select?
MLI Select is CMHC's mortgage loan insurance program for multi-unit residential financing that rewards buildings with affordability, energy efficiency, or accessibility features. It offers lower premiums, higher loan-to-value ratios (up to 95%), and longer amortizations (up to 50 years) than CMHC's standard program, scaled to a sustainability score out of 150 points.
How much does CMHC mortgage loan insurance cost?
The base premium is tiered by loan-to-value ratio — the higher the LTV, the higher the rate. On top of that, amortizations longer than 25 years add a surcharge, and MLI Select applies a discount based on your sustainability score. Use the calculator above for an exact figure on your loan.
What is the MLI Select premium discount?
A qualifying score of 50+ points gives a 10% discount on the premium, 70+ points gives 20%, and 100+ points gives 30% — applied after the base premium and any amortization surcharge.
How does amortization length affect the CMHC premium?
Amortizations beyond 25 years add a surcharge for every additional 5-year period. A 50-year amortization, for example, carries a larger surcharge than a 30-year one, on top of the base LTV-tiered premium.
Is the CMHC premium added to my mortgage?
Yes — the premium is capitalized into the insured loan amount rather than paid upfront, so your total insured loan is your base loan plus the premium.