Homeowners expect monthly mortgage payments to rise upon renewal in 2025. How to get the best mortgage rate at renewal without a stress-test?

As more than one million mortgages come up for renewal in Canada this year, a new survey says the majority of those homeowners expect to pay more in their monthly borrowing costs.

A Royal LePage survey released Thursday, conducted by Hill & Knowlton, said 57 per cent of Canadians set to renew a mortgage on their primary residence this year expect their monthly payment to increase.

That includes 22 per cent who expect it to rise “significantly” and 35 per cent who think their payment will go up “slightly.” One-quarter said their monthly mortgage payment will remain about the same and 15 per cent expect it to decrease upon renewal.

Royal LePage said 1.2 million mortgages are up for renewal in 2025. Around 85 per cent of those were secured when the Bank of Canada’s key policy rate sunk to historically low levels — at or below one per cent — during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re now five years from when those mortgages first became available so we’re getting those rolling over,” said Royal LePage president and CEO Phil Soper in an interview.

“While rates have been coming down rapidly, they’re still well above what those super low pandemic mortgages were and people are concerned.”

Among those who expect their monthly payment to rise, 81 per cent said the increase would put financial strain on their household. Many of those said they will reduce discretionary spending such as on restaurants and entertainment, or cut back on travel to help cope with the increased costs.

Meanwhile, 10 per cent of respondents said they are considering downsizing, relocating to a more affordable region or renting out a portion of their home in response to higher borrowing costs.

Soper said a potential trade war with the U.S., and the harm the Canadian economy could endure from President Donald Trump’s threat of 25 per cent tariffs, is adding to Canadian homeowners’ anxiety.

However, he said the Bank of Canada could loosen monetary policy in response to tariffs in order to ease the burden on the economy.

While most households with pending renewals plan to maintain the same type of mortgage product they have, the report said more Canadians are exploring the option of signing variable-rate mortgages.

Around two-thirds of respondents with a mortgage renewing this year said they plan to obtain a fixed-rate loan upon renewal, down from the three-quarters who currently have fixed-rate mortgages. Around 29 per cent said they will choose a variable-rate loan, up from the 24 per cent who currently have variable-rate mortgages.

Last fall, Canada’s national banking regulator announced it would no longer require borrowers with uninsured mortgages to undergo a stress test when switching providers, as long as the amortization schedule and loan amount remain unchanged.

Talk to us or to your experienced mortgage broker on how to do a mortgage transfer at renewal without a stress-test, include your high interest debts into low mortgage payment and still get the best interest rate!