Eastern Ontario

Ottawa Real Estate Investment Calculator

A market anchored by public-sector and institutional employment, with distinct student and professional rental segments.

Tenant demand segments sharply by area: student-oriented rentals near post-secondary institutions operate very differently from professional rentals in established neighbourhoods.

Student rentals can produce higher gross income per unit while carrying higher turnover, wear and seasonality; underwrite both sides of that trade.

Municipal rules affecting rooming houses and short-term rentals change over time and should be confirmed directly with the City.

Analyze a property in Ottawa →Cap rate calculator

Ottawa market data

Municipal benchmarks, shown with their source and vintage. They are the starting assumptions a first pass should use — not property-level facts.

Small multifamily purchase price

Duplex: $720,000$360,000/unit
Triplex: $890,000$296,667/unit
Fourplex: $1,080,000$270,000/unit
Blended price per unit: $308,889

Source: PropertyEdge compiled small-multifamily benchmark range, 2025. Medium confidence — verify against active listings and recent sales for the specific property type and condition.

Typical achievable rent

Bachelor: $1,200/mo
1 bedroom: $1,550/mo
2 bedroom: $1,850/mo
3 bedroom: $2,200/mo
Benchmark vacancy: 2.3%

Source: CMHC Rental Market Survey (latest published municipal averages), 2025. Medium confidence.

Property tax

1.12%

About 0.13% below the provincial reference rate of 1.25% — on a $720,000 purchase that's roughly $936 less tax a year than a provincially average municipality.

Estimated annual tax at $720,000: $8,064

Source: Municipal published final residential tax rate, 2025. Tax is levied on assessed value, not purchase price — underwrite from the actual tax bill.

Land transfer tax at $720,000

Ontario LTT: $10,875
Municipal LTT: None
Total at closing: $10,875

Only the provincial land transfer tax applies in Ottawa. First-time buyer rebates, where eligible, reduce the amount payable.

Calculated from the published Ontario Land Transfer Tax brackets. Confirm the final amount with your lawyer.

What changes your numbers here

Match the model to the tenant segment

Per-room and per-unit underwriting produce very different expense and vacancy assumptions.

Seasonality is real in student areas

Lease cycles concentrate turnover, so vacancy allowance and turnover costs should reflect the calendar.

Confirm licensing requirements

Rental licensing and property standards obligations differ by unit type and should be verified before closing.

Legal units and secondary suites in Ottawa — what to verify

This is a diligence checklist, not legal advice. Municipal rules change, and site-specific zoning overrides the general case. Confirm each item with the municipality before you underwrite a unit's income.

Secondary dwelling units and coach houses are permitted in most residential zones, with zone-specific standards
Ottawa's Rental Housing Property Management By-law imposes obligations on landlords of low-rise rentals
Government-tenant demand concentrates in specific corridors — confirm rent comps by submarket, not city-wide
Verify Building Code separation and egress for any existing basement unit before underwriting its rent

What a typical Ottawa deal looks like

A duplex at the Ottawa benchmark price, with one one-bedroom and one two-bedroom unit rented at the benchmark rents above. Every input is a benchmark, so treat the output as a first pass, not a valuation.

The math, line by line

Purchase price: $720,000 (duplex benchmark)
Gross rent: $1,550 + $1,850 per month = $40,800 a year
Vacancy at 2.3%: −$938
Property tax at 1.12%: −$8,064
Insurance, utilities, repairs and management: −$10,296
NOI: $21,502
Cap rate: $21,502 ÷ $720,000 = 3.0%
Financing: 20% down, 5.25% over 30 years → $3,181/mo = $38,168 a year
DSCR: $21,502 ÷ $38,168 = 0.56×
Annual cash flow: -$16,667
Cash to close: $144,000 down + $14,375 land transfer tax and legal

How to read it

At benchmark rents the NOI does not cover debt service at all, so a purchase at this price in Ottawa needs more down payment, higher rents or a lower price to be financeable.

Change any one of price, rent, tax or rate and the verdict moves. That's the whole point of underwriting the specific property rather than the market.

Run these numbers on a real Ottawa property →

Verify locally before you offer

City of Ottawa tax rate and assessment
Rental licensing and property standards requirements
Segment-specific rental comps (student versus professional)
Zoning and legal unit status
Utility metering and responsibility

Submarkets investors watch

Centretown
Sandy Hill
Vanier
Hintonburg
Alta Vista

Frequently asked — Ottawa

What does a duplex cost in Ottawa?

Our Ottawa benchmark for duplex stock is $720,000, with triplexes around $890,000 and fourplexes around $1,080,000 — roughly $308,889 per unit. These are municipal benchmark ranges compiled from public sources, not a valuation of a specific property.

What rent can I expect in Ottawa?

Typical achievable rents are about $1,550 for a one-bedroom, $1,850 for a two-bedroom and $2,200 for a three-bedroom, based on CMHC Rental Market Survey averages carried forward with the Statistics Canada Ontario rent CPI. Verify against live comparable listings before underwriting.

What is the property tax rate in Ottawa?

Ottawa publishes a residential rate of about 1.12%, versus a provincial reference of roughly 1.25%. Always underwrite from the actual tax bill or assessment, since assessed value and rate both matter.

How much land transfer tax will I pay in Ottawa?

On a $720,000 purchase, Ontario land transfer tax is about $10,875. No municipal land transfer tax applies in Ottawa. First-time buyer rebates may reduce this.

Can I add a legal second unit in Ottawa?

Secondary dwelling units and coach houses are permitted in most residential zones, with zone-specific standards. Treat every unit's income as unusable until zoning, permits and Fire Code separation are confirmed with the municipality.

Run a real Ottawa underwriting file in minutes.

NOI, valuation, financing, risk register, stress tests and a maximum offer — with every assumption labelled sourced or estimated.

Analyze a property in Ottawa →

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PropertyEdge provides analysis and estimates for informational purposes only. It is not investment, tax, legal or appraisal advice, and no return or investment outcome is guaranteed. Estimates are modelled from the assumptions shown and must be verified against leases, inspections, tax bills and municipal records before you make an offer.