Plex · Returns · Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu · 2026
The honest answer takes three calculations, and it depends on who lives in one of the units: cap rate, cash flow financed at 80%, net cost for the owner-occupant, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, at the 2026 median price and the median rent. Labelled assumptions, nothing guessed.
No for the duplex, yes for the triplex and the fourplex: in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, at the January to September 2026 median price and the median rent of $1,620 per unit, financed at 80%, the duplex ($556,000) loses about $94 a month, the triplex ($725,000) clears about $513 a month, the fourplex ($661,000) clears about $2,517 a month, before tax, with principal repayment included in the debt. Cap rates run from 5.0% (duplex) to 9.8% (fourplex), all above the 4.24% mortgage rate. As an owner-occupant, living in one unit of the triplex costs $1,500 a month net, against a rent of $1,620 and a payment of $2,498 on the median house ($577,000, 20% down). Labelled assumptions, reproducible math. Source: Centris (Matrix) and the site's rent pages, team assumptions, compiled October 13, 2026.
The assumptions, before the numbers
A profitability calculation is only worth its assumptions, so here they all are. Prices: the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu medians for January to September 2026 (Centris, Matrix, Income property category): duplex $556,000 (30 sales), triplex $725,000 (24 sales), fourplex $661,000 (8 sales). Rent: $1,620 per unit per month, the median rent of leases signed through a broker in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu over the past twelve months (median rent in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu). Operating expenses: 2% of the price per year (municipal and school taxes, insurance, routine maintenance), a rule of thumb to check building by building. Financing: 80% of the price at 4.24% over 25 years, the same assumptions as our page is an income property profitable in Montreal. No vacancy, no bad debt, no major work: the math is therefore optimistic.
The math, building by building
| At the 2026 median price, financed at 80% | Duplex | Triplex | Fourplex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median price (sales) | $556,000 (30) | $725,000 (24) | $661,000 (8) |
| Price per unit | $278,000 | $241,667 | $165,250 |
| Gross rents per year ($1,620 per unit) | $38,880 | $58,320 | $77,760 |
| Operating expenses (2% of price) | $11,120 | $14,500 | $13,220 |
| Net operating income | $27,760 | $43,820 | $64,540 |
| Cap rate | 5.0% | 6.0% | 9.8% |
| Gross rent multiplier | 14.3 | 12.4 | 8.5 |
| Debt service (80% loan, 4.24%, 25 years) | $28,886 | $37,666 | $34,341 |
| Cash flow per year, before tax | −$1,126 | +$6,154 | +$30,199 |
| Cash flow per month | −$94 | +$513 | +$2,517 |
| Rent per unit that brings cash flow to zero | $1,667 | $1,449 | $991 |
| Purchase price that brings cash flow to zero | $540,000 (−3% vs median) | $811,000 (+12% vs median) | $1,081,000 (+64% vs median) |
The answer to the question in the title, for an investor who does not live there: no for the duplex, yes for the triplex and the fourplex. Every cap rate is nevertheless above the 4.24% mortgage rate; what pushes the duplex below zero is the principal repayment built into the payments, money that leaves the account but stays on the balance sheet. The fourplex clears the most (+$2,517 a month) because a unit there costs $165,250 against $278,000 for the duplex; its margin disappears with a unit empty for a few months or a roof to redo.
What cash flow does not show
Cash flow is not return. In the first year, the principal repayment built into the payments is about $13,331 on the triplex and $12,154 on the fourplex: money that leaves your account but stays on your balance sheet. Then appreciation: the median triplex in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu gained 142% in ten years ($300,000 in 2016), 9.2% a year compounded; at that pace, the $725,000 triplex would gain about $66,700 in the first year. Past performance does not guarantee the future, and the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu triplex fell in 2018, 2023 and 2026 when rates or supply moved. But that is where a plex earns its return in 2026: principal and appreciation, not just the monthly cheque.
The version that works: the owner-occupant
| You live in one unit, the others are rented | Duplex (5% down) | Triplex (10% down) | Fourplex (10% down) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rents received per year | $19,440 | $38,880 | $58,320 |
| Debt service (insured loan, 4.24%, 25 years, CMHC premium not counted) | $34,302 | $42,374 | $38,634 |
| Net cost of your unit per month (debt + expenses − rents) | $2,165 | $1,500 | −$539 |
| For comparison: median rent of a unit | $1,620 | $1,620 | $1,620 |
| For comparison: payment on the median house ($577,000, 20% down) | $2,498 | $2,498 | $2,498 |
Read this way, owner-occupied, the duplex, the triplex and the fourplex cost their owner less than the median house in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu ($2,498 a month with 20% down), and the triplex and the fourplex even cost less than a $1,620 rent: the tenants pay for the owner's unit, and part of the owner's principal. The best of the three for housing yourself is the fourplex (it even brings in $539 a month net). The mortgage insurance premium (CMHC or equivalent) is added to the loan and raises these payments by a few hundred dollars a month: to be priced with your mortgage broker.
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu among the 19 cities
- Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu ranks 12th of 19 cities on the triplex cap rate (6.0%, median of the cities 6.2%); the most profitable is Saguenay (16.1%), the least Mirabel (4.6%).
- At the median price and the median rent, financed at 80%, the triplex is cash-flow positive in 14 of 19 cities, the fourplex in 16 of 16, the duplex in 10 of 19; in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the triplex and the fourplex are.
- Median monthly cash flow across the cities: duplex +$42, triplex +$603, fourplex +$2,020; in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, duplex −$94, triplex +$513, fourplex +$2,517.
- As an owner-occupant, the triplex costs less than the median rent in 13 of 19 cities and less than the payment on the median house in 18; in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, $1,500 a month against $1,620 in rent and $2,498 for the house.
The three levers that change the answer
- The leases in place. The median rent of signed leases is the rent of units that just turned over; the leases in place in a plex are often lower. A triplex whose units rent 15% below the median ($1,377 instead of $1,620) brings in $8,748 less per year, and drops below zero; in Quebec, those rents rise slowly, at the rates set by the Tribunal administratif du logement, and only at renewal. You buy the leases, not the median.
- The purchase price. The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu triplex breaks even on cash flow at $811,000, 12% above the median: at the median price the building pays for itself with room to spare, and it is the price paid above the median that eats it. Prices by type are in duplex, triplex and fourplex prices in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
- The condition of the building. The 2% in expenses assumes a sound building. A roof, brickwork or an electrical entrance to redo runs into tens of thousands of dollars, and an inspector sees them before the offer.
How to read these numbers
Three numbers not to confuse. The cap rate (6.0% for the triplex) measures the building without the debt; above the mortgage rate, borrowing enriches the buyer, below it, it impoverishes them. Cash flow (+$513 a month) measures what is left after the debt, and it includes principal repayment ($13,331 in the first year). The owner-occupant cost ($1,500) is the only one of the three that compares to a rent. Prices are medians for all of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, on 24 triplex sales in nine months: a specific building is calculated on its leases, taxes and condition.
Frequently asked questions
Is a plex profitable in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in 2026?
No for the duplex, yes for the triplex and the fourplex, at the 2026 median price, the median rent of $1,620 and 80% financing: duplex −$94 a month, triplex +$513 a month, fourplex +$2,517 a month. On total return, with principal repayment ($13,331 in the first year on the triplex) and a historical appreciation of 9.2% a year, the answer changes; as housing, for an owner-occupant, the triplex costs $1,500 a month net.
What cap rate in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in 2026?
Between 5.0% (duplex) and 9.8% (fourplex) at the median price and the median rent of $1,620, with 2% in expenses; all above the 4.24% mortgage rate. A specific building is calculated on its actual leases and taxes; the median of the 19 cities tracked is 6.2% for the triplex.
Is a triplex or a fourplex better in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu?
At the median price, the fourplex ($661,000, $165,250 per unit) clears +$2,517 a month against +$513 for the triplex ($241,667 per unit); it even costs $64,000 less than the triplex at the median price, with 10% down if you live in it, 20% otherwise. Across the 19 cities tracked, the fourplex is the most profitable type in 14, the triplex in 5.
What does a plex cost in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu if I live in it?
With 5% down on a duplex and 10% on a triplex or fourplex (insured loan, premium not counted), your unit costs $2,165 a month in a duplex, $1,500 a month in a triplex, −$539 a month in a fourplex, expenses included and rents deducted, against a median rent of $1,620 and a payment of $2,498 on the median house in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. The down payment runs from $27,800 to $72,500.
Source: Centris (Matrix) median prices of duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes sold in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu from January to September 2026, Income property category; median rent of leases signed through a broker, twelve months, as published on our rent pages; assumptions on expenses (2%), rate (4.24%), amortization (25 years) and down payment set by the Loaa & Manseur team for illustration, compiled October 13, 2026. This calculation is not financial advice; have it redone on the building you are considering, with its documents. The hub is a plex profitable, 19 cities compares the 19 cities.
Our other plex series in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, from the same Centris listings:
- Investing in a plex in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in 2026: price, per unit, days, volume
- Plex days on market in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, ten years
- Mortgage payment on the median house in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, ten years
Each series is recalculated from actual sales or leases, aggregates only.
Our proof, not our promises
The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts more than 220 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.