MLI Select Score Calculator
Calculate your project's MLI Select score and see what financing benefits you unlock.
New Construction means you're building from scratch. Existing Property means you're buying or refinancing a building that's already built.
Affordability
This measures how many of your units will have below-market rent. CMHC wants a percentage of your units affordable to average renters in your area.
Location-based income
The number of units in your building where you commit to charging below-market rent. The rest of your units can charge whatever the market will bear.
Affordable percentage10%
10%
15%
25%
Commitment period
How long you promise to keep those units affordable. 10 years is the minimum. Committing to 20 years earns you 30 bonus points — a big deal for unlocking better financing.
Energy Efficiency
This measures how much more energy-efficient your building is compared to standard building code. Higher efficiency = more points. You prove this once with an energy model — no annual re-testing.
Energy baseline
Two different building codes CMHC uses as the baseline. NECB (National Energy Code for Buildings) is for commercial buildings. NBC (National Building Code) is for residential. Your energy consultant will know which applies.
How much better your building performs than the minimum code requires. For example, 25% better means your building uses 25% less energy than a standard new building.
25%
50%
60%
Energy efficiency only needs to be proven once — no annual re-verification required.
Accessibility
This measures how accessible your building is for people with disabilities. All units must be visitable (a wheelchair user can enter and use the bathroom). Higher levels mean more units are fully accessible.
No Commitment
0 ptsNo accessibility commitment
Level 1
20 ptsAt least 15% of your units meet full accessibility standards (wider doors, roll-in showers, lower counters) OR follow universal design principles.
15% accessible or universal design, or RHFAC 60-79%
Level 2
30 ptsAll units in the building follow universal design principles, or all meet full CSA accessibility standards. This is the gold standard.
100% universal design, or 100% CSA accessible, or RHFAC Gold 80%+
All units must be 100% visitable and common areas barrier-free (CSA B651:23), regardless of level selected.
A visitable unit means someone in a wheelchair can get through the front door, move around the main floor, and use a bathroom. This is REQUIRED for ALL units — not optional.
50/ 100 points
50-Point Tier
Your score determines your financing tier. Higher tier = better terms. At 100 points you get the maximum: 95% financing, 50-year amortization, and limited recourse (meaning your personal assets aren't on the hook if things go wrong).
Score Breakdown
Affordability50
Energy Efficiency0
Accessibility0
Total (capped at 100)
50Your combined points across all three categories. You need at least 50 to qualify for any MLI Select benefits. The magic number is 100 — that's where you unlock the best terms.
Financing Benefits
Max LTV
95%The percentage of the property's value that the bank will lend you. 95% LTV means you only need 5% as a down payment. Without MLI Select, you'd typically need 25% down.
Max Amortization
40 yearsHow many years you have to pay off the mortgage. Longer = lower monthly payments = better cash flow. A 50-year amortization means your monthly payment is roughly 30-40% lower than a standard 25-year mortgage.
Recourse
FullFull recourse means you're personally liable if the project fails — the bank can come after your personal assets. Limited recourse means they can only take the property itself. Limited recourse is a huge risk reduction.
Reserve FundDiscretionary
Results are illustrative only. Actual scoring is determined by CMHC during the application review process. Always verify current criteria at cmhc-schl.gc.ca.