Buying · Montreal · salary for a triplex 2026
What salary to buy a triplex in Montreal in 2026: the minimum household income for the owner-occupied median triplex, with 50% of the rents counted, next to the duplex and the median house.
In Montreal, the median triplex sells for $932,000. To buy it and live in it with the 10% minimum down payment (about $113,079 in cash), you need a gross household income of about $150,700 a year. The other 2 units bring in about $3,500 a month (the city's median rent: $1,750 a month), but the bank adds only half of that to your income. Without those rents, you would need $198,600. The median house ($755,000) takes $167,900 and the median duplex $140,200: the triplex takes $17,200 less than for the median house and $10,500 more than for the median duplex. Rule: for an owner-occupied 3 or 4 unit building, CMHC lets lenders add up to 50% of gross rents to household income (versus 100% for a duplex), and the property's taxes and heating may be left out of the calculation. Assumptions: Centris median prices of triplexes, duplexes and single-family houses (January to September 2026); minimum down payment of 10% for the triplex (5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the rest for the duplex and the house) with the CMHC premium added to the loan; 25 years; stress test at the higher of 5.25% or the rate plus 2 points, i.e. 6.09% for a 4.09% rate; gross debt service (GDS) ratio of at most 39%; no other debts (car, cards, student loans); both units rented all year at the median rent of Centris leases signed over 12 months in the city; house: taxes estimated at 1% of the price and heating at $1,200 a year counted. Source: Centris (Matrix) for prices and rents, compiled November 3, 2026.
The short answer
In Montreal, the median triplex sells for $932,000. To buy it and live in it with the 10% minimum down payment (about $113,079 in cash), you need a gross household income of about $150,700 a year. The other 2 units bring in about $3,500 a month (the city's median rent: $1,750 a month), but the bank adds only half of that to your income. Without those rents, you would need $198,600. The median house ($755,000) takes $167,900 and the median duplex $140,200: the triplex takes $17,200 less than for the median house and $10,500 more than for the median duplex.
Triplex, duplex or house in Montreal: the required income side by side
| 2026 in Montreal | Owner-occupied median triplex | Owner-occupied median duplex | Median house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median price | $932,000 | $840,000 | $755,000 |
| Cash needed | $113,079 | $77,511 | $67,035 |
| Payment at the qualifying rate (6.09%) | $5,579 a month | - | $4,727 a month |
| Taxes and heating counted | $0 (left out) | $0 (left out) | $729 a month |
| Rent added to income | $21,000 a year (50% of 2 rents) | $21,000 a year (100% of one rent) | $0 |
| Minimum gross household income | $150,700 | $140,200 | $167,900 |
Centris (Matrix) median prices, January to September 2026; median rent of Centris leases; CMHC rules for an owner-occupied plex; GDS of 39% at the 6.09% qualifying rate over 25 years.
What these numbers say in Montreal
- Counting rents at 50% and leaving out taxes and heating lower the required income by $47,900: from $198,600 to $150,700.
- With a stricter lender that also counts taxes and heating, you would need about $177,600, which is $9,700 more than for the median house.
- The real payment at 4.09% is about $4,591 a month; the 2 rents cover about 76% of it. The bank, though, checks that you could pay $5,579 a month (stress test).
- The minimum down payment rises to 10% from 3 units: the triplex takes about $35,568 more cash than the median duplex.
- Across the 19 cities tracked, the owner-occupied triplex takes less income than the house in 15 cities; the median required income is $104,700.
What it changes for buying in Montreal
In Montreal, the triplex takes a high income ($150,700), which is $17,200 less than for the median house. For a household already earning enough for a house, now is the time to compare: at a similar income, the triplex leaves you 2 rents every month. The cash breakdown: how much money for a plex in Montreal; the duplex, one unit fewer: what salary for a duplex in Montreal.
How to read these numbers
Rule: for an owner-occupied 3 or 4 unit building, CMHC lets lenders add up to 50% of gross rents to household income (versus 100% for a duplex), and the property's taxes and heating may be left out of the calculation (CMHC, Rental income page; the other method allowed, net rental income, is rarely used). Assumptions: Centris median prices of triplexes, duplexes and single-family houses (January to September 2026); minimum down payment of 10% for the triplex (5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the rest for the duplex and the house) with the CMHC premium added to the loan; 25 years; stress test at the higher of 5.25% or the rate plus 2 points, i.e. 6.09% for a 4.09% rate; gross debt service (GDS) ratio of at most 39%; no other debts (car, cards, student loans); both units rented all year at the median rent of Centris leases signed over 12 months in the city; house: taxes estimated at 1% of the price and heating at $1,200 a year counted. Lenders and mortgage insurers do not all apply the same rule: most ask for the current leases and use the building's actual rents. Your mortgage broker will confirm the amount used. Your other debts (car, cards, loans) reduce your capacity: the total debt service (TDS) ratio must not exceed 44%. Prices are medians, not a specific property.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to buy a triplex in Montreal?
About $150,700 of gross household income in Montreal for the owner-occupied median triplex ($932,000) with the 10% minimum down payment, counting 50% of the 2 rents as CMHC allows. Without the rents: $198,600.
Does the bank count the triplex rents in my income?
Yes, but only in part. For a triplex or fourplex you live in, CMHC lets lenders add up to 50% of gross rents to your income, versus 100% for a duplex. In Montreal, the 2 median rents ($42,000 a year) therefore add about $21,000 a year to your income.
Do you need more income for a triplex than for a house in Montreal?
For the median house in Montreal ($755,000), you need about $167,900; for the median duplex, $140,200; for the median triplex, $150,700. The triplex takes $17,200 less than for the median house. See also is a plex profitable in Montreal and 25 or 30 year amortization in Montreal.
Sources: Centris (Matrix), Statistics module, median sale price of triplexes and duplexes (income properties) and single-family houses for the municipality of Montreal, January to September 2026; Centris (Matrix), broker-signed leases from September 16, 2025 to September 16, 2026; CMHC, Rental income and premium schedule; compiled by the Loaa & Manseur team, aggregates only. The hub salary for a triplex in 19 cities compares the 19 cities.
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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.