Canadian duplex and triplex analyzer
Multi-unit deals run on combined rents and shared costs. Enter up to three unit rents, the operating costs, and the mortgage to see the cash flow and cap rate across the whole building.
Multi-unit deals hide details. BrickROI surfaces them.
BrickROI runs your duplex or triplex on documented rents on your real listing, with cap rate, DSCR, the CMHC paths, a 25-year proforma, and a lender-ready PDF your broker can cross-check. Paste a Canadian listing and see the full picture in two minutes.
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How to read a small multi-unit in Canada
A duplex or triplex is a few rentals stacked under one roof and one mortgage. You add up the unit rents, then run the shared costs and the single mortgage against that total. The upside is that more units spread your vacancy risk: when one unit turns over, the others keep paying. The risk is that a strong unit can hide a weak one if you only look at the building total.
That is why entering each unit matters. If one unit rents well below the others, you want to see it, because it might be a long-term tenant under rent control or a unit that needs work. The combined number tells you if the deal cash flows; the per-unit view tells you where the risk and the upside sit.
The listing trap on multi-unit deals
Multi-unit listings are where the numbers most often do not match reality. The approved BrickROI deal story is a Hamilton case where the listing said one unit and the property actually had four. Unit counts, legal status, and in-place rents all need to come from a rent roll and leases, not the listing. A deal only works if those numbers are real.
What to confirm before you trust the cash flow
- The unit count and that every unit is legal and permitted.
- Documented rents from a rent roll, not the listing's asking rents.
- Property tax at the city's real mill rate, plus a vacancy reserve on the combined rent.
Duplex and triplex questions
Why analyse a duplex or triplex differently?
Multi-unit deals have more than one rent and more than one vacancy risk. You add up the unit rents, then run the costs and the mortgage against the total. One strong unit can hide a weak one, so it pays to enter each unit and see the combined picture.
How do I check the rents are real?
Ask for a rent roll and leases, not the listing's claims. The approved BrickROI deal story is a Hamilton case where the listing said one unit and the property actually had four. Confirm the unit count and the documented rents before you trust the cash flow.
Do multi-unit deals qualify for MLI Select?
Buildings of five units or more can use CMHC MLI Select, with its points system, lower DSCR bar, and 40-year amortisation. A duplex or triplex sits below that, so it usually runs on conventional or standard insured financing. Run both to see what fits.
What vacancy rate should I use on a triplex?
Many Canadian operators use 5 to 7% of gross rent. A St Catharines investor said on a forum he runs 5 to 7% because his real vacancy is higher than the average. With more units, a single turnover is a smaller share of the total, but it still belongs in the numbers.